RIP Brat Summer

Angie Kidder

Well, it’s over. Summer has officially ended, the leaves are changing and the temperature has slightly dropped out here in Southern California. But one thing I’m not ready to let go of is the cultural reset that was Brat by Charli XCX. Its polarizing, messy girl aesthetic captured the hearts of people all over the world and even inspired presidential campaigns.

On June 7, Charli XCX released the album “BRAT.” Later, her song “Girl So Confusing” featuring Lorde was released on June 21, and “Guess” featuring Billie Eilish was released two months later on Aug. 1. This was the hit singer’s sixth studio album, and drew inspiration from club and rave music, while balancing intimate and bold songwriting.

The one thing that stuck with many fans was the album cover’s specific shade of lime green and the album’s title in a sans-serif font. According to Charli, the album had to look “unfriendly and uncool.” This resulted in less of an emphasis on Charli as a face or brand, and put more focus on her music. Her team made hundreds of versions and shades of green before they settled on what we know today. To further promote the upcoming album, Charli changed all of her previous album covers to match the appearance of BRAT.

BRAT not only became the album of the summer, capturing the eyes of millions across social media, but has even gone as far as becoming the face of Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign. After the current U.S. president, Joe Biden, dropped out of the presidential race this July, she received endorsement from many celebrities, one of the most recognized being Charli XCX. Quickly after Charli tweeted the phrase “kamala IS brat” online, Harris’s social media headquarters quickly made her new brand fit the “BRAT aesthetic,” as their profiles turned bold lime green. This led to increased support for Kamala from younger voters, generating enthusiasm for her campaign. 

But all good things must come to an end, right? Now that school has begun again, the weather is cooling down, and the nights are becoming longer. People have lost the energy for the “BRAT” lifestyle. On Labor Day Monday, Charli XCX posted online “goodbye forever brat summer.” BRAT summer may have officially ended, but this surely won’t be the last time we see Charli XCX.