“It’s so confusing sometimes to be a girl,” sings Charli XCX on her latest album, Brat. The vulnerable lyrics, existential questions, and honest exploration of the complexities and contradictions of womanhood have transformed Brat into more than just a collection of songs. For millennials and Gen Z, it resonates as a highly relatable way of life.
Brat embodies a girl who “has a breakdown, but kind of like parties through it,” as Charli describes. She is honest, blunt, and “a little bit volatile.” Recently, the term “brat” has surged into mainstream culture. In a humorous twist, Charli tweeted, “Kamala IS brat,” coinciding with the U.S. Democratic presidential nominee rebranding her X profile to match the slime green aesthetic of the Brat album.
Charli isn’t alone in this movement. Artists like Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter are also breaking away from the polished pop star mold. They are messy and candid, wearing their hearts on their sleeves, and have been dominating the charts this summer. This new wave of pop girls stands out because they share a unique perspective on life, appearing honest and authentic, with relatable opinions and life experiences.
There comes a point when listeners tire of slick beats and empty mantras about girl power. They crave something deeper, and that’s precisely what this new generation of pop girls is delivering. In Brat, Charli candidly navigates the transition into her thirties. In her truth-telling hit “Von Dutch,” she expresses indifference to gossip, while her high-energy anthems “360” and “365” celebrate wild, carefree nights out.
Simultaneously, she offers introspective reflections on motherhood, posing existential questions that resonate with many millennial women. Should I be having children? When is the right time? Will it change my life? What if I have other aspirations? These themes are relatable and thought-provoking.
Josee Malon, a 23-year-old social executive from Kent, admires Charli for providing fans with an insightful glimpse into her creative mindset and personality. “Beyoncé, for example, is private and mysterious. Some people think that’s part of her allure, but for me, it works against her. Why would I want to be influenced by someone who gives me zero energy? Charli XCX gives 110% energy; she lets you into her life and feels like a friend.”
The appeal of these pop girls extends beyond just female listeners. Spencer Caminsky, a 26-year-old political campaign manager, has been a fan of Charli since 2016. He appreciates Brat for its rawness and directness. “It’s all the great things about her past works, but it expands upon the more vulnerable aspects of her life that she’s never spoken about. You really feel her emotion and regret.”
Chappell Roan, a 26-year-old queer pop icon, has also garnered a strong Gen Z following. While not the first queer female pop artist, her drag queen outfits, sexually empowered lyrics, and catchy melodies have made her a mainstream figure. Chappell’s music heavily focuses on her queer identity. For instance, “Pink Pony Club” was inspired by her first visit to a gay club, while “Good Luck, Babe” explores a fling with a girl who insists she’s not really gay.
Jonah Graham, 25, appreciates Chappell’s “unashamedly queer” music because it creates a space for people to come together through big emotions, irreverent humor, and boundless joy. Chappell’s upbringing in a conservative family, where she attended church three times a week and was taught that being gay was a sin, adds depth to her music. Yet, even those who haven’t experienced the same struggles can relate to the universal themes of rejection, freedom, acceptance, and self-discovery.
Interestingly, Kamala Harris has also tapped into Chappell’s appeal to connect with young voters, posting a meme on TikTok quoting Chappell’s lyrics: “What we really need is a femininomenon!” While Harris may not fit the demographic that Chappell and Charli resonate with, the cultural impact of their music is undeniable. Lucy Ford, a culture critic, noted that “Kamala is brat in the sense that she’s a dominating cultural force right now, and there’s been a separation from the album and the cultural hold it has as a vibe.”
Sabrina Carpenter, at 25, has mastered the art of fun and cheeky pop music. She has taken Taylor Swift’s confessional style and infused it with humor. Her x-rated ad-libbed outros, like the one at Radio 1’s Big Weekend, never fail to stir conversation. “BBC said I should keep it PG / BBC I wish I had it in me / There’s a double meaning if you dig deep,” she sang, showcasing her unabashedly playful side.
Sabrina’s music embraces fun and silliness, refusing to take itself too seriously. In her songs, she flips the typical romantic narrative, portraying a scenario where he is obsessed with her, and “looks so cute wrapped round my finger.” Her self-indulgence and unapologetic love for attention embody the brat persona. Why should we pretend that knowing someone has a crush on you isn’t a little exciting?
This summer, fans are particularly drawn to complex, messy music. Content writer Olivia Cox recently discovered all three artists and believes they stand out because they each, in their own way, “embrace silliness.” “It feels like pop music has been taking itself too seriously,” she observes.
Rachel Humphreys, a 29-year-old Digital PR Manager from Pontefract, describes these artists as a “cultural reset,” offering an element of escapism. Their music serves as a “welcome distraction from the daily pressures of adulting.”
Ford suggests that this phenomenon is a response to the overly sentimental, “celebrities, they’re just like us” sentiments that have dominated music in recent years. The dated feminist slogans, like those in Katy Perry’s latest single “Woman’s World,” fail to resonate with millennials or Gen Z. Perry’s satirical music video, featuring women dancing around a construction site in tiny outfits, seems inauthentic compared to the music of these Gen Z artists.
However, the smart, forthright pop songs we’re listening to now are not entirely new. Mercury Prize nominee CMAT points out that women have always been crafting stories in a funny, tragi-comic way. “There’s nothing sudden about this phenomenon. Women have always been writing humorous lyrics, but the audience was primarily other women, who, until recently, were not considered a desirable market.”
CMAT recalls her own music being criticized as “novelty music” due to its humor. “There was never a conversation about it being highbrow or something we should take seriously—because nobody takes women seriously,” she adds.
The groundwork for this music was laid by icons like Madonna and Lady Gaga, but the modern trend can be traced back to artists like Lorde, who challenged the absurd positivity of 2010s pop lyrics. Billie Eilish also contributed to this shift, with her early songs exploring darker themes, including one written from the perspective of a psychopath.
Eilish’s music continues to embrace the wonderfully weird, with her new album, Hit Me Hard And Soft, playing with dualities. Dynamics shift, ideas remain unresolved, and nothing ever settles. This reflects a feeling many have experienced over the past couple of years.
To achieve longevity, today’s brats will need to anticipate when the sands of pop and wider culture will shift again and adapt accordingly. The music landscape is ever-evolving, and these artists are at the forefront of a new wave that embraces vulnerability, messiness, and a bratty attitude.
Source: BBC
