Charli XCX is in the midst of an extraordinary chapter in her career. With the release of her sixth studio album, Brat, she has not only topped the charts but has also cemented herself as a cultural phenomenon. The British pop artist, known off-stage as Charlotte Aitchison, has been riding a wave of success that has made her the talk of the town. But as much as she is reveling in this moment, Charli is quick to admit that it’s been an intense ride.
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“It’s like I’m trying to be in 25 places at once,” she confesses, her voice tinged with both weariness and exhilaration. Fresh off a video shoot with Billie Eilish and juggling the demands of a grueling promotion schedule, Charli is feeling the pressure. Yet, despite the chaos, she is clearly relishing the journey. “I’m having the time of my life,” she says, a statement that resonates deeply as she navigates the whirlwind of fame, creativity, and personal growth.
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Brat, with its thumping beats and introspective lyrics, has struck a chord with listeners in a way that even Charli, with her decade-long career and numerous platinum records, could not have anticipated. The album has become a cultural touchstone, capturing the collective mood of a generation grappling with complex emotions and existential questions. “It’s cool, but I also feel like I deserve it,” Charli says of the album’s success. “It’s nice to be vindicated.”
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The journey to this moment has been anything but straightforward. Charli’s career began in the late 2000s when she was a teenager posting music on MySpace. From those early days, she has always been ahead of the curve, often creating work that was too avant-garde for mainstream success. She went from performing at underground raves to writing massive hits like I Love It for Icona Pop and Fancy with Iggy Azalea. But even as she achieved commercial success, Charli never lost sight of her artistic integrity.
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In 2016, Charli teamed up with the late Sophie, a pioneering figure in the hyperpop movement, to create the Vroom Vroom EP. This collaboration reaffirmed Charli’s belief that her best work comes from the underground, from the heart of rave culture and the club scene. “That’s where I feel very creatively satisfied,” she explains. This deep connection to nightlife and party culture has been a driving force behind Brat, an album that explores the highs and lows of living in the moment.
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Brat is more than just a party album; it’s a reflection of Charli’s life, filled with themes of grief, regret, and the pressures of fame. The album’s success has brought Charli into the spotlight in new ways, with her name even making waves in political conversations. Her casual endorsement of Kamala Harris as “brat” set off a media frenzy, further solidifying Charli’s influence in both music and culture. “It’s really awesome, but also very overwhelming,” she admits.
Charli’s ability to tap into the zeitgeist with Brat is a testament to her understanding of the cultural landscape. The album arrived at a time when conversations around girlhood were dominated by narratives that felt limiting and superficial. Brat offered a refreshing alternative, amplifying female friendships while acknowledging the complexities and contradictions of being a woman. It’s an album that embraces messiness and imperfection, a stark contrast to the polished image often associated with pop music.
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One of the standout tracks on Brat is “I think about it all the time,” a song that delves into Charli’s thoughts on motherhood and the fear of missing out on something important. The lyrics are raw and honest, capturing the internal conflict that many women face. “I’m worried I’ll resent the things that have been taken away from me,” she sings, a sentiment that resonates with listeners who feel the weight of societal expectations. “It’s a pretty hard thing to say out loud without feeling judged,” Charli admits.
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This willingness to explore difficult emotions and speak candidly about her experiences is what makes Brat so powerful. Charli has always had a meta-narrative running through her work, commenting on the pressures of being a pop artist and the compromises that come with success. Her previous album, Crash, was a satirical take on the “sell-out pop star” persona, but with Brat, she has stripped away the artifice to reveal something much more personal.
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Collaboration has been key to Charli’s creative process, and Brat is no exception. The album was created in an insular bubble with trusted friends and collaborators, including her fiancé George Daniel, a producer and drummer in The 1975. Their partnership, both personal and professional, has been a source of strength for Charli. “Creative connection is the most important thing in any of my relationships,” she says.
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But Brat is not just about Charli’s own experiences. The album’s greatest cultural impact may be its exploration of female relationships, particularly in the track “Girl, so confusing.” The song addresses the complicated dynamics between women in the music industry, with Charli and Lorde collaborating on a remix that added depth to the conversation. Their collaboration was a bold move, challenging the narrative that female artists must always publicly support each other, no matter what. “I knew in my heart of hearts that it was not a diss track,” Charli says, explaining that the song was about expressing feelings that are often left unspoken.
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The success of Brat has brought Charli to a new level of fame, but she remains grounded in her creative vision. Her work has always been about more than just music; it’s about creating moments in time that resonate with people on a deeper level. As Charli herself puts it, “It’s about a moment in time.” And right now, that moment belongs to Charli XCX.
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For those who have followed Charli’s career, this is the era they’ve been waiting for. After years of being ahead of her time, the world has finally caught up to Charli XCX, and she is making the most of it. “All my life I’ve been waiting for a good time,” she sang on Vroom Vroom. With Brat, that good time has finally arrived.
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