Brat Summer

This summer, it was impossible to miss the shamrock-green hue that suddenly took over every social media and streaming platform. The shade of green is now called “brat green,” became it was the theme color for the songs of the summer, all of which came from the hyperpop album, brat. Since June 7th, Charli XCX has released two different deluxe versions of the album: brat and it’s the same but there’s three more songs so it’s not (released June 10th), and, on October 11th, brat and it’s completely different but also still brat. These versions of the album include new remixes of the songs and feature new artists. The first of these remixes included xcx’s song her song “Von dutch,” which features producer A.G. Cook and singer-songwriter Addison Rae. XCX’s most notable remix of her song “Girl, so confusing,” features singer-songwriter Lorde, with whom XCX had rumored drama in the past. The two artists, according to their lyrics, “[worked] it out on the remix,” resolved their drama, and sent the internet into a frenzy with their newfound friendship. While the album’s hit songs like “Apple” and “365” are a major part of its musical success, the media culture surrounding brat is the main reason for its commercial success. The signature green was inescapable to people of all ages, whether you were a teenager looking to listen to something new on Spotify or a grown adult scrolling through Instagram. The album's popularity inspired many different brands to use the trend in an attempt to appeal to a younger audience, and it worked. One of the most notable groups of people to use the trend to their power was Kamala Harris’s marketing team. After Harris solidified her position as the official Democratic nominee, @kamalahq got to work on TikTok and Twitter. They made their background on Twitter the same recognizable green, emblazoned with a sans serif “kamala hq.” On the account, social media representatives responded to and commented under viral posts on TikTok about the Harris administration’s marketing. Harris’s team’s playing into the meme and cultural sensation of brat led the candidate to get recognition from Charli XCX herself. Only a day after announcing to the public that she was running for president, Charli was quick to let her fans know where she stood, tweeting, “kamala IS brat”. This tweet has now surpassed over 50 million views. Overall, the album created a musical and cultural phenomenon that will only continue to influence artists (and PR teams) of the future