By Grace Koennecke, Managing Editor

[Atlantic Recording Corporation; 2024]

Rating: 7/10

Key Tracks: “Sympathy is a knife featuring ariana grande,” “Everything is romantic featuring caroline polachek,” “365 featuring shygirl”

If you haven’t heard enough about Charli xcx this year, then you’re in luck. The singer, who has become one of this year’s most talked about album campaigns for her sixth studio album Brat, is back with a remixed version of the album, titled Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat. 

Teasing collaborations throughout the last several weeks by placing Brat green billboards in the hometowns of the artists she’s chosen for this project, fans were stunned to see some of the biggest names in music on the tracklist – Ariana Grande and The 1975 – as well as electronic and alternative artists who have slowly made waves in the mainstream – Bb trickz, Tinashe and The Japanese House. 

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What makes this new remix of Brat a fascinating listen is that it’s not a copy and paste of what many remixes of pop music have become: slowed down, warped versions of a track or a sped-up sound for TikTok. Instead, Charli xcx uses this version of the album to showcase her collaborators, but also expand on her thoughts and lyricism that were so poignant and vulnerable throughout the original project.

This is first heard in “Sympathy is a knife featuring ariana grande,” as Charli xcx expands on the symbol of a knife: “It’s a knife when you know they’re waitin’ for you to choke / It’s a knife when a journalist does a misquote / It’s a knife when a friend is suddenly steppin’ on your throat.” Grande’s lines are just as cutthroat, addressing the ways women’s bodies are dissected by the media and the constant criticism women receive for changing their appearance or aesthetic: “It’s a knife when you know they’re counting on your mistakes / It’s a knife when you’re so pretty, they think it must be fake / It’s a knife when they dissect your body on the front page.”

The vulnerability in this collaboration is what makes it surprisingly good, and these themes of sensationalism, hate and the media come into play more throughout this album as well. Beyond just making a bunch of remixes with respected artists, Charli xcx also is creating a new dialogue in the pop space, begging questions to her listeners that are painful and inquisitive, proving she’s not afraid to speak out and break the norms found in the music industry.

Another interesting collaboration is on “Everything is romantic featuring caroline polachek,” where Polachek uses the same line delivery from the original version to discuss her current landscape, which is not the luxurious sands of Italy as Charli xcx sings about. With a more cynical viewpoint, she sings, “Walk to the studio soaking wet / ACAB tag on a bus stop sign / Catch a face in the windowpane / Oh, what’s up, it’s me, that’s mine,” later turning the song into a two-way phone call between her and xcx. 

The two discuss the expectation that an artist always has to be working to continue to find success, with xcx asking Polachek for career advice, creating a more wholesome and blunt conversation. xcx says, “I’m tryin’ to shut off my brain / I’m thinkin’ ‘bout work all the time,” which receives a cutting line from Polachek: “It’s like you’re living your dream, but you’re not living your life.” I really value the lyricism here in this track, as it is so relatable to the type-A, workaholic listener and aware of the societal expectations that are forced onto women in music. 

Beyond these collaborations, Charli xcx’s choice of collaborators does fall short on a few songs, including “Club classics featuring Bb trickz,” “Apple featuring the japanese house” and “I might say something stupid featuring the 1975 and jon hopkins.” While these respective artists are all individually very talented, their interpretations of the original Brat tracks are lackluster and don’t offer much in terms of reimagining the song, feeling more like filler material for the rest of the album.

However, one of the most fun and rave-esque songs on the whole album is “365 featuring shygirl,” who is currently opening for the singer on tour. Embracing the same energy as the original track, it feels like you are physically there with Charli xcx and shygirl in the club, sweating profusely and banging into other people around you. This remix is the total essence of the album’s party girl aesthetic, and I couldn’t help but replay over and over after the first listen, as it definitely brought out my inner party girl.

Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat is a playful, experiential remix album that continues the dialogue of Brat while also making it digestable and lively for listeners. There’s some amazing collaborations throughout this reinterpretation, and it will definitely become a go-to for partygoers everywhere throughout the rest of 2024.

Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/album/36P07bti6xD99o7S1acmin?si=1B-_wQjlR5SkOShHRzierg