‘Brat’ Summer Explained for Non Chronically Online People
“I’m so Kamala…”
(Getty Images)
This year, renowned hyper-pop sensation, creator of “Boom Clap,” and co-writer of songs such as Icona Pop’s “I Love It,” Charli XCX, released her newest album, “Brat.” Be it the right place at the right time, or the world finally catching up with Charli, the album was a massive success. Many millennials and Gen Z love the songs about carefree dancing with catchy hooks.
Culturally though, “Brat” has taken Gen Z by storm with its abrasive lime green aesthetic and arial font, the cover once called ugly has now become iconic. The cover has become eponymous with authenticity as many people have adopted the aesthetic for pictures, memes, and clothing/accessories. Songs like “Apple” have become underground hits with dances created on TikTok and YouTube shorts with even Charli recreating it while on tour with Troye Sivan. Nothing though, could have prepared Brat summer for that week in July.
To set the scene, it has been a couple of weeks since former president Donald Trump was fired upon in a foiled assassination attempt, creating a mass fervor with his base and many people feeling defeatist about the fate of the election. Then on Sunday, July, 21, President Joe Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris. People soon began to see Harris’s memes gain steam, once Charli posted three simple words — Kamala IS brat. It was time and now we may see another person be memed into the White House. Fancams have been created using music from “Brat,” mainly with Harris’s coconut tree speech. Finally, Kamala HQ, the official campaign page for Harris’s campaign has adopted the “Brat” aesthetic. While some naysayers are saying that Kamala is killing the meme, Brat summer is still continuing with Charli saying that we have more coming soon. The album has also been shortlisted for a Mercury Award in the UK.
Brat is a collection of everything, insecurities, dreams, authenticity, fun, and letting inhibitions free for the promise of a better tomorrow. Whether we want it or not, this summer is the summer of brat, regardless of people who want to say anything different.
Zipporah Pruitt, (she/her) is an L.A. homegrown journalist, who covers entertainment and culture. Follow her on X and Instagram: @zippzine.
Edited by Nykeya Woods