Charli XCX’s latest studio album brat has been inescapable for the better part of 2024, to the point where it even made its way into commentary surrounding the U.S. presidential race.
The head-thrashing music project, which arrived in June and marks the U.K. singer-songwriter’s sixth album overall, was a critical and commercial success, spawning our collective “brat summer” and countless viral memes.
Charli XCX has defined her version of “brat” as the “girl who is a little messy and likes to party, and maybe says some dumb things sometimes.” The tracklist of the namesake album certainly reflects this energy, spanning moments of unadulterated partying to intense vulnerability.
In that same spirit, we’re sifting through all the songs on brat, ranked from a little messy to straight-up volatile.
“So I”
Serving as the album’s most heartbreaking moment, “So I” is a tribute to the late producer Sophie, who was a longtime friend and collaborator of Charli XCX. Given its message, “So I” leaves little room for bratty attitude, instead focussing on remembering Sophie as the pioneer she was.
“I think about it all the time”
Penultimate track “I think about it all the time” is also one of the album’s more vulnerable moments, finding Charli as she questions whether or not she wants to have children. This subject matter means she isn’t exactly living her brat life, though she does contemplate how her career might impact motherhood.
“I might say something stupid”
While the fourth track makes mention of some bratty behaviour — like “re-enter[ing] the party” and “sip[ing] on wine”, it is mostly a vulnerable track in which Charli muses on feeling like an outsider and admits to “play[ing] the role” of a hot mess. It’s somewhat of a thesis for brat, offering a look at the downside of being a hard-partying it-girl.
“Apple”
While “Apple” in itself isn’t all that messy, it does see Charli reflect on how she became a brat in the first place. The singer-songwriter uses the analogy of an apple to reflect on her relationship with her parents, pondering if her bratty seed was planted throughout generations. “Apple” also blew up on TikTok, giving it extra brat points.
“B2b”
This is simply a love song, if that love song was catered specifically to a Berlin nightclub. It’s very light on lyrical content, but the production lays much of the groundwork for the album’s overall sound, increasing its brat-factor.
“Rewind”
In another nostalgic track on brat, “Rewind” sees Charli XCX yearn for the simpler times, when she was unconcerned with the public’s opinion of her and would “burn CDs full of songs I didn’t know.” Again, it’s more a moment of reflection which informs how Charli XCX came to embody the brat spirit, rather than an all-out bratty anthem.
“Talk talk”
This love song recounts Charli’s meet-cute with her now-fiancé, The 1975 drummer George Daniel. There’s not a lot of room for messiness as she simply revels in falling head over heels.
“Everything is romantic”
We well and truly enter brat territory with “Everything is romantic,” a poetic and sweet track in which Charli XCX expresses gratitude for all the romance in her life. Since it’s Charli, these romantic things include “neon orange drinks,” “bad tattoos,” and “leather-tanned skin,” all of which you’d find in the ultimate brat starter pack.
“Club classics”
“Club classics” is pure brat — not just in its sound, but in its sheer boastfulness. Like a true queen, Charli XCX declares she wants to dance to her own songs at the club, manifesting the ultimate level of brat behavior.
“Girl, so confusing”
“Girl, so confusing” spawned a messy discourse online, as fans speculated who the song might be about. It includes quips about an unnamed singer whom Charli can’t quite get a read on, which itself showcases a somewhat volatile attempt at confrontation. We later learned that the song was about Lorde, who eventually performed a verse on the remixed version. Two icons working out their grievances on an instant classic? That’s brat.
“Sympathy is a knife”
Even messier than the “Girl, so confusing” chatter was the fanfare around “Sympathy is a knife.” This standout track also makes reference to a musician — widely thought to be Taylor Swift — with Charli declaring she doesn’t “want to share the space.” It’s a hard-hitting, bratty anthem about wanting the spotlight all for yourself, but not quite feeling like you even deserve it.
“Mean girls”
Charli XCX sketches the true archetype of the brat on “Mean girls,” listing off the range of attributes required to be your messiest self. There’s mention of “wearing last night’s makeup,” breaking “your boyfriend’s heart” and being “kinda f**ked up,” as Charli provides the check-boxes to become a brat. Heed these at your own peril.
“Von dutch”
“Von dutch” was the lead single for brat, and it burst out of the gate with volatile production and a braggadocious spirit. Charli revels in the fact that people are “jealous of me” and can’t seem to stop “obsessing.” Elsewhere, she declares “I get money, you get made because the bank’s shut.” It’s Charli at her most boastful and unadulterated, and we’re obviously here for it.
“360”
Much like “Von dutch,” “360” serves as something of a brat manifesto, as Charli gloats about being everyone’s “favorite reference” and “looking like an icon.” The accompanying music video featured fellow internet it-girls, like Rachel Sennott and Julia Fox, all of whom embody the brat spirit.
“365”
The final track on brat, “365” describes a whirlwind night partying, and goes into explicit detail about what that night might entail. There’s trips to the bathroom for certain activities and dancing hedonistically all-year round. What’s so bratty about “365” is that its portrait of pure debauchery comes immediately after “I think about it all the time,” when Charli had just contemplated having kids. Maybe next year?
Published: Aug 12, 2024 06:20 pm