After a summer-long bender of lime green Brat chaos, Charli xcx returns with her remix album, Brat and It’s Completely Different but Also Still Brat. Months after the unexpected worldwide success of Charli’s sixth studio album Brat, originally released in June 2024, Brat’s sister album breathes new life into the pop culture phenomenon. Packed with reimaginings of nearly every track, this remix album transforms Brat into a brand-new version of a thoroughly iconic album.
As a fan of Charli since her early days of hyperpop in 2019, I have to admit that I’ve been obnoxiously proud of the fact that I was familiar with her music before Brat was released. As Charli might say, I was “brat” before “brat” was even a thing. So, while it’s unsurprising that a remix album echoing her hyperpop roots appeals so greatly to me personally, it’s also heartening to see her music be embraced by a wider audience. Brat’s cultural impact has been entirely unmatched, from Charli’s blinding green album aesthetic being embraced by both fans and corporations, to even playing a role in US presidential candidate Kamala Harris’s campaigns.
With so much success from one album, it’s easy to assume that a remix album is merely Charli’s attempt to extend Brat’s pop culture lifespan. However, the effort placed into each and every remix is astounding. New verses and production serve to make every remix seem like a sequel to its original counterpart, expanding the Brat universe further. It’s fascinating that every song on the original album has been rewritten to reflect Charli’s unpredictable experiences with fame and unique career trajectory. Despite over a decade in the music industry, producing early hits like “Boom Clap” and “I Love It”, it was only with the release of Brat that Charli skyrocketed to her current level of fame. Suddenly achieving such a mind-blowing level of success comes with its own set of pressures, and Charli dives into each and every thought on the remix album with her signature honesty. Additionally, a star-studded lineup of feature artists add their own voices to the narrative, encouraging a myriad of fanbases to join in the fun together. The album’s title couldn’t be more apt — it’s essentially a completely different album, but it’s also still thoroughly “brat”.
Arguably, the track on this album with the most potential as a viral hit is “Sympathy is a knife”. It features none other than pop icon Ariana Grande, who delivers sharp lyrics (pun intended) like “It’s a knife when you’re so pretty, they think it must be fake”. Simultaneously flippant and vulnerable, it reveals both artists’ struggles with reaching the “peak” of their careers, discussing how the court of public opinion often turns against the stars they previously so adored. Backed by Grande’s star power, the track fuses Grande’s widely successful style with Charli’s unique artistry, complemented by lyrics that integrate easily into pop culture — “it’s a knife when…” is becoming a popular meme template on social media, with netizens complaining about their unfortunate or upsetting experiences (for example, “it’s a knife when you become important at work”). Plus, a bit of cleverly timed marketing doesn’t hurt either. The two artists have been utilising pink and green for the song’s visuals, colours that conveniently also represent lead characters Glinda and Elphaba in Grande’s upcoming musical movie Wicked. It’s interesting to note that Charli uses the song to chart her rapid trajectory to global fame – while the original version of the track covered her insecurities as a lesser-known artist when comparing herself to much bigger and more successful celebrities, the remix sees her propelled to the height of her fame, reflecting the dark side of superstardom.
Of course, no Charli xcx album is complete without a lineup of party-ready tracks. “Club classics” synthesises the original song with the iconic track “365” from the original album, with its recognisable hook and “bumpin’ that” refrain. The track features Spanish rapper BB Trickz, who delivers fast-paced, staccato rap verses that elevate the original song’s rave-like energy and synth-heavy production. “Von dutch” is another bold and defiant track, reminiscent of early 2000s party anthems from artists like Ke$ha. Addison Rae, former TikTok star turned nascent pop icon, makes for a unique choice of feature artist. However, she seems to have found her musical niche, adding a playful airheadedness to the song.
On the other hand, Charli also isn’t afraid to delve into often messy emotions with raw sincerity, layering stories of difficult experiences and inner turmoil over innovative beats and catchy verses.
Possibly the most random collaborator on this album is Bon Iver, who appears on “I think about it all the time”. While the indie folk band may seem worlds away from Charli’s “party girl” aesthetic, frontman Justin Vernon’s vocals blend surprisingly well with Charli’s thoughtful reflections on motherhood and her career, creating a softly ambient and vulnerable track. Similarly, “I might say something stupid” is a pensive track dealing with a feeling of anxiety and not belonging, against a backdrop of soothing melodies provided by producer Jon Hopkins. More reminiscent of featured artist The 1975’s retrospective ballads than Charli’s club classics, the track provides a bit of quiet respite amidst the chaos of the album.
“Apple”, featuring The Japanese House, is a standout in an album full of innovative remixes. In this reinvention of the TikTok-viral song, The Japanese House’s uniquely melodic voice melts into mellow verses, adding a refreshing spin to a somewhat-overplayed track. The gentle chords of the remix contrast with the originally upbeat dance-pop track, making for a vulnerable exploration into generational trauma and familial relationships. Meanwhile, on “So I”, Charli’s murmuring rap and A.G. Cook’s production blend together to remember “all the good times” spent with longtime friend and collaborator SOPHIE, an influential pioneer of the hyperpop genre who passed away in 2021. The remix serves as a sentimental tribute, paying homage to SOPHIE’s impact on Charli’s life and artistry with stunning emotional sincerity. In the same vein, “Everything is romantic” takes the form of a dialogue between Charli and alternative pop artist Caroline Polachek, juxtaposing the act of romanticising life with Charli’s struggles with her recent fame. The unexpectedly moving track is enhanced by Polachek’s siren-like vocals as she offers Charli advice from the perspective of a longtime friend. A relatable sense of self-doubt permeates this track, giving rise to poignant lyrics like “Did I lose my perspective?”, “All things change in the blink of an eye”, and “It’s like you’re living the dream but not living your life”. It all comes to a head with the melancholic central question: “Everything’s still romantic, right?”
Last but not least, “Girl, so confusing” is possibly the single most iconic track to come from an already acclaimed album. With its brutal honesty and conversational style of songwriting, the song has spawned endless memes and pop culture references, all while dealing with the reality of girlhood and the pressures placed on women in the spotlight. Covering areas like jealousy, body image issues, and social comparison, the remix evolves from venting about one’s insecurities, to emphasising the value of female artists uplifting each other and “work(ing) it out on the remix”. It serves as a refreshing contrast to all the instances of infamous rivalries between artists as they’re pitted against each other by a cutthroat industry.
Brash and confident, yet introspective and thoroughly genuine, Brat has been an album of paradoxes and parallels. Hardly any other 2024 release has come close to Brat’s cultural importance, sparking innovation in pop culture, marketing, and even politics. Far from simply milking the original album for greater success, the remix album gives audiences a crystal-clear glimpse into the pressures of Charli’s newfound fame, twisting the very same beats and refrains into brand-new insights on the unstoppable force that is Brat. So, while “brat summer” may be ending, this flawless remix album will undoubtedly extend this phenomenon into “brat autumn” (and winter, and spring, and so on). Above all, one thing is clear: “brat” is forever.