This might have been one of the most iconic summers we’ve endured. From makeup brands to the upcoming presidential election, Charli XCX’s new album “Brat” has made its mark in all media. No one could have been prepared for this album’s impact on changing the marketing game. Who knew being a brat would be a good thing?
To recall the success of this album, Charli released her 6th studio album, “Brat,” on June 7th, 2024. This album caught the attention of hundreds for its unusual cover art. The album displays itself as a bright neon green shade with the word brat in black letters. The reaction to this seemingly dull cover art was a joke to many. Quickly, people on social media started spreading the word of a brat. Once people began people on social media rapidly to rest the joke on the cover, people finally started paying attention to the music.
“Apple,” a popular track on the album, quickly became popular on TikTok, which inspired the Apple dance. The dance, created by Kelley Heyer on TikTok, caught on with many celebrities, such as Glen Powell, Ashley Tisdale, and Charli XCX herself. But Apple wasn’t the only track many loved this summer; 360, Everything is Romantic, Girl, So Confusing, and 365 made people enjoy their brat summer. A couple of days later, Charli released a deluxe version of Brat titled “Brat, and it’s the same, but there’s three more songs, so it’s not.” After the large attraction she gained, she released more songs, but this time with some shocking collaborators. Billie Eilish was featured on “Guess, ” sitting at the #1 spot on Charli XCX’s most streamed song on Spotify. Lorde was also included in “Girl, so Confusing,” who notably had a feud with Charli for the past couple of years, and in the featured song, the famous line “Let’s work it out on the remix” caught the storm and made many admire being able to solve their problems on the song.
Brat’s most impressive usage is when companies take part in the trend to market their products and catch the attention of a younger audience who are also having a brat summer. Because of its multifunctional and easy accessibility to participate, brands more than ever are taking advantage of it. Uber Eats, Kate Spade, and Gisou are just a few brands participating in this trend to promote their products. Another iconic way brat marketed itself is in the popular Roblox game Dress to Impress. The game is very popular with the youth and was a perfect opportunity to get involved with Brat. Players could choose from an array of Brat attire, and the neon green took over the game.
The most surprising utilization was after Charli XCX endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, saying, “Kamala IS brat,” Shortly after, Kamala HQ on X changed its banner to the neon green black lettering saying “Kamala hq”. This act caused many memes to rise, such as Harris’s famous “You think you just fell out of a coconut tree” speech and Charli’s 365 song, which TikTok user @mxwlch03 made a remix of. As word of Kamala Harris being a Brat started to spread, it went to Fox News’s “The Five” for a discussion. The conversation goes as follows, “Do you really want brats to run this country? They already do enough damage,” Greg Gutfeld expresses, and is immediately corrected by another host, stating, “You don’t understand the essence of brat summer.”
Charli XCX was undeniably shaped this summer, proving that experimenting with exotic elements creates big waves. What started as a joke became a cultural phenomenon that took over social media. This summer, being a brat wasn’t only accepted but celebrated. Her ability to have fun with memes and the musical talent she brought to the table made her really stand out, which will forever define her as the artist she is today.
