By Jessica Thrasher, Contributor

“Brat summer,” the 2024 movement led by electropop, EDM musician and DJ, Charli XCX, has come and gone with the season itself. But, during and because of the Brat album release in early June, a phenomenon took place over the summer. 

Attracting the attention of anyone on the (pop) music radar, and recognizable by the signature green and the life of the party, Brat nonchalantly took the world by storm. Charli described a “brat” in the TikTok series “Off The Record” as “That girl who is a bit messy and loves to party and maybe says dumb things sometimes. She’s honest, blunt, and a little bit volatile. That’s Brat.” 

To many, Brat is about embracing life’s messy, chaotic nature and daring to have fun with it. The word “brat” itself has been given new life; no longer just a pejorative used to describe entitled or sassy children. “Brat” has taken a new shape as a fierce title of empowerment for imperfect but fashionable women everywhere.

The album and sensation that is Brat and was “Brat summer,” appears to be more than an album, but an attitude, a frame of mind. It’s a new way to carry oneself, with palpable confidence and no bra. In a time when trends follow the fickle lead of social media, currently in the wake of the “clean girl,” it is refreshing to see XCX portray a different archetype of girl: “slept in last night’s makeup and shoes girl,” perhaps. Maybe even the “closed out the clubs three nights in a row girl.” 

With the success of Brat came a growing acceptance of general disorder in the name of experiencing youthful fun. In any case, the sensational impact of Brat has had great influence on online trends and sustained itself well with the high energy surrounding it. Brat as a concept not only garnered social and pop cultural sensation, but musically had enough buzz to sustain itself through the summer and into the fall. 

At the center of it all is the music, which was no afterthought. Brat delivered. Many praised it for its clever construction and its accessibility as an introduction for people new to electronic music. Charli drew from Y2K musical motifs like heavy autotune and digital sounds, but was also inspired by today’s hyperpop genre and her DJ career. While the album is mostly danceable and suited for a club environment, it is surprisingly soul-baring at times. She weighs worries of balancing her career and potential family life, industry frustrations and insecurities that often come with girlhood, all over a catchy EDM track. 

The album was thoroughly well-received as having few skips and all-night-long-energy. While some may argue Brat is “for the girls,” male listeners have also shown up and participated in “Brat summer.” Brat is ultimately for everyone, but many seats at the party are certainly reserved for girls. Older listeners who encountered Brat may have been confused at its sudden significance and may remain so today, but some acquired the taste quickly.

The tectonic moves, as Charli describes them, have shaken most all of us. Brat’s influence was hard to miss: the mysterious Brat wall in Los Angeles, the brief existence of the Brat elephant and the delightful TikTok dance to “Apple.” Interestingly, the upcoming 2024 presidential election was stirred by Charli’s simple endorsement of the Kamala Harris campaign, tweeting “kamala IS brat.”

While “Brat summer” was declared to be over by Charli in another recent tweet by the singer, the business is decidedly unfinished. At the time of publication, we are in anticipation of a remix album called Brat and it’s completely different but still Brat, expected on October 11. The album will contain remixed songs with features from musicians, including Lorde, Billie Eilish, Troye Sivan and Addison Rae. Additionally, in the music video for “360,” both classic and contemporary “brats,” such as Julia Fox, Alex Consani and Chloë Sevigny, were likened to a “Mount Rushmore of reigning internet cool girls.”

“Brat summer” is reminiscent of The Riot Grrrl Movement of the early nineties, formed in response to the sexism issue in the music scene, specifically in the DIY punk scene. The circumstances for female musicians today are far from what they were in the nineties, but like many others, the music industry remains male-dominated and women have historically had to pull more weight than their male counterparts to achieve the same things. While it is easier to break out as a female musician today than it was for the likes of Bikini Kill and Bratmobile, female artists still face heavier scrutiny and closer judgment than male artists. 

The movement carved out a space for women to exist and play music for themselves and female artists after them. In similar fashion, Brat encourages girls to take up space, to be loud and make a mess. The effects of Brat will likely exist on a smaller scale than those of Riot Grrrl in terms of cultural impact, although it is too soon to tell how it will stand the test of time. 

Charli XCX has revived any residual hope we may have had of experiencing another roaring twenties. Her sixth studio album is an artistically mature, electronically driven club creation that happens to be an intimate piece on womanhood lived in the public eye. For many of us, Brat will remain in our hearts and souls, growing stronger with every confident and unapologetic (mis)step taken. Every powdered white line, every sighting of the noxious, Mr. Yuk green and a whiff of cigarette will take us back to our shared “Brat summer.” I urge brats and spectators alike to appreciate in today, in living in the era of Brat, for the generations to come will undoubtedly yearn to have lived, with youth and vigor, during the once-in-a-lifetime “Brat summer.”