“Door is open, let in but still outside, I look perfect for the background, I get nervous, sip the wine.”

“Brat,” Charli XCX’s newest studio album, has taken the internet by storm. The artist’s techno-pop agenda has been this year’s summer trend; it debuted at number two on the UK albums chart and number three in the US. It also hit the top ten in twelve other countries. The album’s release on June 7th pushed it out just in time for summer, the perfect candidate for 2024’s summer aesthetic.

As shown in the charts, the reaction to “Brat” has been spectacular; the production style and rhythms have grown Charli’s fanbase exponentially.

“I think the Brat album is a perfect mix between experimental production and Charli being true to who she is right now as a person,” sophomore Sarah Bousquet said. “Charli is amazing at pop hooks and this album just shows this with songs like ‘apple’ and ‘360.’”

A big part of a good album is relatability. If fans do not relate to an artist, most of the time the artist drops in popularity.

“[Charli] almost portrays the album as like a quirky, unique, sense of body,” sophomore Leila Deahl said. “And that really resonates with me because you gotta express yourself and be who you are.”

Even with the upbeat, exciting melodies and catchy choruses, in some of the lyrics that are almost hidden, there’s an unsettling amount of anxiety and deeper meanings within.

“We got to see a vulnerable side to her,” Bousquet said. “To me, the sound of the album feels like anxiety and second-guessing yourself. Some of the lyrics of “Brat” are a little concerning for her but I think it’s just her being honest.” 

Even though “Brat” is a party album, the occasionally deeper and more alarming lyrics create a completely different image.  

“It’s almost like a rubber band ball,” Deahl said. “All of the outside is fun and colorful, but on the inside, as you dig deeper, it’s more of the brown and gray rubber bands, and the dirty ones that broke in half.”