I had never intentionally listened to much Charli XCX music before a few weeks ago. I mean, I knew the highlights.. Boom Clap was a huge hit, she was on “I Love It,” the awesome dance pop song she made with Icona Pop, and I did enjoy “Speed Drive,” her contribution to the Barbie soundtrack last year. But.. she’s never been someone I’ve listened to full albums by or really taken much time to appreciate.
And then, this summer, I started seeing the lime green cover for her latest album, “Brat” everywhere. When the album finally came out, the outpouring of Charli XCX appreciation online was reaching a fever pitch, so I went in for a full album listen.. And I fell in love with it. Brat is Charli XCX’s sixth album.. But I think for many of us, it is serving as an on-ramp to her entire catalog of interesting, thoughtful pop.
As an album, Brat is a ton of fun, it’s hyperpop and dance music that can absolutely turn a bad day around. It’s full of autotune, club beats, and references to partying all night. But it’s also surprisingly honest and vulnerable. On “I Might Say Something Stupid” and “Sympathy is a Knife,” Charli lays bare her insecurities about her level of fame. Should she be more famous? Do people feel bad for her for never reaching Taylor Swift-level heights? On “I Think About It All the Time,” she explores her feelings as a 31 year old with no children. These songs are surprising. They use the same production styles and dance elements as the rest of the album, but they use them to convey melancholy and honesty. On “The girl, so confusing version with Lorde,” Charli and Lorde even use an electronic dance track to clear the air and reconcile a friendship. It’s magical stuff. **And then, like any good rave kid, Charli is able to wipe the angst away and surround those songs up with bass-heavy party music. Songs like 360, Rewind, Apple and Mean Girls will keep dance clubs well fed for the rest of the year.
What it all amounts to is an album unlike anything else I’ve listened to, and a real contender for the best album of 2024. Charli XCX album “Brat” is available now.
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