Hot girl summer is out and BRAT summer is in, according to the new trend that has taken over pop culture and politics.
Since its release on June 7, 2024, Charli XCX’s album BRAT has created an entirely new aesthetic, influencing everything from TikTok dances to political campaigns.
The album features high-energy pop songs like “360” and “Apple” that have taken over the internet and inspired a whole new term: BRAT summer.
Many Communications High School (CHS) students seem to have welcomed the carefree attitude of the album into their summer, such as junior Allison Lin of Middletown.
“I love BRAT and how it embraced the messiness of life which is unique compared to other trends and lifestyles like the clean girl aesthetic,” Lin said. “Instead of just being an album, everyone used it to create a whole new lifestyle.”
Not only has the album altered mindsets, but it has inspired a change in marketing for Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential campaign.
“It seems like Kamala using BRAT as a campaign strategy has got the interest of Gen Z and millennials and persuaded some of the younger voters,” sophomore Zachary Erbe of Neptune said. “I feel like on @kamalahq all I saw were the comments going crazy for her every time she played into the BRAT aesthetic.”
Lin agrees that it was a clever way to reach the younger demographic of voters.
“I think her use of BRAT is such a funny and clever way to get a larger Gen Z audience to vote for her,” Lin said. “I know in the beginning of summer all of my friends were posting about her BRAT posts on social media and found it hilarious.”
“Harris leaning into the memes about her and BRAT summer as a whole has seemed to make people like her more,” Erbe said. “And I feel like that will be super important when it’s time to vote.”
Charli XCX’s album is more than just an album; it has become an all out lifestyle influencing the election, social media, and so much more.
“This summer was just so BRAT,” Lin said. “It felt like such a fun and fresh trend and I loved every post I saw about the album.”
