Hello 'Brat and it's completely different but also still brat'
Hello 'Brat and it's completely different but also still brat'
Let's talk about Charli xcx's second take on her hit album
Welcome to Gen Z Translator. On Tunes Tuesdays, we dive into new music. Subscribe here if you don’t already follow this newsletter, and check me out on Threads or X. Views are my own.
I hope you didn’t think brat summer was over, because it’s coming with us to cooler weather. Charli xcx’s song, “Everything is romantic featuring caroline polachek” even starts point-blank with “Fall.”
Seventeen songs reimagine BRAT in a sexy and playful manner with a serious twist. Brat and it's completely different but also still brat aims to continue the hype of Charli’s upbeat, dancey electronica album, complete with a level of psychoanalysis.
The album begins with “360 featuring robyn & yung lean,” a fun and punchy song that adds depth to the original album. By the third track, Charli pivots to her mission – humanizing celebrity artists by spotlighting their talents and their struggles.
In “Sympathy is a knife featuring ariana grande,” Charlie sings, “It’s a knife when a friend is suddenly stepping on your throat. It’s a knife when they say that you’ve been doing things you don’t.” She also reflects on the fact that her album did blow up, saying “it’s a knife when you’re finally on top, because logically the next step is they wanna see you fall,” a sentiment other celebrities collaborating with Charli seem to share.
Ariana Grande was hit particularly hard by fan speculation about her relationships and appearance earlier this year. The 1975, too, has been mired in controversy – though Charli’s engagement to the band’s drummer may have contributed to their collaboration. Other celebrities who have seen waves of hate, like Addison Rae and Kesha, make an appearance, too.
“Everything is romantic featuring caroline polachek” also explores heavier topics with lyrics like, “It’s like you’re living the dream but you’re not living you life” and “everything is still romantic, right?”
Throughout the album, Charli leans into duality, showing both good and bad can exist in something at the same time.
It’s no secret Charlie’s marketing campaign for brat was epic. Her signature branding of a basic font with lime green will go down in pop culture history as an instantly recognizable nod to the moment. It’s simple, it’s bold, it’s fun.
I’ll say it. I think the whole album (x2) is genius. If an artist is going to do a re-release or deluxe album, they should have something special to offer, otherwise it looks like they’re farming for clicks.
Not only is Charli serving her fanbase with more music, she’s reclaiming her own strained relationship with media and fame. The album remains casual and down-to-earth, like you’re sitting down to talk with Charli and her friends. The songs bleed into each other seamlessly.
A few of the new releases are simple house mix music, which seemed lower effort and more like filler content. I didn’t mind, though, with the amount of energy that went into revamping the other tracks.
Brat and it's completely different but also still brat speaks to the cultural moment. Charli xcx’s original 15 songs were already iconic. Now, brat is twice as iconic.
Here’s a ranked list of my top five favorites from the new album:
5. “Spring breakers featuring Kesha”
I had trouble choosing between this song, “Rewind featuing bladee” and “I might say something stupid featuring The 1975” for this slot. I felt Kesha’s confidence radiating off this track, leaning into the messy, party girl vibe that brat revolves around. This song will transport you back to summer, no matter what season you happen to be listening to it. “Me and Charli, we the party girl gods,” Kesha declares. “Oh baby, you mad watching me win.”
4. “Everything is romantic featuring caroline polachek”
The concept of “romanticizing your life” is always top of mind for me as I think about social media’s glorification of everyday moments. Charli and Caroline humble this trend, challenging the idea that everything needs to be romanticized, while still longing for the nostalgia of an idealized memory.
3. “360 featuring robyn & yung lean”
Robyn and Yung Lean contribute to this track standing apart from its previous form. “Three child stars out here doing damage. Me and Lean and Robyn, we don't even have to practice. We got many hits, get you feeling nostalgic,” the artists sing. The track leans into the glorification of wealth and celebrity, establishing strong background points Charli then elaborates on in her thesis throughout the rest of the album.
2. “Von dutch a.g. cook remix featuring addison rae”
This song isn’t new, but it still hits – the backtrack goes hard and the girlish shrieks are addictive. Addison Rae flourishes throughout the song, infusing her lived experience to lyrics like “got a lot to say about my debut and my constant revenue” as well as “all these girls are like ‘Ah, can I get a picture?’ and then they go online like ‘Just kidding, I hate you.’”
1. “Sympathy is a knife featuring ariana grande”
This is one of my favorite less popular songs from the original album, so I was incredibly pleased by what Charli did with it on her second go-around. Punchy and unique with the same core elements from its original, this song demonstrates exactly what Charli was going for with Brat and it's completely different but also still brat. It’s a window into lived experience, showing us the highs and lows of being famous but also human. I could write an essay about every line of this song.
Overall Album Rating:
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