Charli XCX’s song “Used To Know Me” (PC: YouTube/Charli XCX)
British pop star Charli XCX has declared this summer “Brat Summer,” a term favored by her devoted fanbase of Angels. After releasing her sixth studio album, Brat, on June 7, the Boom Clap singer revealed the essence of the trend in a podcast interview with BBC Sounds. From the neon green aesthetic to the coquette-inspired accessories, Brat Summer is all about effortless “It” girl vibes and a hint of unapologetically nasty. With her latest music and iconic visuals, she’s channeling the season’s vibes of bold fashion choices and fearless self-expression.
Neon green, baby t-shirts, and sporty sunglasses are everywhere? Welcome to Brat Summer!
The Boom Clap singer, 31, clarified the meaning of the term on the BBC Sounds podcast, following the Angels’ adoption of the term following the release of their Brat album on June 7.
Asked if recent photos of the star riding a speedboat were part of the trend, Charlie replied: “Sometimes it goes that way, like luxury items,” adding that it can also be vulgar, like cigarette packets, Bic lighters and strappy white tops with no bra.
TikTok users have been scouring the new album’s lyrics for indications of the types of Brat summer accessories (digital cameras, cropped T-shirts, coquette qualities, etc.).
Charli made a controversial move earlier this summer by choosing a neon green background for her album cover, arguably the most iconic feature of Brat Summer. When she revealed the album artwork, she received backlash online, with fans questioning why she feels so possessive about female artists and expects their likeness on the cover.
Brat Summer is more than just accessories reminiscent of Y2K and indie sleaze trends — it’s a state of mind about being the “it” girl without trying.
In Brat’s “360” music video, the alt-pop star enlists some of It girls past and present, including Chloe Sevigny, Julia Fox, Gabriette Bechtel, Rachel Sennott, Chloe Cherry, and Richie Shazam. The video also features Emma Chamberlain, the internet star and three-time Met Gala red carpet correspondent, queen of the messy bun and oversized sweatshirt.
Charlie’s Brat Summer is all about effortless style, unapologetically mean, and smash beef
The singer has embodied a natural It-girl persona throughout the album’s campaign: At a show in Los Angeles promoting the album, she told the crowd, “I don’t want to sing this song. I just want you to sing this song while I have a glass of wine, OK?”
The simple green background and blurry, basic font that spells out the album’s name on the album cover gives the impression of disinterest in the record promotion cycle, as if Charlie doesn’t take anything too seriously.
Brat Summer is characterised by an unapologetically nasty nature: The Face interviewed Charlie about the album and called it “her most aggressive and defiant album yet”, and she’s not shy about speaking her mind.
“I can be mean, but I don’t know if I’m mean,” the singer said on the Las Culturistas podcast in early June. “I don’t think that just because I disagree with all women makes me a bad feminist. It’s not human nature.”
In her song “Mean Girls,” Charlie glorifies minor bad behaviour, like breaking her boyfriend’s feelings and having a “sharp tongue.”
The Face quoted her as saying, “I miss the days when pop music was really volatile and crazy. I miss the days of Paris Hilton. Now everyone’s worried about everything, about what people think of them, whether the art they’re making is going to offend someone.”
When Charli and Lorde remixed “Girl,” they quelled a very confusing and unnecessary feud, because Brat’s summer should also quell an unnecessary feud. With the line about the two having “the same hair,” fans speculated that Brat’s song, which expressed Charli’s frustration that her friend wouldn’t follow through on their plans to collaborate on music and spend time together, was about Lorde.
They “did that with the remix,” he said, and while Lorde admitted she was intimidated by the British performer, she said she had always respected her work.
