If “brat” propelled us to look at all the angles of ourselves and dance through it all, then the remix slows us down – close to stillness, as the world spins on, contemplating how we’re changing through inevitable and uncontrollable transitions. “Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat” continues the beautiful mosaic of Charli XCX, the artist and person that started with “brat.”
On “brat’s” remix album, we meet a Charli XCX in transition. She’s juggling two worlds, the joys of mainstream success and the pitfalls of being under scrutinizing bright lights, while still trying to be her authentic self. With her sixth album, “brat,” Charli finally had a breakthrough year that made her a cultural fixture, with her album becoming a soundtrack for the summer of 2024. Her album was so culturally impactful that audiences asked for an extension of the “brat” persona into the fall. Some may call the remix a new emblem for brat fall, Charli XCX is concluding this era for herself and reflecting on what “brat” gave her.
Since the release of “brat” in June, a lot has changed for Charli XCX. “brat” was one of her most commercially successful albums. She sold out Madison Square Garden and is now in high demand across the music industry for performances and interviews. Now, she is an iconic symbol of pop culture. Coming up on such success with her sixth album, it’s a big deal to finally reach the career highs she’d aimed for with her first album, “True Romance,” in 2013.
The first track from the “brat” remix to be released was “360 featuring robyn and yung lean.” It was released before “brat” itself came out, serving as the first indicator that there were remixed versions of the album. However, the hysteria around a potential “brat” remix became full-flung after the “Girl, so confusing” remix with Lorde was released after “brat.” This became a cultural touchpoint for making up with friends, and Charli confirmed that there would be more remixed versions of “brat.” It followed with rumors of a Chappell Roan and Taylor Swift appearance. “Guess featuring billie eilish” was the next remixed track to be released and “Talk talk featuring Troye Sivan” followed. Charli officially ended brat summer on Sept. 2, announcing the brat remix on Sept. 12.
The idea for the “brat” remix existed even before the original album was released. Charli XCX said that there were so many edits from “brat,” that something new had to come out of the album. Thus, you could say that the “brat” remix is filled with the tailoring of an “in-production brat” that didn’t make the final cut.
The main theme of the remix is Charli XCX revisiting “brat” through a set of new, insightful reflections. This version of Charli is in celebration of her career, but also disillusioned by the impact of a mainstream breakthrough; stuck between her life and the demands of a career high she wanted for so long. On “b2b featuring tinashe,” she’s elated about the “b2b” remix’s success; on the remix of “360,” she’s recalling her impact. Charli narrates the stress of moving to Los Angeles on “Rewind’s” remix, while she observes how her relationships with friends and the media aren’t changing for the better on the remix of “sympathy is a knife.”
The “brat” remix is a reconfiguration that functions as a true remix album. The features aren’t just new verses, but completely new songs with new production that gives the songs a new sonic take. There are fewer dance beats, and more hyperpop glitches, broken rhythms in the remix. All of this shows the shift in tune, moods and temporality. The songs are sung differently, creating new emotional landscapes. Sometimes the features are in their own world, conversing with Charli or a backdrop of her inner monologue.
The “brat” sound on the remix sounds more like it’s sitting in the feelings of the original and coming into focus. Charli wants you to see her in transition and the changes in the remix beautifully capture that. The angst is still there, but more articulated and pointed in naming the hurt. The “party-girl” vibe thrives on “365 featuring shygirl,” while the insecurities of “b2b featuring tinashe” are replaced by pride that one’s hard work has manifested into unparalleled success.
Standout Songs
“Everything is romantic featuring caroline polachek” is no longer on a sun-soaked island. It’s dreamy and desolate. This signifies the seasonal change from summer to fall, as the song’s original version evokes a summer environment. On the remix version, Polachek sings about the “autumn.” Where Charli was once accepting of her life despite not reaching certain career breakthrough, on the remix she’s reached a career milestone; yet, she sounds weary.
The beginning of the song sounds like it’s glitching, almost like something has gone wrong. Charli asks, “everything’s still romantic, right?” She seems to be sitting in the hurt of the dizzying spotlight, almost like she’s trapped. Trying to navigate her new life feels like being stuck in a box. The vocals are broken and exhausted, the melody downcast and the violin sound more isolated. Polachek’s verses converse with Charli on a phone call, with Charli asking Polachek if life can still be romantic despite the hectic life Charli now still lives. Polacek contributes vocals that heighten the emotional tension of the tension, yet her chorus serves as a reassurance that life can be romantic, even at low points.
Halfway through, the song slowly builds up into something more hopeful. Polachek lists the simplicity of the mundane as the melody becomes brighter. The symphony of the violins returns at the last 30 seconds, with Charli still trying to romanticize her life.
In the remix of “I might say something stupid,” the production is falling rain, perhaps from the same night Charli snagged her tights in the original. The dark clouds of self-doubt and insecurity have settled. The instrumentals of the beginning of the song are beautiful and the lyrics are spaced out. Glitching is utilized more in the remix of the song, causing the song to sound like it’s cutting out in the first two stanzas. The remix of “I might say something stupid” draws out the feeling of the original, revving up at the end. This song, alongside “I think about it all the time featuring bon iver” sinks deeper into the feelings that follow Charli.
“Now I wanna think about all the good,” Charli muses, on the “So I” remix. She is processing her grief, and no longer criticizing herself for missed moments with late artist Sophie. Now, she reflects on the pivotal moments of her friendship with Sophie, repeating her desire to remember the good times in the extended outro of the song. The “brat” remix comes after Sophie’s self-titled posthumous album. It is said that grief is love enduring, and Charli displays that sentiment through reflections on the love between herself and Sophie.
“I think about it all the time featuring bon iver” moves from a scattered, fidgety stance of trying to make things worse into a serious tone, facing reality. This song continues to depict the looming cloud of motherhood that hovers over women in their 20s and becomes unavoidable as they reach 30. There was controversy about including Bon Iver on this remix version; a past Charli collaborator, like Rina Sawayama or Polachek, might have done well to feature on this song. On the remix, Bon Iver’s vocals offer an inner narration of Charli’s mindset as she sings. She seemingly accepts that time is running out, with an emphasis on the guilt of pursuing her career over motherhood. However, Charli is no longer speeding through her thoughts. Things have slowed down and she’s looking to a future with a long-term partner and motherhood.
And then there’s the remaining question: is the “brat” remix really still brat? Some social media discourse about the album says that Charli lost her touch, or failed to continue the “brat” sound and persona into the remix. Some may be averse to the remix because the pulse points we’re used to from the original “brat” don’t fall in the same way on the remix. The remix of “360” centers more of the lyrics, almost pushing the production to the background. In “Sympathy is a knife featuring ariana grande,” sonic textures no longer evoke the racing thoughts of the original, as we hear Charli and Grande voice their reflections. Such changes may be a little jarring for a listener who is accustomed to “brat” sounding a certain way.
However, wanting a continuation of the same “brat” sound and thematics from the original misses the point of Charli’s direction for the “brat” project. She is moving on from the original to something new. “brat” isn’t just a sound that exists in one specific moment of time; its culture and everything that comes with it grows with the artist as she changes. At the core, the personality traits of a brat will always be present, but will be performed differently based on where Charli is in her life.
The original “brat” was a landscape of partying through the messiness, holding the self-loathing together with ultra confidence, and insecurities about the future and sense of belonging held alongside knowing you are the blueprint. “Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat” doesn’t let go of that. If anything, it sinks into it, submerging into the waters of the emotions that pursue us.
You can see the “brat” remix as the maturing of “brat.” But in reality, it’s just the same brat that’s still there grappling with the uncertainties of a changing life. It is a dynamic identity. Ultimately, Charli shows us that while she continues to transition throughout her life, her brat persona is still there.
Suzanne Bagia can be reached at [email protected].
