Preparations underway for a Brat-filled summer on the web
Charli XCX's latest album, Brat, released on June 7, 2024, has made a significant impact, becoming a cultural phenomenon thanks to memes and user-generated content. The album's distinctive aesthetic and themes have resonated with fans, leading to a wave of viral engagement and the creation of a unique fan identity.
The lime-green cover art of Brat and its lo-fi, "bratty" visual branding have become a popular trend on the internet, with fans creating memes and using tools like the Brat Meme Generator to customize their own visuals inspired by the album cover. This viral trend has been widely adopted, not just by fans, but also by companies, particularly in Brazil.
Songs from the album, such as "Von Dutch," "360," and "B2B," have gone viral on TikTok, boosting their popularity and crossover into club playlists. This demonstrates how user-generated content on social media platforms has amplified the album’s reach.
Charli's active, internet-savvy engagement, including sharing jokes about the album cover and participating in meme culture, has further solidified the album’s connection to online communities and digital trends.
The success of Brat memes shows that users still have conventional means of exploring their creativity. Even when artists are reclusive and put out music without promotional content, fans feel obligated to create their own content. This was seen last December with Nicki Minaj's fandom, who achieved a similar feat with the memes for her album, Pink Friday 2.
The timing of the memes' release might have been a strategy employed by Charli's team or a natural progression as a result of her organic promotional rollout. Regardless, the ubiquitous nature of Brat reflects a shift in music promotion and consumption.
In an era of scarcity, Charli XCX and her team have been feeding fans with the release of Brat. Memeification of music, such as with Charli XCX's Brat, can serve as a cultural and economic tool.
However, it's important to note that user-generated content (UGC) is one element of music marketing that artists and labels still do not have complete control over. Social media has definitively changed the way we experience music, redefining music promotion and pushing artists to the mainstream. Even pop icons like Beyoncé and smaller artists like Tinashe have used memes in their social media accounts.
In conclusion, Charli XCX's Brat memes demonstrate the power of user-generated content in music marketing. They have brought Charli closer to the main pop girl title and redefined the way we consume and engage with music.
