Brat and It’s Completely Different But Also Still Brat takes the vulnerable club energy present on Brat and pushes that volatile vibe even further. This is a remix album, but calling it that feels like an understatement.
First Thoughts
On the first listen, this album feels like Charli XCX sampled her own work to create something new, but familiar. Many of the songs sound like completely new tracks that build upon the themes of the previous versions as a foundation. In most cases, Charli pushes each track to go harder or become more emotional. In most songs, she does both. I expected to listen to this and feel like I just listened to Brat again; I was wrong. Charli’s ability to create something so fresh out of an album that isn’t even 365 days old yet is truly impressive. What she delivers with this remix album is a bombastic reflection upon the success of Brat and the state of her life, with a stacked feature list that compliments her elevated status as a respected artist in today’s pop culture landscape.
The Highlights
This album is so strong that I would have no problem writing about each song, but I’ll just talk about my stand-outs. “Sympathy is a Knife” featuring Ariana Grande continues exploring the ideas the original track introduces. Grande adds her own commentary, sharing her struggles with public speculation regarding her appearance. The fame the two have to deal with is clearly something they deeply appreciate but still struggle to deal with at times. This song demonstrates how you can be vulnerable and honest with your lyrics while still having a powerful beat to bounce to.
Much of the promotion for this album was a collection of billboards found across the globe with different artists’ names plastered backwards on the now iconic neon green. On one of these billboards was the name Caroline Polachek. Her name appearing on a billboard got me very excited to see what track I’d find her on. I am very happy to say it didn’t disappoint. Polachek brings the vocals you would expect after hearing her on songs like “I Believe.” On “Everything is Romantic,” Polachek and Charli deliver one of the softest experiences on an album full of club beats and it still ends up being one of the best songs on the album.
“So I” featuring A. G. Cook is a song I could write an entire article about. It’s a supremely emotional experience about losing a friend, and for Charli and Cook, the song is about the artist Sophie, who passed away in 2021. In an interview with Apple Music, the original song is described as a tribute to the potential Sophie showed. This remix remains as a celebration of her life. Instead of looking back and feeling sorrow the lyrics now reflect on the good times the three singers shared together. It’s an absolute highlight on the album, and the more I learn about it the more moving it becomes.
I won’t spend long talking about “Girl, so Confusing” featuring Lorde because what hasn’t been said about it already? Just when people thought the initial brat craze was ending, this track came out and the internet went crazy. Lorde adopts the themes of Brat flawlessly and the result is a track I’ve had on repeat since it dropped.
If I had to make a list of artists I didn’t expect to see on this album, I would’ve bet money saying Bon Iver wouldn’t’ve been on that list. That said, I’m not upset about the band’s inclusion at all. In retrospect, they are the perfect choice for “I think about it all the time”. Bon Iver shows up here doing their thing, remixing one of my favourite tracks off of Brat. And once again, it may be my top song on this album.
“Guess” featuring Billie Eilish is another track I won’t spend long on. This single is one I have heard in the club and you can tell that’s where it was meant to be listened to. It’s a fitting end to the album that this song would peak at No. 1, solidifying the album’s status as a worldwide phenomenon.
The Verdict
I’m not one to rate something out of ten, especially when the album’s only been out for a handful of days. So I’ll say this: Brat and It’s Totally Different But Also Still Brat is a listening experience I highly recommend as a companion piece to the original album. The work Charli has put in across this entire era is insanely impressive, and that stands even if I discount the features she managed to assemble for this record. Her ability to contrast her doubts and vulnerability with electric club instrumentals is unmatched. If anyone reading this wasn’t a fan of Brat, I’m sorry to say you aren’t going to escape it quite yet. Brat summer might be over, but Brat autumn is just getting started.