Why brat Summer took hold of the zeitgeist in 2024.

If you have a Gen Z member in your household or just happen to be up to date with the latest music and Tik Tok trends, then the phrase "brat summer" would not be lost on you.

For those who don't, "brat summer" is the term that has garnered a choke-hold on the world (timed with the northern hemisphere summer period) thanks to pop artist Charli XCX.

brat is imperfectionism.

brat is empowering.

brat is dirty.

brat is happy.

brat is not very demure, but that's ok.

brat takes a word usually associated with negative connotations and turns it into an intoxicating vibe.

Charli XCX's 2024 release "brat" has been hailed as one of the best album's of the year (and for some, the decade) due to it's warehouse-rave style blended with relatable lyrics that discuss deeply seeded topics Gen Z (and Millennials) face discussed in a way unique to mainstream pop.

The raw and relatable album discusses topics including grief, jealousy, existential dread and generational trauma.

But album aside, why is being "brat" so cool and how is brat bucking the usual fast decline of a trend?

The brat aesthetic is early 2000's... paired with a lime green background. Which basically, if you use this colour in your marketing (or anywhere for that matter) you are now "brat"... or attempting to be. It also plays on that tactic we all seem to enjoy, nostalgia.

However, anyone can do this and just like many trends once every brand jumps on board, it runs the risk of halting the trend rather rapidly as far as the target audience goes. When everyone is doing it or the wrong brands are doing it, it becomes cringe and therefore no longer cool.

In this instance, Charli XCX has controlled the narrative from the beginning. Starting with the lack of brat merch she has released, she has allowed her fans to tap into bratdom themselves and be part of the aesthetic in their own way.

Charli also dictates the direction of brat.

When the singer announced VP Kamala Harris as brat after announcing her presidential campaign, a generation took note with Kamala recieving $18 million in funding for her campaign after that announcment. She also changed her marketing to meet the brat aesthetic, highlighting the campaign's focus on understanding (and trying to win over) Gen Z voters.

Now for many other names and brands, once a campaign turns political it brings it to a halt. And for many journos and the mainstream media, they were quick to call an end to "brat summer" because of this political angle.

But in hindsight, we now know this was all premature. Because as far as Charli was concerned, brat summer wasn't going anywhere until she said so. (Which she declared on the 3rd September).

Thus dictating the brat timeline and it's longevity.

Fast forward a few months, and brat autumn has now entered the chat with the release of "brat and it's completely different but still brat" remix album.

The remix album provides listeners with an aligned experience featuring some of the "coolest" artists providing their own relatable lyrics and an altered production. And it is these collaborations that ensure Charlie XCX remains on brand.

Now, many will argue that the follow up release isn't as great as it's original, but as a complimenting album has its merits and brings a level of excitement.

Charli XCX has always supported queer artists and projects and this continues with the artist listing featuring some of the biggest names in pop music including Billie Eilish, SOPHIE, Troye Sivian to name a few. These artists have added their own flair to the songs, with some tracks shifting their original meaning or references in a clever way.

But the collaborative alignments don't stop there. Charli worked with Kim Kardashian's SKIMS label on a release which was iconically brat featuring Cotton ribbed singlets, underwear and more matching the brat aesthetic.

Every move, every collaboration has been done in a strategic way that has added reach and further cultural impact for the album.

And we see this impact very easily with a generation happily dancing in short form video to a song about generational trauma.

With Charli XCX touring Australia in the New Year, we don't have to Guess that we will hear a lot more about brat summer down under in the coming months.

Charli XCX created an authentic album that tapped into conversations and experiences that her fans could relate to and leaned into imperfectionism through collaborations and by redefining a new brand of "cool" aesthetic. By keeping control of the "brat" narrative, she has been able to dictate its lifeline and the impact it is continuing to have around the world.

And while in the popular 00's film Mean Girls, Gretchen Weiner couldn't make fetch happen, Charli XCX ironically using a 00's aesthetic, certainly succeeded to make brat happen.