Since first bursting into the music scene in the early 2010s, English popstar Charli XCX, known for her hit “Boom Clap,” remains one of the most innovative musicians in hyperpop music. On June 7, the singer released her sixth studio album Brat. The 15-track album is a blend of hyperpop, electropop, club pop and dance music which the singer has become known for.
Before Brat’s release, the singles “Von Dutch” (and a remix with Addison Rae and A.G. Cook) and “360” built up hype surrounding the album. Influenced by her time in the London rave scene, the album channels the endless party lifestyle while referencing themes such as body image, coping with grief and commercial success.
In the song “Rewind,” Charli XCX sings about her struggles with success in the music industry saying “I used to never think about Billboard … Wondering ‘bout whether I think I deserve commercial success.”
Charli XCX continues with the theme of introspection on the song “I might say something stupid” with the lyrics “Cause I don’t know if I belong here anymore, I don’t feel like nothing special, I snag my tights out on the lawn chair, Guess I’m a mess and play the role”
Upon the album’s release, music critics praised its production and lyrical themes, making it the highest-rated release of 2024 and the 16th highest-rated release of all time on Metacritic. It debuted at number two on the UK albums chart surpassing her previous chart-topping album Crash (2022) in debut week sales. In the first week of release, the album received over 75 million streams on Spotify.
The album has also gone viral on social media with many memes spawning using the signature “brat green” and text font associated with the album.
To support the album, the artist announced the Sweat tour with Australian singer and collaborator Troye Sivan which will visit several cities across the United States. Tickets for the tour have sold for hundreds of dollars.
The album delivers a fun and often flirty club-oriented sound that goes beyond surface-level lyrics by diving into issues with other fellow singers and personal insecurities. Flanked with pop culture references and appearances from several “it girls,” including Julia Fox, Quenlin Blackwell and Alex Consani, in the supporting music videos, the album provides the perfect soundtrack for a night out with friends.
Standout tracks from the album include “360,” “I might say something stupid,” “Everything is romantic,” “Rewind,” “B2b” and “Mean girls”. As one of the best-reviewed albums of 2024 by many sources, Brat serves as a rarity in modern pop music, an equilibrium of fun, party-oriented tracks and songs with lyrics that hit the deepest emotions of fear and insecurity.
5 Mean girls out of 5
