What does ‘Kamala is brat’ mean?

Kamala Harris received a shoutout that made her change her X account profile to a lime — some would say slime — shade of green. Why? The answer might sound confusing, but it’s all for a good slimy reason.

If there’s one thing that the Kamala Harris presidential campaign has already proven — despite being just two days old — it’s that Kamala has an excellent marketing team. Already, they received approval from Beyoncé to use her song “Freedom” on the campaign trail, while also receiving an unexpected compliment from another musical artist, which is being talked about all over social media.

The shoutout is from singer and songwriter extraordinaire Charli XCX. Even if that name isn’t familiar to you, there is a really good chance that you’ve heard her music.

So what was the actual shoutout? Charli XCX posted one simple line: “Kamala IS brat.”

No, it doesn’t mean Kamala’s a brat. It’s tied to Charli XCX’s hit album, titled brat, that has been one of the most critically acclaimed albums of the year, and is being called “the sound of the Summer,” or more accurately, the summer has been declared “Brat Summer.” However, Charli’s own explanation of what the album symbolizes has caused some confusion about her Kamala Harris post.

“You’re just like that girl who is a little messy,” Charli explained in a TikTok post earlier this year, “and likes to party and like maybe says some dumb things sometimes.”

The confusion is understandable.

“Kamala IS brat,” doesn’t necessarily mean she’s cool, she’s it, or she’s the one. No, that’s not the meaning. I’m not Gen Z, but I’ll easily explain it in one sentence, and it’ll be the only explanation you’ll need.

“Kamala IS brat,” simply means that she’s real and very relatable.

Just think of the impact of a major musical artist publicly applauding a presidential nominee’s relatability. That might disappoint some who believe celebrities shouldn’t have influence, but the reality is, they do. And odd as it sounds, Charlie’s might be one of Kamala’s better endorsements; it’s not BS from another politician, but a nod acknowledging someone who many can relate to, and it comes from a hugely popular artist.

That’s why Kamala and her team changed the color of her X profile to slime green — or lime green, or chartreuse, whichever you prefer — because it matches the unmistakable color of Charli XCX’s brat album. I guess from now on, the color should be popularly known as “brat green.”