Brat is the Ultimate Antidote to Modern-Day Perfectionism
It is safe to say that 2024 was the year of Charli XCX. Despite being in the pop scene for quite some time, Charli XCX’s seminal album Brat has been by far her most successful. Since its release, it has accumulated over 1.67 billion streams on Spotify, sitting comfortably at no.2 in the UK album charts and no.3 in the US and Australia. In February 2025 it went platinum, with over 300,000 units sold. Alongside a Grammy, and 5 Brit Awards, it is by far one of the most decorated and commercially successful records in recent times. But what makes Brat as out-standing as it is, is the cultural and musical impact Charli XCX’s songs have had globally.
From the first listen, Brat is searingly honest. Lyrics like ‘cause I couldn't even be her if I tried’, ‘can't tell if you wanna see me falling over and failing’ or ‘my career feels so small, in the existential scheme of it all’ are a far cry from the metaphorical lyricism of stars like Taylor Swift. After what has been an era of pop music centred around storytelling, metaphorical twists and turns and poetic hyperbole, Brat serves as the ultimate contrast to this growing, and arguably overdone style of songwriting. It’s an attractive quality to be capable of such honesty within music. Especially when the truth-obscuring appeal of a metaphor is so strong. Lily Allen is one of the architects of this confessional, diaristic approach within modern pop music. Her second studio album It’s Not Me It’s You has to be one of the most show-all records I’ve ever listened to. Her ability to grapple with the raw stuff - jealousy, conflict, relationships, sex - and turn them into perceptive, punchy songs, absolutely defines why the likes of Not Fair, Fuck You and Back to the Start have touched so many people over the years.
Charli XCX has also continued this legacy of self-assured honesty within her songwriting: Brat faces the good, bad and the ugly. Girl, so confusing, explores the nuances of female friendship; Sympathy is a knife admits to the struggle of being jealous; I think about it all the time touches upon the age-old choice many women make between having kids and their career. Auto-tuned vocals and high levels of production provide us with Charli XCX’s signature hyper-pop sound, making Brat both lyrically and sonically cohesive.
But Brat isn’t just about the music, it is clear Charli XCX approached this record with a clear-cut creative vision. As mentioned before, pop music’s waters have been somewhat muddied by the extremely metaphorical ‘fountain pen style’ of writing. When done well, this is an undoubtedly effective approach. But even as someone who has enjoyed Swift’s discography over the years, I do feel that her somewhat omnipotent presence within the music industry meant that it was refreshing to listen to something different.
Brat intends to be messy, chaotic and imperfect. It doesn't shy away from the untidiness of human emotion - it does not attempt to tie up even the darkest parts of ourselves into poetic bows. Her whole image is an extension of this confrontation with messiness: smudged eyeliner, a tour poster with a bag of cocaine in its design, energetic, flashy concerts with its attendees adorned in rave glasses and black leather. And of course, ‘Brat Summer’. Arguably the most famous aspect of this album was the internet-trend-turned-lifestyle that took over Instagram and TikTok in the summer after Brat’s release. Rejecting the unattainably clean and minimalist aesthetics popular online at the time, ‘Brat Summer’ promoted a rebellious and care-free attitude - party all night, take loads of drugs, live fast and die young. Perhaps it served as a momentary return to the partying of the 90s and 00s, indicating our joint craving for days that antiquated social media’s oppressive pursuit for perfection.
Not only did Brat change the course of modern pop music, but also served as a cultural reminder that we do not have to succumb to the pressures put on us by internet standards. Life is messy, music is messy, emotions do not fit into a box. Surely the best of art highlights this, and if anything Brat sends us one very important message. The creation of art that explores everything - good and bad, ordered and chaotic - will serve as a critical antidote to the growing homogenisation of human identity, caused mainly by social media perfectionism and performance.
