brat summer took the world by storm. It’s more than just an album; it’s a lifestyle. If your summer wasn’t so “Julia,” you might not understand the hype behind the phenomenon that is brat. brat is an album released on June 7, 2024, by Charli XCX. It is 15 songs long and she released a deluxe version with 3 additional songs. The album was a huge success and became a lifestyle for many this summer. These are the top 5 most popular songs:
- Von dutch
Coming in at number five is “Von dutch”. This song was actually released as a single in February and was popularized by its remix featuring Addison Rae and A. G. Cook, which was released almost a month after the original. The lyrics talk about how similarly to Von Dutch the brand, Charli as an artist is a “cult classic” and she is unbothered by everyone being jealous of her success.
Personal rating: 7.5/10. This song is definitely catchy but can be very repetitive at times and mostly spotlights the instrumentals. That being said, the remix with Addison Rae is arguably better than the original because the lyrics are completely different and have more details about how Charli and Addison are “living that life”. With Addison’s infectious energy and enthusiasm, she makes the listener feel as if they are a “cult classic” icon themselves, the same as Charli and Addison.
- 365
365 is the last song on the album and is a remix of 360, the first song. The lyrics of 365 are basically just a rotation of the same few lines, and overall the song just has a more intense vibe. It feels very chaotic which sort of relates to the nature of the lyrics and how Charli is feeding into club culture 365 days of the year.
Personal rating: 6.5/10. I really like this song, but 360 is definitely better. The instrumental portion at the end just feels too serious but I do like the “365 party girl” vibe of the song. I don’t have a lot to say about this one: it’s sort of boring in comparison to 360.
- 360
360 is the opening song on the album and is the perfect choice to introduce listeners to the world of brat. Her lyrics say that she is everywhere and “when you’re in the mirror you’re just looking at [her]”, establishing her influence and possibly contributing to brat’s success. One of the most popular lyrics from this song is “I’m so Julia” which is in reference to one of her friends, Julia Fox, who is an Italian-American actress and model. This phrase is basically Charli calling herself an “It Girl” and adding to the idea that she is influential in every aspect of life.
Personal rating: 10/10. Everything about the sound and positive energy of this song is absolutely perfect. It really gets you excited to listen to the rest of the album and super inspired to also be “so Julia”.
- Apple
Apple was popularized on TikTok with 1.5 million posts mostly of a dance created by @kelley.heyer. While the sound and dance are very lighthearted and upbeat, the song itself carries overwhelming themes of self-reflection and the struggles that come with familial relationships. This song is objectively good and deserves all of the attention it has been getting.
Personal rating: 9/10. My only complaint is how overplayed it is, but it is still one of my go-to’s when listening. The apple metaphor being used throughout the song demonstrates just how creative Charli can be in her lyricism and paints a clear picture of the struggles she faces with her family.
- Guess featuring Billie Eilish
This song is the most recent release of Charli XCX’s but has gained immense popularity with nearly 119 million streams on Spotify. It is a remix of her song “Guess” from the deluxe version of the album. This song was released on August 1st and was immediately a huge hit. Billie sounds incredible on this song and makes it 10 times better than the original.
Personal rating: 4/10. This is obviously a hot take but one I will stand by. While the actual sound of the song is good, the lyrics make the song difficult to listen to. They are extremely repetitive and explicit in nature. I do believe that if the words were different this could be one of my favorite songs, but it is unfortunately ruined by the taboo content discussed.
brat as an album is artistically diverse and a pleasure for anyone to listen to. brat as a lifestyle is carefree and always looking for a good time. This album shaped the course of the summer and it will be exciting to see how it is carried out in the upcoming fall.
