Do I like it? This is an excellent question, as was really unsure about this release. “Brat.”
OK. The production choices highlight Charli xcx’s experimental approach to pop music, making it accessible and avant-garde. The lead single, 360, is noted for its pop-centric structure and high-fashion aesthetic, channeling the vibe of a high-end photoshoot, which reflects Charli xcx’s unique take on pop culture. It would help if you listened to it a few times to get it, but it works. I had to.
One of the loveliest tracks is I might say something stupid, which really expresses that while “BRAT” taken as a whole is – I think a party album – she can be, and feels, vulnerable. “I don’t feel like nothing special. I snag my tights out on the lawn chair. Guess I’m a mess and play the role.”
It is the struggle to balance mainstream fame with her underground identity. This theme of balancing different aspects of her career is evident throughout the album. Similarly, this is felt with So I, it being a heartfelt tribute to her late collaborator SOPHIE, singing lyrics such as: “Say that I like singing these songs you left behind. And I know you always said, “It’s okay to cry.” “So I know I can cry, I can cry, so I cry.”
Another standout track is Von dutch, which embraces Charli xcx’s underground style with aggressive beats and catchy, tongue-in-cheek lyrics that reflect her unique attitude and sound. It’s a track that is both infectious and playful. It is pretty much the complete opposite of I might say something stupid. “It’s alright to just admit that I’m the fantasy. You’re obsessing, just confess it ’cause it’s obvious. I’m your number one, I’m your number one.“
I also love how she released “Brat and it’s the same but there’s three more songs so it’s not” two months following Taylor Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology.” With just three added songs rather than an entire album (oh… and I still haven’t been able to listen through it all).
One of the three songs is Guess, her first UK Singles #1 in over a decade, featuring Billie Eilish in the music video, plowing her way through a party in a tractor….. I’m unsure if that has anything to do with the music video with Billie in it, lol. Or just the daftness of it all, that they are all enjoying… “You wanna guеss the color of my underwear? You wanna know what I got going on down thеre? Is it pretty in pink or all see-through? Is it showing off my brand new lower back tattoo?” The music video ends with them climbing upon a mountain of tons of underwear but finishes with the lyric:
“You wanna guess if I’m serious about this song?”
She is fantastic.
So….. “Do I like this album?”
Well, hell, yes. It is one of the best pop albums of 2024. (And so is Billie’s…)
And yes, if Kamala Harris is “Brat“, then…
9.0/10
Chris Garrod, 28 August 2024