Charli XCX has always been known for her boundary-pushing sound and avant-garde style, but her latest project, brat takes her artistry to a whole new level. Her latest release has reached huge levels of international popularity, starting the “Brat Summer” trend. In releasing this experimental pop album, Charli created a cultural moment where individuality and empowerment reign supreme.

Charli specified the meaning of “brat” in a TikTok video, “You’re just like that girl who is a little messy and likes to party and maybe says some dumb things sometimes. Who feels herself but maybe also has a breakdown. But kind of like, parties through it, is very honest, very blunt. A little bit volatile. Like, does dumb things. But it’s brat. You’re brat. That’s brat,” she said.

“Brat Summer” is more than just a catchy phrase heard on TikTok, however; it represents a mindset—a celebration of youth and unapologetic self-expression. Charli invites listeners to embrace their inner “brat,” opening a space for her audience to embrace being carefree people. Charli encourages her fans to live life on their own terms, promoting messages of confidence and liberation through her music.

This environment is created partially through the sound showcased on the album. She draws from various genres, blending pop, punk, and electronic influences to create a sound that feels both fresh and nostalgic at times. She also invited various artists to collaborate: Billie Eilish, Troye Sivan, and Addison Rae, to name a few. 

But the collaboration that really stood out on this album was with Lorde. When “girl, so confusing” was released, fans immediately speculated that it was about the New Zealand singer. It was pretty obvious, with lyrics about looking alike and having the same hair, that the song was indeed about her. The original track left fans of the two disappointed, as Charli sang about her uncertainty around their friendship and how their opposite personalities made it awkward to be around each other at times.

That’s why the internet was shocked when Lorde herself featured on a remix of the song. In her verse, she set the record straight about her good feelings towards Charli and touched on some struggles of her own that may have influenced how she acted in the past. This moment showed a very powerful moment of connection and womanhood and contributed to the culture Charli created around this album even more.

Another track that pushed the brat summer agenda was “Apple.” Thanks to the viral dance created by Kelley Heyer, both the song and the dance blew up on TikTok. The virality of this track pushed people to listen to the album in full as well, increasing popularity all over the world.

But really, every track on the album added something. The album leans heavily into a playful yet edgy electronic production style. A personal favorite on the album is “Sympathy is a Knife”, which fans have speculated is a dig at Taylor Swift and her past relationship with Matty Healy, who is in 1975 with Charli’s fiance, George Daniel. Whether or not this is true, this track’s masterful production and blended vocals are truly phenomenal. Thankfully, if the supposed Taylor Swift feud deters you from listening, pick any track on this album, and it will be different and more masterfully crafted than the last. 

Charli’s visual identity during this era was also incredibly striking. Her bold fashion choices, from vibrant colors to playful patterns, really encapsulate “brat.” Her music videos, namely the one for 360, also drew attention, especially due to the star-studded cast of Rachel Sennott, Chloe Sevigny, Julia Fox, and more. 

Since brat summer was born, the response has been overwhelmingly positive. Fans have embraced the movement, sharing their own interpretations of what it means to be “brat.” Whether it’s posting to the “Apple” dance or lip syncing to “Guess”, Charli’s influence has been all over social media this summer. 

But the question remains: how was brat summer able to become such a viral moment? The answer isn’t linear or objectively true by any means; when this amount of virality occurs with anything, it’s hard to pinpoint the exact reason why that specific thing went viral. In this case, it seems to be a mix of everything that occurred during this album rollout. The star-studded music videos and features, the potential feud rumors fueled by multiple songs, the easy to learn and fun TikTok dance, it goes on and on. All of these things are entertaining to a younger audience especially. Not to mention the fact that people enjoy being a part of something, so when people started joining the trend, the rest of the world followed suit. Whether she was trying to or not, Charli created something that will likely stick with her for the rest of her career. 

Brat summer is more than just a seasonal campaign; it’s a cultural phenomenon that champions self-expression, individuality, and empowerment. With Charli XCX leading the charge, it’s clear that this summer was one all about being unabashedly yourself.