When it comes to artists who’ve captivated an entire era of pop culture, nobody has done it better than the Cambridge native, Charli XcX. In mid-2024, she released her 6th studio album “brat”. This album was far and away Charli’s most mature record and most popular record to date. Not to mention that it played a small part in Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign as well as starting the era known as “Brat Summer”.

When I first listened to the album back in May, I got the hype. Being a self-proclaimed “Party Girl,” the songs on this record fit that moniker perfectly. While not necessarily known for her dance and EDM-heavy songs, this album is full of them—songs that make you just want to get up and dance. 

On my third re-listen of this record, my favor towards it started to dwindle. While yes, there are plenty of songs on the record that hold replay value, there were only three that I went back to on a regular basis. Not to mention the fact that her vocals on this record are auto-tuned to hell and back. I can’t get behind a record with that kind of sound. 

But per my duty, I’ll go through this record, and highlight my favorites and also my not-so-favorites. Without further ado, let’s get into it. 

The record starts with arguably the biggest song Charli has ever released “360” (which is nominated for both song and record of the year at the Grammy’s). The beat is a very laid-back EDM style (rare but welcome), it pushes and pulls you in all sorts of directions, and has a genuinely addictive chorus. 

“Von Dutch” is another highlight for me. Production-wise, it falls into the category of why I dislike this album and this style of music in general. However, it’s not overly done to the point where it gets annoying and the lyrics make up for it as well. It’s catchy, hooks you in well, and is overall a really solid track. 

“Apple” wasn’t exactly a needle mover for me but it wasn’t a track that drags this album down. When Charli takes a metaphorical step back in her production, she does it really well, and “Apple” is a great example of this. The bass and the synths aren’t completely overdone, the entire song is so incredibly catchy, and it’s a track that does contribute to the great success of the record. 

To round out the positives we go to “365”. On both initial listen and re-listen, I would’ve loved for this to be second in the track list sitting right behind 360. The track opens with a similar beat and if done well, it could’ve been a very seamless and perfect transition. Nonetheless, this song fits right back into her MO. It’s catchy, not overdone with the production, and not insanely auto-tuned (For once!) 

Now onto the ugly. 

“Rewind” is a track that does not move me at all. The lyrics are insanely basic, the production is way overdone, and it just genuinely feels like a filler track. A lot of albums have filler tracks, but for albums with the prestige that “brat” hails, filler tracks should be a lot better than rewind was. 

“I might say something stupid” is another track that I have grievances with. For one she spends a lot of time on the song talking. On its own, that’s completely okay. It’s not overtly negative to a track. However, because of her style and how overtly depressing the lyrics are, it becomes a heavy negative. EDM/Pop music doesn’t work with that style and this song is a perfect reason why. 

“I think about it all the time” is yet another song that falls into this category. Lyrically, it takes a different direction than 90% of the songs on the record. Not to mention that the sound does not match the lyrics at all. The lyrics feel too simple, it sounds muddied and awful sonically, and just overall is a bad song. 

And finally, the track with my biggest negative “Sympathy is a knife”. To give it some praise, I do think the lyrics on this song are up there with some of the best on the album. It tells the story of how she deals with her relationship with her self-worth and she does it in a tragic way that elevates the track’s quality.

However, the instrumentals go in the complete opposite direction of the lyrics. It’s like if you put the lyrics to “Count Me Out” by Kendrick Lamar on the beat of “I”. Better yet it’s like if you put the lyrics to “Adventure of a Lifetime” by Coldplay on the beat of “Midnight”. It’s just confusing.

Can this album win Album of the Year? Probably. The mainstream appeal is up there with some of the heavy hitters of the 21st century and critics have raved about it up and down. Should it? No. With a few exceptions, this is one of if not the weakest records in the field. I do see the academy going that way but by no means is it deserving.