Hey, all. We’re back.

Yes, it’s August while I write this and I am just now diving into discovering what having a “brat summer” even means. It sounds like, based on an article from the Today Show, having a “brat summer” is letting yourself live, thrive, and wallow in being a human woman, and embracing the freedom that comes with that. So I’M on board.

I was nervous listening to Charlie XCX’s newest album, brat, because I have never gravitated towards her before. However, when something is acknowledged by the literal Vice President of the United States and candidate for the Democratic party in the upcoming 2024 election, YOU LISTEN.

Charli says she’s got her hands in the pop world of music, but that is just a generalization. An article written by Billboard defines her work as hyperpop, which is apparently a subgenre of “glitch.” The album itself as a whole is labeled as “Electronic” on Apple Music, while all the singles she’s released for the album (mostly remixes) are categorized as “Dance.” Charli definitely encompasses all of these things with this album, and her goal is to get you dancing in the club.

Overall, this album is just not for me. And that’s okay. brat feels very abstract and does not possess your typical pop song characteristics. I gotta give her credit for doing what she wants. She honestly feels like someone who just happens to be well-known; like, she never stopped being herself when she got famous. Achieving celebrity status didn’t diminish her “whatever” vibe, but, rather, amplified it. I admire her for that from afar, and, yet, she terrifies me. (She is definitely a Leo.)

The attitude and messages of her tracks are mostly what draws me to this album; not the production-quality, unfortunately. Before reading articles from Billboard, Rolling Stone, and the Today Show, I was worried that she just didn’t care. The monotonous cadence of her vocals and the many instances of lyrics that don’t rhyme misled me. (It didn’t help that the majority of these songs are sung or spoken so quickly that I had a really hard time understanding her.) Thank goodness that that’s not really the case and she does care, but she wants to do and achieve something different than what other pop stars have.

She will not conform to stereotypical pop normalities anymore. She’s persistent, thorough, and intentional in doing what she damn well wants. That is her appeal. To which I say, good for her; it’s just not really my style. I’m glad so many people like it, though, and are flocking to this vibe.

However, I feel like this attitude can go too far. For example, the lyrics of Spring Breakers, the third bonus track on the deluxe version of the album: “Now I’m on the news with a DUI stare / Who cares?” Sorry, but I don’t f*ck with that. Don’t drink and drive. Thanks.

Judging from her interview with Rolling Stone, she seems scathingly honest. I admire that, although, if we ever met, she’d probably tear me apart with a single sentence and I’d cry about it for days. Yet, even though she’ll have an opinion about you and make it known, she judges herself just as much, probably even more so. She seems like she self-reflects a lot, is maybe even too critical of herself at times, unabashedly “going there” to ask the big, intimidating questions of herself and about her life. And if she is scared, she does it anyway. She seems like a girl’s girl, at least; just so blunt it’s a little scary; just edgy. I definitely wanna be on her good side.

On my initial listen, I thought the best tracks on the album were the ones that you can actually hear Charli’s vocals showcased (Sympathy is a knife, So I, and B2b). Although, after letting the album sit and ruminate for a bit, Sympathy is a knife remains a fav, but Von dutch goes hard. I’ve been finding myself coming back to that one. Often.

A bunch of songs, such as Talk talk, Everything is romantic, and Rewind, lay a thick layer of autotune over Charli’s vocals, which are mostly only sung in monotone. Why would she want her talent masked behind a sh*t-ton of monotonous beats and heavy auto-tune while singing four to five different notes over and over again? I don’t know. I get wanting the club vibe, but a lot of artists have had remixes made of their tracks before for the sole reason of having them blasted in a club and…they haven’t sounded like this.

Speaking of remixes, she’s released a handful, with the best one being one of the tracks on the deluxe version of brat – Brat and it’s the same but there’s three more songs so it’s not – Guess featuring Billie Eilish. Check out the music video for that one; it’s a vibe.

Instrumentally, this album is NOT my style. It doesn’t make this album bad, just not for me. There’s just too much going on for me to enjoy these tracks. But, then again, I’m not a club girlie, either; so, really, what do I know?

Anyway, if she’s happy: cool. I’m happy for her success and for whomever connects with her work.

Until next time. See you soon.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5