Whether you like it or not, we have all been casual listeners of Charli XCX. There was a point in 2014 where you turned on your car and “Boom Clap” was the first word in your speakers. “Vroom Vroom,” “Lock it”, “Fancy”, “I Love It”, she has always been here without actually being here. I wasn’t able to realize this until she announced the release of her newest album “Brat”. I, among others, didn’t realize the gravity of her success until the recent release of her remix album and her recent interview with Zane Lowe.
Charli has been writing for 15 years, waiting for the day her big break would come. In a recent interview with Apple Music, she revealed thought that the same cycle would happen, so she purposely saved money on an album cover and opted for the blunt “brat” on a lime green background. Little did she know the Nickelodeon-esq explosion of neon green that would follow.
Brat has become a phenomenon. With multiple hits from the album, and a sold-out night almost every night on the “Sweat” tour with Troye Sivan, assumed failure blossomed into success. Though I could go on for hours about my personal fawning over the album, what interests me the most is the recent re-release of the project. On Friday, October 11, 2024, Charli XCX released her remix album, “Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat”.
It’s also important to note the simplicity of almost everything that she has touched for this album. Her announcement of the tracklist for her remix album was shown at her show in Orlando, Florida, where she told fans:
“I need somebody to take a picture of it and put it online after the show. You’re gonna do it? Make sure someone gets it.”
Charli XCX, onstage at the SWEAT tour in Orlando, Florida.
Simple, interactive with fans, and cost-effective. What will her peers take from this in their next rollouts?
More often than not, when an artist releases a remix album or even a remix track, it is usually the same track, with a verse from the featured artist. Sometimes, there will be a DJ remix that changes the song format, but those tend to get swept under the rug. With the release of “Brat and It’s completely different but also still brat”, Charli takes the songs that audiences loved from Brat and reimagines them with the flare of each featured artist.
With the rollout of her featured artists, many were puzzled by the range of artists. Ariana Grande, Bon Iver, The 1975, Yung Lean, and Bladee were all going to be featured on the same album. On this album, Charli preserves each and every artist’s musical sound and mashes it with a song from “Brat”. Bon Iver still sounds quiet and mellow but also still sounds like brat. Ariana Grande still sounds like herself while stepping into the bright green world of the album.
Charli XCX remained simple with titles, and marketing, yet is anything but bland on her musical creations. “Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat” is out now on streaming services – give it a try.