She’s poured every waking hour into promoting and expanding that brand. With a multi-Grammy-nominated album as a gateway to a culture-shaking phenomenon, Charli xcx, Variety's Hitmaker of the Year, ruled 2024 with virality, vulnerability and hot beats. At the 12,500-capacity Wembley Arena, Charli’s van is ushered through a back entrance.
From a design perspective, we find the discourse around the album fascinating. While Charli XCX isn’t the first artist to go down the minimal album cover route, it’s interesting to see so many people take the artwork to heart. Fans and detractors alike have taken to social media to share their thoughts on the artwork, often accompanied by humorous commentary or edits. This kind of viral content is priceless in today’s digital landscape, where word-of-mouth and social sharing can make or break a release. Commercially, Brat peaked at number one in the UK, Australia, and Ireland, and reached the top ten in 12 other countries, including the United States, where it marked Charli XCX's highest debut on the Billboard 200 (number three). A deluxe edition, Brat and It's the Same but There's Three More Songs So It's Not, with three additional tracks was released on 10 June 2024.Designer Brent David Freaney is sharing the inspiration behind Charli XCX's viral cover art for her celebrated breakthrough album, Brat – and the months-long process it took to perfect it. The rapidly growing "brat" discourse even moved from social media to mainstream political discussion. Her full-length remix album, "Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat," debuted on Oct. 11.
Think of Marina Abramovic, who encouraged audience members to use items on her, from feathers to knives. Okay, the Brat color (#8BCF00 if you’re interested) isn’t one that everyone wants to claim. It reminds us of the slime they used on Nickelodeon, or the top of a Maybelline Great Lash Mascara, or Chumbawamba’s album ‘Tubthumper’ from 2006.
Kamala Harris's adoption of the "brat summer" aesthetic has inspired bold fashion choices in both political and everyday spheres. Brat Generator is inspired by the album cover of 'Brat' by Charli XCX, featuring a distinctive green background and the album title in lowercase. Despite the debate around the album cover, however, it’s fair to say that Charli has been vindicated for her choice.
Each new Brat Packer movie carries with it an increased burden–if it is not a success, the young unknowns starring in the hit movie of the moment might come up from behind and replace them. And that would mean the end of the kind of ensemble efforts that created the Brat Pack. It was a hot spring night in Westwood, perfect weather for moviegoing, and the leader of the Brats wanted to see Ladyhawke, which stars Matthew Broderick. But it would not behoove one of the Brats to fork over $6 to the industry that made him a star to begin with. So Emilio Estevez stood outside the Mann’s Village Theater, five minutes to show time, considering the various ways he might be able to get into the movie free.
In 2019, the critic "publicly disavowed the nonsense I wrote about Vroom Vroom" in a tweet; when Pitchfork rescored several of its most controversial reviews in 2021, it bumped the EP to a 7.8. This is the Hollywood "Brat Pack." It is to the 1980s what the Rat Pack was to the 1960s—a roving band of famous young stars on the prowl for parties, women, and a good time. And just like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Peter Lawford, and Sammy Davis Jr., these guys work together, too—they’ve carried their friendships over from life into the movies.
We spotlight artist-led social movements, uncover overlooked stories, and challenge established norms to make art more inclusive and accessible. With your support, we can continue to provide global coverage without the elitism often found in art journalism. Shortly after, she also posted, "i think the constant demand for access to women’s bodies and faces in our album artwork is [misogynistic] and boring." Charli told Vogue Singapore that Brat "is going to be confrontational" — so fans can expect the cover artwork to be only the beginning of what's to come from the highly anticipated project.
