(NEXSTAR) — You may be feeling disconnected if you’ve been on X, Instagram, TikTok and Reddit lately, and you’re wondering, “Why do people keep talking about brats?” Other new catchphrases you may have encountered include “So Julia,” “365 party girl,” “bumpin’ that” and, last but not least, the pop culture nickname for summer 2024: “brat summer.”
If this all sounds like gibberish, it is.
But it has brought to the internet, especially for millennials and Gen Z, a much-needed sense of frivolous fun and glamour.
The concept began with the June 7 release of “brat,” the sixth album from British musician Charli XCX, a bold and brash pop/hyperpop album. While she’s enjoyed plenty of success and influence in the decade since her debut, “brat” marks a major mainstream success for the 31-year-old, best known for hits like “Boom Clap” and “Boys.”
The tracklist for “brat” includes a variety of dance-pop and electronic songs, often reminiscent of techno music from the 1990s and early 2000s. The album’s iconic yet polarizing neon green cover also helped propel “brat” to meme status, with several online generators created that mimic the somewhat offensive shade of green and black of the album’s Arial font (see the featured image on this same story for a visual example).
The album received critical acclaim, including being named “Best New Music” by music magazine Pitchfork, and peaked at number three on the US Billboard 200. The album and its themes of empowerment through friendship, fun, and celebration have particularly resonated with women and the LGBTQ community, particularly in a context of political unrest that directly affects them. It is worth noting, however, that listeners of all sexual identities and genders have been particularly enthusiastic about the album.
In the weeks since “brat” was released, the music, memes, and club aesthetic it references have morphed into “brat summer” — which is sort of the internet’s big phrase of the year, named after a sort of mindset and outlook on life. A notable previous iteration of the term is “Hot Girl Summer,” inspired by Megan Thee Stallion, which encouraged everyone (not just girls) to feel confident and proud of their appearance.
The concept of “brat summer” is pretty much the same, albeit with a very Millennial twist. As with all things Millennial, there’s also a darker meaning behind the holiday. Essentially, “brat summer” encourages people to enjoy life as much as possible despite the challenges they face.
Millennials, the struggling generation Charli belongs to, have faced endless obstacles in their quest to adulthood and all the trappings that raised them to be “adults.” While many Millennials are giving up hope of becoming homeowners or raising a family without taking on more debt, a prevailing attitude among many is to simply enjoy travel, friends, and experiences while they still can.
While “Brat” focuses on partying and having fun, some of the album’s more introspective tracks find the artist opening up about the struggles many millennials face as they approach or enter their 40s. For example, on “Rewind,” XCX laments her younger days, when she was more carefree and confident. Meanwhile, tracks like “So I” and “I Think About It All the Time” explore the loss of a close friend and the conflict/fear of deciding to have a child.
As we approach the end of July, “gay girl” fever has seeped into the mainstream in ways you may not be aware of. It’s seeped into Vice President Kamala Harris’s new presidential campaign (more on that below) and even into a fake letter posted online claiming that former President Jimmy Carter had died (which the Carter Center has insisted is false).
Also, have you seen an “Apple dance” trend on TikTok? That would be “brat” song 11.
Now that you know the context, here’s a quick vocabulary lesson on some “bratisms” you may see often.
“Brat” vocabulary
“Party girl 365 days a year” —Anyone — man or woman — who parties often and hard (figuratively, 365 days a year) and loves life. Lyrics from “brat’s” latest track, the infectious and heartbreaking “365.”
“hit that” — Lyrics present in the album’s opening song “360” and its counterpart, the aforementioned song “365”. This may be slang for “listening to your favorite songs” or a reference to certain party drugs.
“Let’s work on the remix” — Lyrics sung by New Zealand musician Lorde in her verse on the remix of “Girl, So Confusing.” While the version featured on “brat” does not feature Lorde, the song does touch on XCX’s strained relationship with Lorde, who the internet has often compared to Charli. According to Lorde’s verse on the remix, while she was shocked to learn that Charli had taken offense to her, she said she “wanted to work it out on the remix” — the line instantly became a memorable moment and a phrase to say in the middle of a disagreement with friends.
“So Julia” — These lyrics, sung by Charli on “360,” reference social media influencer Julia Fox, known for her role in the Adam Sandler drama “Uncut Gems,” in addition to her style and love life. On “360,” Charli sings, “I’m anywhere, I’m so Julia” — the line is a boastful exclamation about her own influence, which, like Fox’s, can be seen everywhere. “So Julia” can be used as a compliment for something you or someone else does that’s awesome (“That’s so Julia!”)
“The airport” — It can be heard on the TikTok hit “Apple,” in which Charli discusses her sometimes strained relationship with her own parents. In the song, XCX sings about how her parents never seem to understand her, so she leaves their house and goes “to the airport, airport, airport, airport, etc.”
“You walk like an ab-h” — Another song sung by Lorde on the remix of “Girl, So Confusing.” The singer explains that she often feels self-conscious about the image she presents of herself, a lack of confidence that dates back to when she was 10 years old and someone told her she walked like a “b—h.”
“Kamala is a kid”
Finally, last weekend, Vice President Kamala Harris — now a presidential candidate — became a major figure in the world of “kids.”
The Harris-XCX connection came about after three events: 1) social media users began making edited videos (also called fancams) of Harris’ various viral moments with “brat” songs superimposed over them; 2) the videos spread so far that they were aired on national newscasts and eventually the real Harris campaign adopted the memes; and 3) Charli herself reciprocated by posting on X, “Kamala IS a brat.”
Charli’s post only increased the frequency of memes and videos (like Charli’s previous hit, “Vroom Vroom”), with a seemingly endless stream of content about the “coconut tree” and “existence in context” flooding social media sites.
Even though July is almost over, there is still time to enjoy the “summer of brats”. You have until September 22 to continue enjoying it.