Charli XCX’s ‘Brat’ successfully combines dance hits with vulnerable lyricism

Charli XCX is most notably recognised for her party-girl aesthetic and her reputation as the it-girl of electronic dance pop. Known for her contributions to pop classics, such as Iggy Azalea’s ‘Fancy’ or Icona Pop’s ‘I Love It’, the release of Charli’s sixth studio album, Brat, sees her return to Atlantic Records during a sonic shift to her musical roots, proving to her fans and listeners alike that she can still be “your favourite reference”.

Brat pays homage to Charli’s ascendence into the music industry by utilising the same rhythmic and addictive electronic beats combined with bold vocals which reflect the nature of Charli’s artistry. It was this combination that consequently got her songs from MySpace picked up by promoters of the warehouse rave scene back in 2008. Brat, therefore, showcases the musical expertise of Charli XCX during the peak of her career, whilst cementing the nature of her artistry and exposing listeners to re-vamped lyricism which is both cleverly conducted and thoughtful.

Charli’s lyricism intends to provoke listeners with her introspection surrounding her placement in the industry, along with her inner thoughts and insecurities

The album begins with ‘360’ a catchy and contemplative track which delves into the reality of being a woman with fame and an internet platform. The track is a perfect opener to Brat as it encompasses the nature of the album and Charli’s presence within the club scene during a highly scrutinised digital age. ‘360’ elaborates on the desire to be “looking like an icon” and “internationally recognised”. The music video for the track sees Charli amongst other internet it-girls: Julia Fox, Chloë Sevigny, Rachel Sennott, and Emma Chamberlain (to name a few) attempting to find the next ‘hot internet girl’. ‘360’ and its accompanying music video reflect the ever-presence of attention within fame and the “stylish” necessity to remain aloof from the negativity of critics. With the lyrics, “If you love it, if you hate it / I don’t fucking care what you think,” Charli intentionally expresses her desire to neglect external expectations surrounding what is considered commercially palatable and successful, instead staying true to herself and releasing music which aligns to her artistry.

Accompanying the plethora of dance tracks throughout Brat, Charli’s lyricism intends to provoke listeners with her introspection surrounding her placement in the industry, along with her inner thoughts and insecurities – suggesting even a pop it-girl can experience the same feelings and circumstances as ordinary folk outside of the industry. For instance, ‘I might say something stupid’ and ‘Rewind’ express honest and vulnerable themes through their lyricism. ‘I might say something stupid’ highlights Charli’s internal reality despite the overly confident characteristics she portrays within her music. The lyrics “talk to myself in the mirror / wear these clothes as disguise” and “I get nervous, sip the wine” suggest the façade and ‘rehearsal’ which Charli goes through in order to feel like she belongs within the spaces she occupies. This vulnerable interior provides a relatable experience to listeners, both humanising and normalising the process of feeling like an outsider within a social setting and acknowledging the space you need to fill. Whereas ‘Rewind’ uses vulnerably honest lyricism to infer fame within the industry is so wrapped up in body image and commercial success that Charli wishes she could ‘rewind’ to a simpler time, a time when she did not pay attention to these things.

In true it-girl style Brat is inundated with pop culture references

In the middle of Brat this vulnerability continues as Charli signifies the multitude of her artistry which expands beyond her party girl aesthetic, which she adorns throughout her discography. ‘So I’ laments a touching tribute to Charli’s late-friend and talented producer SOPHIE. The track possesses a calmer electronic melody compared to some of the other tracks on Brat to signify the heaviness of grief and emotions of guilt which surround it, whilst honouring SOPHIE’s production style. Although, Charli’s “guilty feelings keep [her] fractured,” she identifies the importance of SOPHIE within her life, whose presence and words were “brutal, lovin’, truthful.” ‘So I’ memorialises SOPHIE’s impact within the music industry whilst suggesting their importance in Charli’s life and artistry.

In true it-girl style Brat is inundated with pop culture references which extends the listener’s experience by highlighting the culture that surrounds Brat and its placement as a soundtrack to modern nightlife. Most notably ‘Von dutch’, which was the first single from Brat and arguably one of the best tracks from the album, references the fashion brand Von Dutch, a Y2K brand which facilitated the creation of an iconic culture in which electronic dance pop thrives within. Additionally, ‘Club classics’ most blatantly aligns with Charli’s musical roots by directly name-dropping influential figures within the genre of electronic dance pop, expressed within the lyrics “I wanna dance to me / I wanna dance to A.G. / I wanna dance with George / I wanna dance to SOPHIE / I wanna dance to HudMo”. Charli not only references herself as one of the curators of the genre but popular genre boundary-breaking producers A.G. Cook and Hudson Mohawke along with late-friend and producer SOPHIE, as well as her fiancé George Daniel, who is the drummer and brains of production behind The 1975. With these popular culture references in place, Brat solidifies its placement within the genre and alerts listeners to its iconic nature.

Yet, a few tracks on Brat are not so straightforward, as Charli allows listeners to suspect the inspiration of her songs. Although, ‘Sympathy is a knife’ has some of the strongest lyricism within Brat and alludes to the discomfort created as a result of society’s tendency to compare women, Charli only gives subtle hints towards who the track could be about. For instance, the lyrics “don’t wanna see her backstage at my boyfriend’s show / fingers crossed behind my back / I hope they break up quick,” potentially refer to the suspected fling between Taylor Swift and The 1975 frontman Matty Healy after Swift was a surprise on-stage guest during their last tour. Another example is ‘Girl, so confusing’ where Charli provides an insight into womanhood and comparison culture surrounding herself and another woman within the music industry who has “the same hair.” Charli suggests the industry deems them similar despite the other artist being concerned with “writing poems” whilst Charli is “throwing parties”. Perhaps, Charli is referencing the now-viral moment where an interviewer in 2014 mistook her for Lorde, inferring if they ever made music together “the internet would go crazy”.

Brat showcases Charli’s ability to experiment with the multitude of her party girl aesthetic with iconic dance hits, alongside exposing and vulnerable themes and lyricism

Brat concludes with energetic electronic tracks ‘B2b’, ‘Mean girls’ and ‘360’’s sibling track ‘365’. Despite the many themes throughout Brat, the album ends with high-energy and significant concluding remarks. Charli not only continues to promote the fabulousness of her party girl aesthetic, but she alerts listeners to an honest interpretation surrounding her future. The penultimate track, ‘I think about it all the time’, notifies listeners of Charli’s contemplation regarding the potentiality of motherhood given that she recently got engaged to her long-term partner, Daniel. The repetition of the lyrics “I think about it all the time / That I might run out of time”, refers to the pressures placed on women to have children and the relatable ideal that women’s bodies are a ticking time bomb from the minute they reach their thirties. Charli utilises this track to expose her inner thoughts surrounding her placement in the industry and her future as a wife and or mother. ‘I think about it all the time’ provides an important emphasis on the nature of Brat, especially alongside the concluding track ‘365’. These two tracks side by side create a significant juxtaposition to Charli’s nature as an artist. They demonstrate that although Charli can provide listeners with club anthems and successfully own her artistic aesthetic, these factors are not mutually exclusive to Charli portraying more serious themes within her music, themes which contemplate her future beyond being in the music industry.

Brat showcases Charli’s ability to experiment with the multitude of her party girl aesthetic with iconic dance hits, alongside exposing and vulnerable themes and lyricism. In its entirety, Brat displays Charli XCX at her finest, furthering the idea that she continues to be a ‘cult classic’ within the genre of electronic dance pop, as her music just keeps getting better.

Recommended listening: ‘360′, ‘Sympathy is a knife’, ‘Von dutch’

★★★★★

Listen to Brat here: