A widespread consensus has formed, forecasting a Brat-centric summer online.
In the world of pop music, standing out from the crowd can be a challenging feat. However, Charli XCX has managed to do just that with her latest project, "Brat." Released on June 7, 2024, this album has brought Charli XCX closer to the pop girl title, resonating strongly with younger generations, particularly Gen Z.
The rollout of "Brat" has been nothing short of iconic. Its tracks, messy and chaotic, mirror the instability felt by the younger generations. This chaotic energy, coupled with its lo-fi, bratty visual branding drenched in neon green, was deliberately crafted to be meme-friendly and highly shareable on platforms like TikTok. Tracks such as "Von Dutch," "360," and "Apple" went viral and dominated club playlists.
The internet-savvy visual style of "Brat"—chaotic, messy graphics and hyperpop energy—was perfectly aligned with youth internet culture. This alignment enabled rapid circulation and engagement online, including usage in political campaigns, like Kamala Harris's 2024 campaign, further cementing its cultural reach.
Charli XCX's integration of internet and meme culture blurred boundaries between music, fashion, and digital identity, propelling "Brat" into a uniquely digital pop era. This approach to music promotion emphasized an internet-born aesthetic and participatory fan culture, which is a hallmark of memeification strategies—encouraging user participation, remixing, and viral sharing.
Young individuals may appear to be highly critical of AI, but they are quick to turn a blind eye for the sake of their favourite artist. Fans and companies, especially in Brazil, have created and shared "Brat" memes, contributing to its viral success. User-generated content plays a significant role in music marketing, but artists and labels do not have complete control over it. Today's fans are more than willing to co-create and influence the stories surrounding important cultural figures.
The success of "Brat" memes demonstrates that although AI tools can be useful creative instruments, users still have more conventional means of exploring their creativity. The meteoric release and reception of "Brat" across social media channels reflect fans' desire to express a sense of community and shared sense of belonging.
In an era of scarcity, Charli XCX and her team have been feeding fans, and other artists should be taking notes. The title of the album and its design is subversive and playful. The album art features a vibrant lime-green background with the stylized 'brat' in plain black font. This subversive approach to marketing has been disruptive in today's internet culture.
The memeification of music can be used as a cultural and economic tool, and megastars like Beyoncé have embraced it on their social media accounts. Smaller artists like Tinashe have learned how to capitalize on memes in more tangible ways. The album could very well be a generation-defining album.
In summary, "Brat’s" promotion leveraged memeification as a core strategy. Through viral TikTok hits, meme-ready visuals, fan identity branding, and cross-cultural references, Charli XCX made her album not just music, but a highly shareable cultural moment deeply embedded in internet culture and social media dynamics.
