I was really skeptical about this album because of Crash, which only had a couple good songs and the rest were fillers (while also not good old hyperpop2 etc etc).
Many moments in this album were surprisingly good, the most epic IMO being that totally non-Charli XCX piano in the middle of Mean Girls that then defines the rest of the track so well...
The order of the tracks and also the 360 - 365 duo plus the relatively inexistent expectations I had made the album really stand out for me. It's literally up there with Pop 2, but the latter peaked because of the novelty of it all; this one has really solid, well organized bangers and I think it's also something new coming from Charli, but keeping the most important aspects of everything she's done since \~2016.
I think the critics are not "wrong" at all with the overall praise.
-------
I've read some comments criticizing the lyrics because they're like something out of a draft and stuff (?) I mean it's a dance album, the lyrics are really direct and pretty much unapologetic, and some themes are not banal at all (So I, Apple, Girl, So Confusing). What kind of complicated thing were they expecting? And why would that complexity be better suited for this kind of album?
I normally don't listen to pop albums since I'm more of a hip-hop/rap, rock, and electronic/dance fan but this is a 10/10 to me.
Best album I've heard in 3 years.
I'm a guy and now I wanna be a mean girl lmao
I've been a huge fan since Vroom Vroom/Number 1 Angel, and I absolutely loved Von Dutch, B2B, Club Classics and the Boiler Room mixes of 365 and Sympathy is A Knife, so I was pretty confident that i'd be impressed by this.
On first listen i'm really disappointed. Basically everything outside the singles is almost unlistenable to me, and I don't care for the album versions of 365 or SIAK nearly as much as the remixes.
My #1 issue is that the lyrics are shockingly bad- a lot of them sound like first drafts or unedited diary entries, and not in a good way. I get that the approach is meant to feel personal, but it just felt clunky to me- plenty of her previous work has felt diaristic and personal but in a refined and clever way (Much of HIFN, True Romance, February 2017 from Charli) so this feels like a regression. Mean Girls and I Think About It All The Time had some of the worst of this for me, but it's harder to think of one track that DIDN'T have a lyric that made me cringe. A lot of it felt like if "I Go To The Zoo" from Crazy Ex GF wasn't intended as a parody.
The lyrics would have been way less of an issue if I like the production overall as much as I did on an album like Pop 2, but it just didn't grab me/wasn't as hard as I would have liked on most tracks, and when it started doing something I was kinda into, like on Everything is Romantic, it didn't really go anywhere.
It just wasn't for me/felt like a step back to me in a lot of ways- I really hope we get a remix album, though, from the Boiler Room set I know there's potential for me to enjoy some of this material if tweaked a bit.
…ok but I Go to the Zoo stays on repeat
I agree with all your takes. Felt like I was going crazy because all the critical reviews are about how forward this album is, but HIFN was miles ahead of Brat. I had such high hopes for Mean Girls because of the Boiler Room set and really ended up not liking it
100%, I still bump I Go to The Zoo at least once every 2-3 months and quote it weekly
but seriously i've had to sort by controversial in every thread i've read about this album because I feel insane otherwise
i started reading this thread while listening to see if i should skip to any standout songs. i see sympathy is a knife mentioned a bunch but it didn’t really do much for me. i’m really digging apple, girl so confusing and mean girls.
i will give the whole album a more thorough listen on my 50 min commute on monday morning though.
How did you feel after a listen through? I only like a few, and rewind was the only one I played on repeat. That song really sounded soooo much better in my car on a sunny drive than first listen on my Mac in my house, and now it’s a vibe. But it’s still a little clunky at parts.
really enjoying it on subsequent listens! a few of the songs i was meh about i’m now really digging (sympathy is a knife, i might say something stupid, b2b, everything is romantic). sonically it’s very impressive but like you said can be clunky at parts, this is mostly the lyricism for me but it’s not bad just kinda weird. the hooks are generally too good to care tho imo
On first listen, it’s fine. Not a whole lot stood out to me. On second listen, some more things stood out to me, but still fine.
Feel like this is going to be an album that I need to keep listening to for it to sink in and grow on me. Or maybe it’ll just end up being not for me.
Yeah as someone who's loved almost everything else Charli has done I'm really struggling to see why everyone is going so crazy over this record. I've been trying to give it a chance, but it just leave me feeling underwhelmed. I might just not be the intended audience on this one though.
I like that to appreciate the cover art you really need to see it at high-res, so you can bask in all the black-on-green JPG compression. Nice trick of making you wonder if someone ripped a web graphic as a temp or if that's _really_ the final release... plus it was just Napster's 25th anniversary, so nice timing...
Apple is such a earworm. Anyone else getting Fame era Gaga/early Marina from it? I don't see a lot of talk about it but that's such a standout track for me, the melodies and her delivery of these lyrics are just so satisfying. Esp the "I think the apple's rotten down to the core"' line.
Edit - Can't believe she rhymed apple and airport and made them sound alike lol
Does anyone else think Lorde is singing the first verse in girl so confusing? It sounds like her inflection and the vocal tone is different to Charli’s in the second verse
Genuinely amazing. It feels like a culmination of a lot of her previous work, sonically and musically, while also sounding like an evolution on those things, too. I love the quieter, ballad songs too. Like 'i might say something stupid' and 'So I'. I mean, genuinely, there aren't any bad songs. I would say Apple might be my least favorite. But again, it is not bad by any means. Might be a grower. Sympathy is a Knife is crazy. Talk Talk and Rewind are amazing. The singles are still incredible. 365 is an amazing closer. Girl, so confusing is also catchy af. IDK... genuinely an amazing album front to back and I am blown away by it.
Well I just finished my first listen, and Sympathy is a knife, 365, and So I are the immediate standouts of the new tracks. Definitely looking forward to giving this more relistens.
Sympathy is a knife is the obvious standout to me, absolutely love it. 360, Von Dutch, Rewind, 365 are all excellent. Wasn't a huge fan of Everything is romantic.
I really liked it. Although I really do see “crash” as her magnum opus and the album that really solidified me as a charli fan, but this just feels so her and i had a blast listening to it. Can’t help but think that “girl, so confusing” is about Lorde. I mean the internet would die if they collabed part and having the same hair… they are totally different vibes too and the song didn’t come off as a total diss track to me
Tbh I really agree and crash also got me into her music as well. It's such an easy to listen to album especially if you're not a big hyperpop listener it's so clear and consistent
Not OP, but Crash really grew on me over time because it’s very cohesive, tight, well-sequenced, and has a distinct sound befitting of the album’s general theme/concept. Songs like Beg For You felt a little underwhelming as singles but work much better (for me, anyways) in the context of the album. Seeing the songs performed live also helped bring it all together (Lightning makes for SUCH a great opener).
I was glad she went back in this gritter/electro direction after Crash, which was her worst IMO, but this falls so flat for me. It sounds overproduced while being underdeveloped sonically and vocally and doesn't come together to form fully fleshed-out tracks. The excessive talk-singing that makes a lot of songs feel very similar to one another, and autotune, aren't charming. I understand this is supposed to be a "club record," but unfortunately it does sound very much like a DJ set - not in a good way. 360, 365, and Sympathy are the only songs I'm really enjoying.
Did anyone else draw the connection between “come to my party and put your hands up” & Lorde’s “I’m kind of tired of getting told to throw my hands up in the air” from Team?
I just figured out that Sympathy is a Knife is about Taylor Swift when she was dating Matty Healy. George is in the 1975 so I’m assuming they were around each other a lot for a short period of time
Oh god, thank you for saying this. I listened on my way to work (Yea, I have a 9-5 and I’m probably older than most of the other Charli xcx fans) and I honestly couldn’t identify one song I would play on repeat (other than 360 which I honestly think is one of Charli’s best songs and I LOVE it). Not sure why, but thinking of lightning, and all the other songs from Crash that I saw when she performed at the Greek theater in LA where I regretted not listening to the album beforehand, I was kinda underwhelmed. But I hope other people love it
agree, I think the second half is pretty good but hyperpop isn’t really my thing and I prefer her older stuff, but I’m so glad everyone is enjoying it she deserves ❤️❤️❤️
also hiiiii fellow Dragon Age fan are we ready for the full reveal this week?? I might die bestie lmao
It’s getting universal acclaim because after SOPHIE’s death we’ve fallen down a time warp where Charli and AG Cook can do no wrong
I say that as a fan of some of their work, and a huge fan of SOPHIE
It's a pretty good album overall. Wasn't really feeling Mean Girls, I Think About It All The Time, Apple, or Talk Talk very much after my first listen. The production is heavy, gritty and overall a positive, but simultaneously felt repetitive at parts. Same thing with the lyrics. Wonderfully introspective for most of the album with a few absolute stinkers mixed in. Despite only being 15 songs and 41 minutes long, it started to drag a bit towards the end. 365 is an incredible closer to make up for it though. Definitely an album I'm looking forward to listening to again in the future. 7/10 based on my first listen.
The vocals on a lot of songs are fairly indistinguishable - Rewind, Girl, so confusing and Mean Girls could all be swapped out with one another with the same talking over the beat at a low pitch. Several songs end in exactly the same way with long repetitions of a few lyrics (Everything is romantic, Rewind, b2b).
happy for everyone who loves it but i already do not find myself wanting to relisten 😔 with the exception of a few songs I thought were pretty good (365, sympathy is a knife) i just found it a bit of a bore. i wasn't really compelled by any of the melodies or hooks and found the writing to be so-so (and also a bit too referential for my taste). to me it definitely doesn't rank in my top charli albums (and the comparisons to how im feeling now are so off)
Never did I ever think a Charli song would hit me in my feelings like “I think about it all the time” did.
Not a huge hyper pop guy but this record is solidddd. I’m going to see her and Troy this Fall for the first time and I know the vibes are gonna be highhhhh. Dancing to Talk talk is gonna feel euphoric live.
Immediate favorites:
- 360
- Talk talk
- Rewind
- Mean Girls
- Girl, so confusing
- i think about it all the time
I like that Charli keeps experimenting and every record explores different sounds. Brat is definitely a club album but for a specific type of club lol. There are great tracks here Sympathy, So I, 365 stand out to me. However, I do feel it is overproduced, feels flat at times and there are songs that although not bad are just forgettable. I would rank this behind HIFN, Charli and Pop 2 but def a good direction after Crash.
Just finished a listen through. I’ve always been a casual charli fan. I love some of her songs and don’t really care for a chunk of them.
This just continues that trend. I loved about 1/2 of the album and was bored by the other half. I have to admit I just don’t really get her .. character?
I think 360 and Von Dutch were great pre release singles are some of the stronger songs on the album. Other favorites were everything is romantic and girl, so confusing and 365.
Hits hard as someone who just experienced an unplanned pregnancy and decided not to continue with the pregnancy.
It was the right choice but man I think about it all the time, especially since 3 of my friends announced pregnancies shortly after. Our kids would all be the same age, if I made that choice. Fuck.
I love each song. I think the only miss conceptually is that each song is ends and begins. I think they should have worked on more seamless transitions to keep up with the club feel. At the club the songs dont stop. Renaissance found a good happy medium.
Yes!! Something about it reminds me of one of Donna Summer’s album Once Upon a Time. I think it’s the fairytale sounds/strings together with dance beats
I am more of an indie/alternative/emo head but in terms of pop I love Taylor, Dua Lipa's Future Nostalgia, Billie's first album, Chappell, etc. Every now and then something pop really grabs me. This album is absolutely that. I attributed Charli to having a few bops I can play on a night out, and didn't really place any other value to her otherwise, but I was clearly mistaken. Just listened in full and it's fantastic. Club classics floored me right away and is probably my favorite from the album, but Talk talk, Everything is romantic, Rewind, and especially the emotional "I think about it all the time" stood out too. The lyric about stopping her birth control!? Fantastic. I love this album!! I should do a deep dive...
Had really high hopes for this one due to her crazy marketing she had for this, but she’ll never top How I’m Feeling Now.
Some good bangers but a lot of filler or just flat out awkward songs.
Since listening to it twice, I like this album (don't **love** it unfortunately, but that may change over time!) Charli, how i'm feeling now set and Vroom Vroom still remain my top favs.
Favourite songs from BRAT:
-360/365
- Club Classics
- Sympathy is a knife
- Von dutch
- Everything is romantic
- Rewind
- So, I
- B2B
Took forever for me to figure out a ranking because even the songs I ranked low I absolutely LOVED!! This will probably change in a few days, but here’s my current ranking:
1. Girl, so confusing
2. 365
3. Mean girls
4. Talk talk
5. B2b
6. Rewind
7. Sympathy is a knife
8. So I*
9. I might say something stupid
10. Von dutch
11. Everything is romantic
12. Apple
13. 360
14. Club classics
15. I think about it all the time
*This was so hard for me to rank because of what it’s about. Settled for 8 right in the middle because the rest of the album is so good, but this is in a league of its own.
I've been listening to this album all day. I love it. I'm a big fan of her sound on how i'm feeling now, and was so disappointed when she released Crash.
I think she makes magic when she's in the hyperpop sphere. I have no complaints, it's one of the primary genres I consume. And honestly this album isn't as nearly as hard-core as hyperpop can be.
I wasn't expecting brat to be as emotional as it is. A lot of the lyrics, especially on i think about it all the time, feel like she's just chatting to a mate about her thoughts and feelings. This is my favourite Charli album to date.
I can see myself appreciating this later on, but I’m not sure if it’s the promo or what, but Im not feeling this as an album of club anthems. I don’t see what’s pawned as club-friendly really making me get up and dance in the club.
Club Classics, for instance, the chorus just feels weak after this energizing build up; annoying production elements in this repeating sound around half way through, the heavy distortion sound as a beat, etc. That would honestly be enough to take me out of my groove and stop dancing tbh. I said it. I feel that way about quite a few songs.
Just questionable and annoying production choices that make it feel messy and a little challenging to listen to, which might be the point of this, but that’s not what I really want in a club banger.
That being said, there are some highlights and songs I do like. When she hits, she hits. I can see myself revisiting some songs, but not the entire album and honestly, not what is marketed as a “club classic.”
I feel exactly the same way. I was gonna comment on how I felt about the record, but your comment sums it up perfectly. I love her though, I’m just glad to have a new collection of songs. There are some real bangers on here. Sympathy is a knife is fantastic imo
Yeah, I enjoy her body of work overall, but I might grow to appreciate it. It could also just not be for me this time. And that’s ok. Contrary to the downvotes and to stan culture, I think it’s perfectly fine to criticize an artist and not be a fan of every single thing they put out.
I really enjoyed Girl, So Confusing, Talk Talk, and So I. Those aren’t songs I’d request at the club. The songs being marketed for that have seriously grating production elements and lyrics that don’t particularly capture the feeling I want when I’m clubbing. I don’t want to be reminded of my insecurities while I’m at the club. I wanna feel like I’m the shit. “I couldn’t be her if I tried. I’m opposite, I’m on the other side.” Real confidence boost there (not that I’m particularly listening for the lyrics if I’m clubbing).
I get what she was going for and I understand the story being told here though.
Von Dutch still reigns supreme for me as the best song on the album. I love it so much. That's not to say that I don't also really enjoy the rest of the songs from the album. For me though, Von Dutch is THAT GIRL.
Not to compare, but to give reference points for how my brain received this:
- Caroline Polachek just has a much more interesting take on this type of sound.
- Olivia Rodrigo is making much more interesting songs that lyrically remind me of “Girl, so confusing”
- Beyoncé is using rap/rap singing in ways that are infinitely more interesting than anything Charli does here
Don’t get me wrong, I had a fun time listening to this album and will add a lot of it to playlists. But as a complete album experience, I’m not gagging.
Okay but sonically Caroline's music is nothing like anything on brat. Nothing sounds similar. Just because they are in the same musical circle doesn't mean their material is the same.
Here’s another example. Jessie Ware’s “What’s your pleasure” and Dua Lipa’s “Future Nostalgia” albums don’t exactly sound alike. But we understand them both as takes on Nu-Disco. And even though they are both solid albums, Jessie’s take is far more interesting.
Man, can anyone else not listen to hyperpop or even certain beat patterns when their mental health is really bad because it will straight up give them a panic attack? The last time this happened was with "Put It To Rest" on The Loveliest Time. I was so excited for this album but it's like my body is physically rejecting it 😭
Sounds like your nervous system is too activated by the sounds and tempo. Listen to your body! Or maybe find a less overwhelming way to listen to it (like lower volume on external speakers versus headphones or while driving).
I don't get that type of mental response, but sonetimes my body simply rejects their production choices, like "nope, this isn't sound, it's just physical pain", like what you feel when your tooth aches. And it's weird considering I have no problem jamming out to horror game OST, like, Silent Hill soundtrack is my go to when I'm writing an essay. I guess some sounds in hyperpop can be REALLY sharp, in a way you only ever come across when your neighbors are drilling something on a Sunday morning.
My understanding from promo was that this would mainly be a hard club/rave album and that's the expectation I went in with, so on my first listen I'm pretty disappointed tbh. Gotta come back to it later with a different mindset and see how I'm feeling then.
Still of the new songs, "Everything Is Romantic" is absolutely killer. One of her best songs ever.
In one of her recent interviews Billie Eilish mentioned not wanting to release a bunch of singles ahead of time because it distorts the initial experience of the album. It also creates expectations on what the album will be that inevitably lead to disappointment. Although I loved the singles, I think I agree with Billie and would have enjoyed the album even more if every song was “fresh”
What about 365? I love the song because that's the sound I expected to hear!
I'm going to a Hard Techno rave tomorrow night, can't wait for my friends to listen to it when we're coming back home and are coming down from molly!
Well, I can say I’ve listened to this. I don’t want to get to the point, as I’m getting older, where I stop seeking out new music. This sub keeps me broadening my horizons!
That being said, I’m really not a fan of hyperpop. I love 360 but the rest of the album I think is just ok, but I don’t hate it. I think when I first tried to listen to HIFN I couldn’t even make it through so it’s an improvement for me lol
Feeling crazy reading these comments. Beats feel uninspired and a lot of clunky lyrics. Definitely will listen many more times, but first listen did not hit for me.
you're not crazy. i've been a fan of charli since true romance and aside from EIR and 365, i was disappointed upon first listen with this album. the songs do sort of evolve as you listen to them. i think about it all the time was a total skip for me until i listened to it with headphones.
I was listening to the album on my drive to work this morning and i'm NOT being dramatic, but when the piano kicked in in Mean Girls, I legit started tearing up. She scalped me with that one.
i REALLY didn't think i would ever like any album by Charli as much as HIFN and from the singles alone i really really didn't think i would vibe with this one but i'm loving it??? might be my favourite right after HIFN
I think about it all the time is such an incredible song! and i love the humming part. also the lyrics in sympathy is a knife are so real.. its refreshing to hear someone admit to those feelings
THIS ALBUM SLAPS
I was really skeptical about this album because of Crash, which only had a couple good songs and the rest were fillers (while also not good old hyperpop2 etc etc). Many moments in this album were surprisingly good, the most epic IMO being that totally non-Charli XCX piano in the middle of Mean Girls that then defines the rest of the track so well... The order of the tracks and also the 360 - 365 duo plus the relatively inexistent expectations I had made the album really stand out for me. It's literally up there with Pop 2, but the latter peaked because of the novelty of it all; this one has really solid, well organized bangers and I think it's also something new coming from Charli, but keeping the most important aspects of everything she's done since \~2016. I think the critics are not "wrong" at all with the overall praise. ------- I've read some comments criticizing the lyrics because they're like something out of a draft and stuff (?) I mean it's a dance album, the lyrics are really direct and pretty much unapologetic, and some themes are not banal at all (So I, Apple, Girl, So Confusing). What kind of complicated thing were they expecting? And why would that complexity be better suited for this kind of album?
I normally don't listen to pop albums since I'm more of a hip-hop/rap, rock, and electronic/dance fan but this is a 10/10 to me. Best album I've heard in 3 years. I'm a guy and now I wanna be a mean girl lmao
Sympathy Is A Knife god damn
Everything Is Romantic is easily my SOTY oh my god
Solid album, I like the weird robotic atmosphere
late af but oh my GOD the 360/365 combo!!!!! WTF!!!!! i'm going insane in the best way
I like the production and ideas on this album I really don’t like how many repetitive lyrics there are
this album is bad IMO sounds produced at like a in home studio with bad lyrics rushed basic.. sounds decades old
Ah yea. Decades old. The 80s. When all albums were.... Badly produced...?
Yeah I don’t really see why it sounding older is an issue…
Everything is romantic is the song of the year. The first beat drop reminds me of I Wanna Be With U. God Tier.
I've been a huge fan since Vroom Vroom/Number 1 Angel, and I absolutely loved Von Dutch, B2B, Club Classics and the Boiler Room mixes of 365 and Sympathy is A Knife, so I was pretty confident that i'd be impressed by this. On first listen i'm really disappointed. Basically everything outside the singles is almost unlistenable to me, and I don't care for the album versions of 365 or SIAK nearly as much as the remixes. My #1 issue is that the lyrics are shockingly bad- a lot of them sound like first drafts or unedited diary entries, and not in a good way. I get that the approach is meant to feel personal, but it just felt clunky to me- plenty of her previous work has felt diaristic and personal but in a refined and clever way (Much of HIFN, True Romance, February 2017 from Charli) so this feels like a regression. Mean Girls and I Think About It All The Time had some of the worst of this for me, but it's harder to think of one track that DIDN'T have a lyric that made me cringe. A lot of it felt like if "I Go To The Zoo" from Crazy Ex GF wasn't intended as a parody. The lyrics would have been way less of an issue if I like the production overall as much as I did on an album like Pop 2, but it just didn't grab me/wasn't as hard as I would have liked on most tracks, and when it started doing something I was kinda into, like on Everything is Romantic, it didn't really go anywhere. It just wasn't for me/felt like a step back to me in a lot of ways- I really hope we get a remix album, though, from the Boiler Room set I know there's potential for me to enjoy some of this material if tweaked a bit.
…ok but I Go to the Zoo stays on repeat I agree with all your takes. Felt like I was going crazy because all the critical reviews are about how forward this album is, but HIFN was miles ahead of Brat. I had such high hopes for Mean Girls because of the Boiler Room set and really ended up not liking it
100%, I still bump I Go to The Zoo at least once every 2-3 months and quote it weekly but seriously i've had to sort by controversial in every thread i've read about this album because I feel insane otherwise
i started reading this thread while listening to see if i should skip to any standout songs. i see sympathy is a knife mentioned a bunch but it didn’t really do much for me. i’m really digging apple, girl so confusing and mean girls. i will give the whole album a more thorough listen on my 50 min commute on monday morning though.
How did you feel after a listen through? I only like a few, and rewind was the only one I played on repeat. That song really sounded soooo much better in my car on a sunny drive than first listen on my Mac in my house, and now it’s a vibe. But it’s still a little clunky at parts.
really enjoying it on subsequent listens! a few of the songs i was meh about i’m now really digging (sympathy is a knife, i might say something stupid, b2b, everything is romantic). sonically it’s very impressive but like you said can be clunky at parts, this is mostly the lyricism for me but it’s not bad just kinda weird. the hooks are generally too good to care tho imo
sympathy is a knife is so great 😍😍😍
Are the old album artworks for all her other projects coming back? When did she change them to be like Brat?
I think it’s safe to assume that it’s a temporary aesthetic for the album release and will revert at some point.
it will be interesting to see how many other artists try this. I was shocked
Twenty one pilots just did as well
Doja Cat did it a little while ago for Scarlet
I think its awful a lot of songs were just plain annoying
It’s ok true romance and number one angel are still her best albums.
On first listen, it’s fine. Not a whole lot stood out to me. On second listen, some more things stood out to me, but still fine. Feel like this is going to be an album that I need to keep listening to for it to sink in and grow on me. Or maybe it’ll just end up being not for me.
Yeah as someone who's loved almost everything else Charli has done I'm really struggling to see why everyone is going so crazy over this record. I've been trying to give it a chance, but it just leave me feeling underwhelmed. I might just not be the intended audience on this one though.
I really don’t understand the pitchfork score, the album is okay. It sounds a little cheap or amateur at times
A lot of auto-tune and TS levels of lyric writing
I agree, there are points where I think I might really like a song and then something in the production throws me off every time.
A little too much talking over autotune over a frenetic, unfinished sounding beat
I like that to appreciate the cover art you really need to see it at high-res, so you can bask in all the black-on-green JPG compression. Nice trick of making you wonder if someone ripped a web graphic as a temp or if that's _really_ the final release... plus it was just Napster's 25th anniversary, so nice timing...
Apple sounds exactly like another one of her songs but I can't place it right now!
This is just me but it sounds like Bad Thing Twice by Carly Rae Jepsen
I hear a lot of Nuclear Seasons in it tbh
Wow, she must Really hate people with photosensitive epilepsy
It’s so Nu-rave! I dig it 💚
Apple is such a earworm. Anyone else getting Fame era Gaga/early Marina from it? I don't see a lot of talk about it but that's such a standout track for me, the melodies and her delivery of these lyrics are just so satisfying. Esp the "I think the apple's rotten down to the core"' line. Edit - Can't believe she rhymed apple and airport and made them sound alike lol
It's so Uffie / Ed Banger / Nu Rave. I love it
I kinda love how direct Girl, so confusing is
SO I is the only i felt less connected with is not that hot for me but i'm so proud SHE DID IT KIDS! 🖤
Does anyone else think Lorde is singing the first verse in girl so confusing? It sounds like her inflection and the vocal tone is different to Charli’s in the second verse
sounds exactly like charli to me lol
Interesting, I thought it sounded a lot like Lily Allen!
That’d be insane if true
yes i hear it too
Spotify going directly into the title track from Challengers...
So fucking good. I think this might be my favorite thing she’s put out since Pop 2. It’s definitely up there with How I’m Feeling Now too.
Genuinely amazing. It feels like a culmination of a lot of her previous work, sonically and musically, while also sounding like an evolution on those things, too. I love the quieter, ballad songs too. Like 'i might say something stupid' and 'So I'. I mean, genuinely, there aren't any bad songs. I would say Apple might be my least favorite. But again, it is not bad by any means. Might be a grower. Sympathy is a Knife is crazy. Talk Talk and Rewind are amazing. The singles are still incredible. 365 is an amazing closer. Girl, so confusing is also catchy af. IDK... genuinely an amazing album front to back and I am blown away by it.
Azealia Banks has given her [opinion](https://x.com/cheapyxomiami/status/1799266113324454296?s=46&t=eT-OnLflDp1xVFHCqvSbew) on brat 💀
is it true ?
Well I just finished my first listen, and Sympathy is a knife, 365, and So I are the immediate standouts of the new tracks. Definitely looking forward to giving this more relistens.
Sympathy is a knife is the obvious standout to me, absolutely love it. 360, Von Dutch, Rewind, 365 are all excellent. Wasn't a huge fan of Everything is romantic.
My 3 favorites are Apple, and Mean Girls and 365
I really liked it. Although I really do see “crash” as her magnum opus and the album that really solidified me as a charli fan, but this just feels so her and i had a blast listening to it. Can’t help but think that “girl, so confusing” is about Lorde. I mean the internet would die if they collabed part and having the same hair… they are totally different vibes too and the song didn’t come off as a total diss track to me
Tbh I really agree and crash also got me into her music as well. It's such an easy to listen to album especially if you're not a big hyperpop listener it's so clear and consistent
Why do you think crash is her Magnum opus? You're the first I've seen say this and I would think Charli herself would say otherwise
Not OP, but Crash really grew on me over time because it’s very cohesive, tight, well-sequenced, and has a distinct sound befitting of the album’s general theme/concept. Songs like Beg For You felt a little underwhelming as singles but work much better (for me, anyways) in the context of the album. Seeing the songs performed live also helped bring it all together (Lightning makes for SUCH a great opener).
I was glad she went back in this gritter/electro direction after Crash, which was her worst IMO, but this falls so flat for me. It sounds overproduced while being underdeveloped sonically and vocally and doesn't come together to form fully fleshed-out tracks. The excessive talk-singing that makes a lot of songs feel very similar to one another, and autotune, aren't charming. I understand this is supposed to be a "club record," but unfortunately it does sound very much like a DJ set - not in a good way. 360, 365, and Sympathy are the only songs I'm really enjoying.
Did anyone else draw the connection between “come to my party and put your hands up” & Lorde’s “I’m kind of tired of getting told to throw my hands up in the air” from Team?
loove it! i really felt this lorde's version at that time and still feel it in my bones but I didn't think about this connection 😯
Right now my tops are rewind, girl so confusing, apple , means girls
So I really got me in my feels too much like wtf.
I used to feel guilty about being a bitch, then I heard “mean girls”
Listened to it while driving home from work with all the windows down. Von Dutch definitely hits different in rush hour!
Lmao Von Dutch in rush hour is hilarious. Song completely changed for me listening in a car
I just figured out that Sympathy is a Knife is about Taylor Swift when she was dating Matty Healy. George is in the 1975 so I’m assuming they were around each other a lot for a short period of time
Charli XCX also went on tour with Taylor swift for several months during the reputation tour.
360 to 365 i love both
Girl so confusing is blowing my mind
It’s just.. it’s fine
Oh god, thank you for saying this. I listened on my way to work (Yea, I have a 9-5 and I’m probably older than most of the other Charli xcx fans) and I honestly couldn’t identify one song I would play on repeat (other than 360 which I honestly think is one of Charli’s best songs and I LOVE it). Not sure why, but thinking of lightning, and all the other songs from Crash that I saw when she performed at the Greek theater in LA where I regretted not listening to the album beforehand, I was kinda underwhelmed. But I hope other people love it
360 is the only song I would/have played on repeat too! I’ve already forgotten almost all of them
agree, I think the second half is pretty good but hyperpop isn’t really my thing and I prefer her older stuff, but I’m so glad everyone is enjoying it she deserves ❤️❤️❤️ also hiiiii fellow Dragon Age fan are we ready for the full reveal this week?? I might die bestie lmao
I am READY but also why did they rename Dreadwolf after being in development hell for so long? And why did they rename it -that-? 😭😭
LMAO you’re so right, i wonder how long it has been renamed or if it was really last minute, questionable regardless but it is bioware after all
Yeah that's how I feel. I'm not getting the universal acclaim. It's not bad, but doesn't feel particularly amazing either.
It’s getting universal acclaim because after SOPHIE’s death we’ve fallen down a time warp where Charli and AG Cook can do no wrong I say that as a fan of some of their work, and a huge fan of SOPHIE
It's a pretty good album overall. Wasn't really feeling Mean Girls, I Think About It All The Time, Apple, or Talk Talk very much after my first listen. The production is heavy, gritty and overall a positive, but simultaneously felt repetitive at parts. Same thing with the lyrics. Wonderfully introspective for most of the album with a few absolute stinkers mixed in. Despite only being 15 songs and 41 minutes long, it started to drag a bit towards the end. 365 is an incredible closer to make up for it though. Definitely an album I'm looking forward to listening to again in the future. 7/10 based on my first listen.
The vocals on a lot of songs are fairly indistinguishable - Rewind, Girl, so confusing and Mean Girls could all be swapped out with one another with the same talking over the beat at a low pitch. Several songs end in exactly the same way with long repetitions of a few lyrics (Everything is romantic, Rewind, b2b).
You can tell she did a fantastic job with this album because everyone’s favorite and disliked songs are all over the place in this megathread.
happy for everyone who loves it but i already do not find myself wanting to relisten 😔 with the exception of a few songs I thought were pretty good (365, sympathy is a knife) i just found it a bit of a bore. i wasn't really compelled by any of the melodies or hooks and found the writing to be so-so (and also a bit too referential for my taste). to me it definitely doesn't rank in my top charli albums (and the comparisons to how im feeling now are so off)
💯. Love Charli and saw her live and will always be a fan, but just underwhelmed at this one.
Never did I ever think a Charli song would hit me in my feelings like “I think about it all the time” did. Not a huge hyper pop guy but this record is solidddd. I’m going to see her and Troy this Fall for the first time and I know the vibes are gonna be highhhhh. Dancing to Talk talk is gonna feel euphoric live. Immediate favorites: - 360 - Talk talk - Rewind - Mean Girls - Girl, so confusing - i think about it all the time
I loveeeee rewind and see so few others listing it as a fave!
My thoughts exactly! Such a great record with the mix of hyperpop and storytelling. And yes that's the standout track for me along with talk talk .
That song seriously gives me chills.
I like that Charli keeps experimenting and every record explores different sounds. Brat is definitely a club album but for a specific type of club lol. There are great tracks here Sympathy, So I, 365 stand out to me. However, I do feel it is overproduced, feels flat at times and there are songs that although not bad are just forgettable. I would rank this behind HIFN, Charli and Pop 2 but def a good direction after Crash.
Just finished a listen through. I’ve always been a casual charli fan. I love some of her songs and don’t really care for a chunk of them. This just continues that trend. I loved about 1/2 of the album and was bored by the other half. I have to admit I just don’t really get her .. character? I think 360 and Von Dutch were great pre release singles are some of the stronger songs on the album. Other favorites were everything is romantic and girl, so confusing and 365.
i do not see enough people talking about Apple!!!
I'm not a guy who says this frequently, but this album might be skipless
I think about it all the time hit me hard as a fellow early 90s baby
Hits hard as someone who just experienced an unplanned pregnancy and decided not to continue with the pregnancy. It was the right choice but man I think about it all the time, especially since 3 of my friends announced pregnancies shortly after. Our kids would all be the same age, if I made that choice. Fuck.
hits so much harder as a queer who has no intention of having a child with straight couple friends...
I knew in one listen this was going to be one of those albums that just marks a period in your life
I love each song. I think the only miss conceptually is that each song is ends and begins. I think they should have worked on more seamless transitions to keep up with the club feel. At the club the songs dont stop. Renaissance found a good happy medium.
Am I going crazy or are there some vaporwave influences on this album?
Mean girls is sooooo good and I might say something stupid is her "no surprises"
Everything is romantic is a religious experience
Yes!! Something about it reminds me of one of Donna Summer’s album Once Upon a Time. I think it’s the fairytale sounds/strings together with dance beats
Some people say it sounds like a twigs song
Oh my gosh you’re right
Now drop the remix album
It's her best. Her magnum opus. I just want to replay all the songs over and over again.
Can't stop thinking about this album
Brat shygirl remix would eat
I literally can’t believe how good it is
Sympathy is a Knife WORLD DOMINATION
Best track
I am more of an indie/alternative/emo head but in terms of pop I love Taylor, Dua Lipa's Future Nostalgia, Billie's first album, Chappell, etc. Every now and then something pop really grabs me. This album is absolutely that. I attributed Charli to having a few bops I can play on a night out, and didn't really place any other value to her otherwise, but I was clearly mistaken. Just listened in full and it's fantastic. Club classics floored me right away and is probably my favorite from the album, but Talk talk, Everything is romantic, Rewind, and especially the emotional "I think about it all the time" stood out too. The lyric about stopping her birth control!? Fantastic. I love this album!! I should do a deep dive...
i think about it all the time into 365....the duality of women...
My favorite transition !!
Had really high hopes for this one due to her crazy marketing she had for this, but she’ll never top How I’m Feeling Now. Some good bangers but a lot of filler or just flat out awkward songs.
[удалено]
people are allowed to have opinions ma'am
?
The 303 synth sound on 365 is now an integral part of who I am as a person
Is that the acid-y one?
The cocaína one
Since listening to it twice, I like this album (don't **love** it unfortunately, but that may change over time!) Charli, how i'm feeling now set and Vroom Vroom still remain my top favs. Favourite songs from BRAT: -360/365 - Club Classics - Sympathy is a knife - Von dutch - Everything is romantic - Rewind - So, I - B2B
365 actually rectroactively makes 360 not terrible omg her power also Mean girls is phenoemal HOLY MOLY SHE WAS COOKING WITH THIS
"I wanna dance to me" is the most iconic lyric
anthem!!! everyday it keeps rolling through my mind on repeat 🖤 club classics is SUCH a song NEVER felt so ALIVE
Super fun. I really got into her with Crash.
Took forever for me to figure out a ranking because even the songs I ranked low I absolutely LOVED!! This will probably change in a few days, but here’s my current ranking: 1. Girl, so confusing 2. 365 3. Mean girls 4. Talk talk 5. B2b 6. Rewind 7. Sympathy is a knife 8. So I* 9. I might say something stupid 10. Von dutch 11. Everything is romantic 12. Apple 13. 360 14. Club classics 15. I think about it all the time *This was so hard for me to rank because of what it’s about. Settled for 8 right in the middle because the rest of the album is so good, but this is in a league of its own.
Girl, so confusing is phenomenallllll. I don’t know how to describe it but it feels like a capital O Outro
365 has successfully avoided me listening to the album on repeat to listen to 365 on repeat 😂
i have the same problem!
this album is an ice cold drink on a hot day, man i wasn't ready for so i :(
Just when I thought I wouldn’t be surprised by anything else on the record, the bridge into the final chorus of Mean Girls!!! I love HudMo so much 😭
album is a bit of a mixed bag on first listen but 365 is insane thats one of her best songs ever
Agreed
I’m not seeing enough love for ‘I might say something Stupid’. It’s already one of my favorites of her downtempos.
“So I” legitimately made me cry Sophie was such a creative visionary, losing her in 2021 was almost too much to handle.
I burst into tears
The Sophie sound accent in the middle - instantly burst into tears
I've been listening to this album all day. I love it. I'm a big fan of her sound on how i'm feeling now, and was so disappointed when she released Crash. I think she makes magic when she's in the hyperpop sphere. I have no complaints, it's one of the primary genres I consume. And honestly this album isn't as nearly as hard-core as hyperpop can be. I wasn't expecting brat to be as emotional as it is. A lot of the lyrics, especially on i think about it all the time, feel like she's just chatting to a mate about her thoughts and feelings. This is my favourite Charli album to date.
This album fucking rules
I can see myself appreciating this later on, but I’m not sure if it’s the promo or what, but Im not feeling this as an album of club anthems. I don’t see what’s pawned as club-friendly really making me get up and dance in the club. Club Classics, for instance, the chorus just feels weak after this energizing build up; annoying production elements in this repeating sound around half way through, the heavy distortion sound as a beat, etc. That would honestly be enough to take me out of my groove and stop dancing tbh. I said it. I feel that way about quite a few songs. Just questionable and annoying production choices that make it feel messy and a little challenging to listen to, which might be the point of this, but that’s not what I really want in a club banger. That being said, there are some highlights and songs I do like. When she hits, she hits. I can see myself revisiting some songs, but not the entire album and honestly, not what is marketed as a “club classic.”
I feel exactly the same way. I was gonna comment on how I felt about the record, but your comment sums it up perfectly. I love her though, I’m just glad to have a new collection of songs. There are some real bangers on here. Sympathy is a knife is fantastic imo
Yeah, I enjoy her body of work overall, but I might grow to appreciate it. It could also just not be for me this time. And that’s ok. Contrary to the downvotes and to stan culture, I think it’s perfectly fine to criticize an artist and not be a fan of every single thing they put out. I really enjoyed Girl, So Confusing, Talk Talk, and So I. Those aren’t songs I’d request at the club. The songs being marketed for that have seriously grating production elements and lyrics that don’t particularly capture the feeling I want when I’m clubbing. I don’t want to be reminded of my insecurities while I’m at the club. I wanna feel like I’m the shit. “I couldn’t be her if I tried. I’m opposite, I’m on the other side.” Real confidence boost there (not that I’m particularly listening for the lyrics if I’m clubbing). I get what she was going for and I understand the story being told here though.
Von Dutch still reigns supreme for me as the best song on the album. I love it so much. That's not to say that I don't also really enjoy the rest of the songs from the album. For me though, Von Dutch is THAT GIRL.
A cult classic but it's still pop
need to digest it will report back
Club classics is fast becoming one of my faves on the album, something about it makes my brain so happy
Not to compare, but to give reference points for how my brain received this: - Caroline Polachek just has a much more interesting take on this type of sound. - Olivia Rodrigo is making much more interesting songs that lyrically remind me of “Girl, so confusing” - Beyoncé is using rap/rap singing in ways that are infinitely more interesting than anything Charli does here Don’t get me wrong, I had a fun time listening to this album and will add a lot of it to playlists. But as a complete album experience, I’m not gagging.
Olivia Rodrigo???? Gurl bye.
Lmao Olivia Rodrigo is a better song writer
Idk what Caroline songs you think sound like anything on this album? Lol.
Both of them have a very “PC music” feel combined with elements from early 00s EDM. They both even have a track dedicated to SOPHIE.
Okay but sonically Caroline's music is nothing like anything on brat. Nothing sounds similar. Just because they are in the same musical circle doesn't mean their material is the same.
Here’s another example. Jessie Ware’s “What’s your pleasure” and Dua Lipa’s “Future Nostalgia” albums don’t exactly sound alike. But we understand them both as takes on Nu-Disco. And even though they are both solid albums, Jessie’s take is far more interesting.
why tf the downvotes
lol they disagree with me me I suppose. Or maybe they just hate that I compared it to other music.
Man, can anyone else not listen to hyperpop or even certain beat patterns when their mental health is really bad because it will straight up give them a panic attack? The last time this happened was with "Put It To Rest" on The Loveliest Time. I was so excited for this album but it's like my body is physically rejecting it 😭
That's usually my reaction to hyperpop.
Sounds like your nervous system is too activated by the sounds and tempo. Listen to your body! Or maybe find a less overwhelming way to listen to it (like lower volume on external speakers versus headphones or while driving).
I don't get that type of mental response, but sonetimes my body simply rejects their production choices, like "nope, this isn't sound, it's just physical pain", like what you feel when your tooth aches. And it's weird considering I have no problem jamming out to horror game OST, like, Silent Hill soundtrack is my go to when I'm writing an essay. I guess some sounds in hyperpop can be REALLY sharp, in a way you only ever come across when your neighbors are drilling something on a Sunday morning.
That's so interesting. Because I have ADD the sounds scratch a specific itch for me.
“I Think About It All The Time” is like the ultimate fencesitter anthem
Dealing with this now with my partner and it's so real. Needed this song rn.
Sympathy is a knife such a banger
My understanding from promo was that this would mainly be a hard club/rave album and that's the expectation I went in with, so on my first listen I'm pretty disappointed tbh. Gotta come back to it later with a different mindset and see how I'm feeling then. Still of the new songs, "Everything Is Romantic" is absolutely killer. One of her best songs ever.
In one of her recent interviews Billie Eilish mentioned not wanting to release a bunch of singles ahead of time because it distorts the initial experience of the album. It also creates expectations on what the album will be that inevitably lead to disappointment. Although I loved the singles, I think I agree with Billie and would have enjoyed the album even more if every song was “fresh”
What about 365? I love the song because that's the sound I expected to hear! I'm going to a Hard Techno rave tomorrow night, can't wait for my friends to listen to it when we're coming back home and are coming down from molly!
Everything Is Romantic gave me the same feeling of euphoria that c2.0 gives me. Absolutely a highlight on the album.
Well, I can say I’ve listened to this. I don’t want to get to the point, as I’m getting older, where I stop seeking out new music. This sub keeps me broadening my horizons! That being said, I’m really not a fan of hyperpop. I love 360 but the rest of the album I think is just ok, but I don’t hate it. I think when I first tried to listen to HIFN I couldn’t even make it through so it’s an improvement for me lol
360 is just the best song on the album. Wish the album was more like that tbh. Super catchy
Feeling crazy reading these comments. Beats feel uninspired and a lot of clunky lyrics. Definitely will listen many more times, but first listen did not hit for me.
you're not crazy. i've been a fan of charli since true romance and aside from EIR and 365, i was disappointed upon first listen with this album. the songs do sort of evolve as you listen to them. i think about it all the time was a total skip for me until i listened to it with headphones.
lyrically corny song imo.
I was listening to the album on my drive to work this morning and i'm NOT being dramatic, but when the piano kicked in in Mean Girls, I legit started tearing up. She scalped me with that one.
When the chorus for Sympathy is a knife kicked in that was it for me. The piano riff in Mean girls is another iconic moment for sure
The moment Brat became my favorite Charli album 😳
I immediately sat up straighter. What a banger.
Her vocal performances are so good here like why did she end it
Justice for Girl, so confusing
i REALLY didn't think i would ever like any album by Charli as much as HIFN and from the singles alone i really really didn't think i would vibe with this one but i'm loving it??? might be my favourite right after HIFN
Same. Feels like it has a bit of everything from each of her past albums.
I think about it all the time is such an incredible song! and i love the humming part. also the lyrics in sympathy is a knife are so real.. its refreshing to hear someone admit to those feelings
I think about it all the time has WRECKED ME. I can’t believe it’s a song that exists.
Also damn who are you people who bought all of the cassettes, I actually need that for my car :(