During her Billboard interview, Charli scrolled through her texts all the way back to March 16, 2022. That was the day that she said to her friends, "I think it should just be one word on the album cover... Maybe it should be called ‘brat." She didn’t actually start writing the album until six months later in Mexico City, but used the title as inspiration for the attitude she aimed to encapsulate in the music. Because while a politician needs cold, hard votes, a pop star can skate by on good vibes and a vaguer sense of cultural impact. The numbers that quantify popularity—sales—were never really on Charli’s side.

From a design perspective, we find the discourse around the album fascinating. While Charli XCX isn’t the first artist to go down the minimal album cover route, it’s interesting to see so many people take the artwork to heart. Fans and detractors alike have taken to social media to share their thoughts on the artwork, often accompanied by humorous commentary or edits. This kind of viral content is priceless in today’s digital landscape, where word-of-mouth and social sharing can make or break a release. Commercially, Brat peaked at number one in the UK, Australia, and Ireland, and reached the top ten in 12 other countries, including the United States, where it marked Charli XCX's highest debut on the Billboard 200 (number three). A deluxe edition, Brat and It's the Same but There's Three More Songs So It's Not, with three additional tracks was released on 10 June 2024.

As a millennial, I was overexposed to neon tinted green at the height of the Y2K era. Ahead of the album’s release date last month, a brat wall was quietly erected overnight in Brooklyn. During its two-month-long run, which included five paint jobs, hundreds of fans made the pilgrimage to the Williamsburg-Greenpoint border to pay their respects to the unofficial landmark. A few case studies have already been published about the business of brat, praising how the campaign rollout became a "brand energy marketing" sensation.

At 18 she left home to study at University College London’s Slade School of Fine Art, but dropped out during her second year after signing with Warner’s Asylum Records. A.G. Cook recalls, "We had some mutual friends at her art school who said, ‘This girl joined; she makes music and is, like, signed to a record label! But in the spring of 2023, she presented her team with what has been described as the "Brat Manifesto," a mood board and binder full of PDFs and notes for "Brat," a full year before the album was released. Nothing prepared me for the firestorm of attention that resulted.

He also had Crips and Bloods shaking hands and dancing together on stage, which should be proof of the restorative power of Kendrick Lamar’s music. At the 2024 GRAMMYs, Luke Combs and Tracy Chapman took the stage to deliver an emotional duet of Chapman’s hit "Fast Car," which Combs covered in 2023. Recently, Combs’ cover won the CMA Award for Song of the Year, also earning Chapman the honor of being the first Black artist to win the award in CMA history.

Each new Brat Packer movie carries with it an increased burden–if it is not a success, the young unknowns starring in the hit movie of the moment might come up from behind and replace them. And that would mean the end of the kind of ensemble efforts that created the Brat Pack. It was a hot spring night in Westwood, perfect weather for moviegoing, and the leader of the Brats wanted to see Ladyhawke, which stars Matthew Broderick. But it would not behoove one of the Brats to fork over $6 to the industry that made him a star to begin with. So Emilio Estevez stood outside the Mann’s Village Theater, five minutes to show time, considering the various ways he might be able to get into the movie free.

The Brat Generator fosters creative participation by making it easy to create personalized designs. Social media users enjoy sharing Brat Generator Memes and engaging with the playful aesthetic of the tool. From Brat Maker to Brat Genorator, the simplicity of the platform ensures that even first-time users can interact meaningfully with Charli XCX’s visual legacy while creating viral, shareable content. While the classic Brat Generator Green is the signature background, newer versions like the Brat Generator Different Colors introduce expanded customization options. Users can select from green, white, and other hues, providing greater flexibility for their creations.

Harness the simplicity and style of Brat Generator to create unique album cover-style images. As well as the three artists above, Sivan is on the remix album too, as are names like Ariana Grande, The Japanese House and Julian Casablancas. Charli XCX’s ‘Brat’ album cover might be one of the most iconic images of 2024, but she’s revealed that she made it in order to save money. Kamala HQ's X account has also started to repost memes (which often feature a recognisable image or video clip, paired with a witty caption or phrase) and swear words.

A bit like Björk who sees each of her album covers as some kind of a tarot card representing the character she's embodying in the record. But I also think it would be ballsy and unexpected not to feature herself at some point. I personally love what she went for with this cover, but I guess the criticism isn't just coming from the fact she's not featured on it.

BBC NI asks people in Belfast how they feel about Donald Trump's victory in the US election. The president and president-elect shook hands as part of a long-standing tradition signifying the transfer of power. A week after losing the election, Kamala Harris's team are still appealing for funds. The president-elect has nominated RFK to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.