I think we need to discuss BRAT, the incredible dance hyperpop album released by Charli XCX this year, and the influence of queer culture in the mainstream. Before we get started, I will say this blog post isn’t intended to accuse Charli of anything along the lines of cultural appropriation or queerbaiting or any other buzzwords one might assume I’d use when discussing a straight person using queer culture. This is a loving examination.

So how did we get to BRAT? If you were familiar with Charli XCX before “BRAT Summer” started it was most likely from a few things, her early pop days circa 2014 where she featured on “Fancy” by Iggy Azalea or her single “Boom Clap” created for the film A Fault In Our Stars. Beyond these things Charli hasn’t really received much mainstream recognition. A few minorly notable feature placements and a single hit over 10 years ago doesn’t exactly scream “mainstream pop icon,” and if you compare the sound of Charlis early work to BRAT there's a shift so obvious it’s like someone Speed Drove a BRAT green jeep into your ear holes. This jump in sonics didn’t come out of nowhere however. Hyperpop, and Charli’s affiliation with the sound had been growing for about a decade beforehand.

Most people like to point to the shift in Charli’s career as being the 2016 “VROOM VROOM” EP. “VROOM VROOM” both as a title track and as an EP were created in collaboration with the drastically underrated and since deceased artist SOPHIE, a trans woman who is notable for being at the forefront of the hyperpop space, and breaking ground by pushing music into new territory that had not yet been explored. The sound of VROOM VROOM carries many of Sophie’s trademarked sounds, loud blown out bass pumps, glitchy and distorted blasts of noise and bright bubbly synth melodies that make the foundations of what hyperpop would come to be.

Continuing on in Charli’s career and the evolution of the sound we received 2017’s mixtape Pop 2. Pop 2 pushed Charli even further into her modern sound, more intense auto tuned vocals, sparse glittery production and more glitched out rhythmic punches. On Pop 2 Charli makes sure to bring in notable queer artists in the hyperpop space to not only incorporate and borrow their sound, but to give recognition when doing so. Underground queer artists Dorian Electra and Mykki Blanco are featured on the song “Femmebot,” and Kim Petras on the song “Unlock It.” Kim Petras being male to female transgender and Dorian Electra being non binary respectively, and Dorian Electra going on to make a defining text of hyperpop, “Flamboyant.”

Then we move on to 2019’s self-titled album “Charli” and the following 2020 project “How I’m Feeling Now.” These albums at the time represented what many fans, myself included, had assumed was the finalised version of Charlie’s hyperpop sound, these being labelled as full on albums, and no longer “mixtapes” as her previous work had been, came with an air of officiality to it. Around the same time a notable shift in hyperpop was taking place with the rise of 100 Gecs, a groundbreaking duo spearheaded by Laura Les, a trans woman and musical icon in the hyperpop space. The members of 100 Gecs, especially Dylan Brady would provide production and assist the sound of both “Charli” the album and “How I’m Feeling Now.” With all these collaborators and influences, as well as queer visuals for the music videos of “Gone” and “Blame It On Your Love,” it had become clear that Charli had fully embraced the queer culture.

Which brings us to BRAT. All the markings of the queer hyperpop sound are still here. The whaling autotune, the sparse glitchy production, the bubbly synths. Everything coalesces into a beautiful reflection of the innovative queer sound being experienced by the mainstream.  On BRAT there is a song named “So I,” which pays a loving tribute to the recently deceased SOPHIE, the woman who set Charli on this path towards success.

Personally I love BRAT, and I love that not only has Charli always openly embraced queer culture, but has never failed to highlight its importance as an influence to her. So next time you are “365 party girl bumping that,” just remember the sound of pop to come was created and fostered by queer people, and that being queer is so BRAT.