The “Brat" Awards: A Pop Music Takeover

On the 1st March 2025, London hosted the 47th year of the Brit Awards to celebrate the top artists and music from the UK and across the globe. It was an evening of incredible performances and well-deserved recognition for the nation’s favorite artists. This year’s Brits witnessed a female takeover from rising pop girls such as Sabrina Carpenter and JADE, but more importantly Charli xcx. 

Over her 15 years in the music industry, Charli has achieved steady success with numerous songs that have performed well in official music charts, including ‘I Love It’ (with Icona Pop), ‘Fancy’ (with Iggy Azalea), and ‘Out Out’ (with Joel Corry). She even had a hit single, ‘Speed Drive’, feature on the official Barbie movie soundtrack, contributing to the 2023 Barbie summer. But, it wasn’t just that summer that her music had a great impact…

Brat Summer

Charli xcx set the vibes of summer 2024 with the release of her 6th studio album titled Brat. The album triggered a cultural reset, embraced particularly by Gen Z, making dance and electronic pop impossible to avoid.

However, Brat was a lot more than a collection of catchy songs. The album sparked a new definition of the term ‘brat’, meaning someone confident, authentic, and unapologetically themselves. The word was even named ‘Word of the Year’ by the Collins Dictionary which described ‘brat’ as a person “characterized by a confident and independent attitude”.

From this emerged ‘Brat Summer’ — a way of life inspired by the album, not strictly defined but ultimately centered around good vibes. As said by Charli, whether “luxury” or “trashy”, it “needs to be a little chaotic”. Think of a carefree “365 party girl” with messy hair, a bold outfit (incorporating a ‘Brat green’ element), having the time of her life. 

The album is filled with fun tracks, yet some of the songs carry a deeper meaning expanded on by Charli in a Billboard interview:

“Brat behavior stems from insecurities… a combination of ultra confidence, yet ultra vulnerability. It is not one or the other, it’s both, and the fact that most of the time people who are ultra-confident actually have this sense of ultra-insecurity.”

Big Wins at the Brits

Brat received an impressive five Brit Awards, including three of the most prestigious prizes of the ceremony. With win after win, she came close to breaking the record for the most amount of Brit Awards received in one night, but Raye narrowly holds the lead, having acquired six awards in 2024. Charli took home:

• Artist of the Year
• Mastercard Album of the Year - Brat
• Mastercard Song of the Year - ‘Guess (feat. Billie Eilish)'
• Dance Act
• Songwriter of the Year

With every award, Charli delivered a thoughtful speech, appreciating her industry partners and showcasing her unique essence. Here are some of the key moments from her five speeches:

The singer spoke on the alternate genres of pop music encapsulated throughout Brat:

“I feel like dance music and electronic music gets a really bad rep because I feel like everybody is like, “Oh well, it’s not really that deep”. And I kind of feel like it is. This genre of music for me, it’s euphoric, it allows me to escape, it allows me to feel on such a deep level”.

She responded to hate comments on her sheer dress that caused a stir amongst some viewers:

“I heard that ITV were complaining about my nipples. I feel like we’re in the era of free the nipple though, right?”

Charli showed gratitude to fellow artists who resonate with her journey throughout the music industry:

“Thank you to all the artists out there who feel like they don’t fit in but are brave enough to try, and be rejected a million times”

“I would just like to share this [award] with all artists who have ever felt that they need to compromise to be recognized and to have their moment in the sun because I think I am living proof that maybe it takes a long time, but you don’t need to compromise. You don’t need to compromise your vision. It’s kind of a long road, but if you do your own thing and you do it well, eventually, I think if you believe in yourself enough and honestly if you make good enough music people will resonate with you and be right there with you.”

She celebrated with a Brat-appropriate suggestion:

“Keep partying."

What's Next for Charli xcx?

Following the success of Brat, we can only look forward to Charli's next moves. Will she help shape the music of the summer for a third year in a row? The only certainty is that her next release will be “completely different” to Brat. Charli shared, “It’s so in my instinct to just like not do the same thing twice, so I’ll probably never make a record like this again”. So, what will the singer be working on next?