Albums To Keep The Charli XCX ‘Brat’ Energy Going
Clearly, the world is vibing to Charli XCX's album. But what’s next after you’ve played ‘Brat’ on repeat?
It’s official: 2024 is the year of the brat. But let’s be honest, you didn’t need us to tell you that. Since its release in June, Charli XCX’s latest album has been the undeniable soundtrack of the summer. Brat was more than just an album; it was a cultural event that kept on rolling. Some moments felt generational – the Ibiza rave, the Lorde rendezvous, the endless meme cascade. Others, well, took a turn for the bizarre, like a fan leaving a not-so-subtle message in front of the ‘Brat’ wall in New York or the odd declaration that “Kamala IS brat.”
If you’re new to XCX World, Brat might sound like a genre-hopping pop explosion. For the seasoned Charli fans, it’s just another example of her knack for forward-thinking sonic curation. Over the years, her collaborations with dance producers and creative partners have steered her towards this moment, blending early-1990s rave, 2000s electro-pop, and 2010s Soundcloud vibes into something fresh and electric.
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So, what do you queue up after Brat has had its run? Here are some albums that share that Brat DNA but offer their own unique thrill rides. And don’t get too comfortable – word on the street is Charli’s already cooking up her next banger.
M.I.A.: MAYA
Sure, M.I.A. these days may be acting a bit strange, but we can never forget when she shook the pop world with Sunshowers, Paper Planes, and later, Bad Girls. These tracks featured memorable hooks that wormed their way into our hearts, blending exciting sound clashes: from hip-hop to Bollywood music, reggaeton to Brazilian funk.
Between those singles, however, lies an album where she pushed herself over the digital edge with maximal energy. If Brat captures a generation’s desire to escape the isolation of the social media age, MAYA reminds us of a time when the internet was an overwhelming, yet thrilling, prospect. And while Brat is made for sticky dancefloors, MAYA is meant for the ramshackle soundsystem at a street party. If anything, it’s sure to shake up an otherwise sleepy weekday morning.
BRITNEY SPEARS: BLACKOUT
Listening to Britney Spears after Charli XCX seems like a no-brainer, right? The two may have rarely crossed paths – aside from that one time Charli wrote a song for her that ended up unused – but they’re undoubtedly generational talents.
Britney has always been a pop star built for arenas, while Charli creates her pop for raves. But, for a moment in time, Britney became one with the clubs, even if just for a while. Her 2007 album Blackout might have been too mercurial for its time, but these days, some diehard Britney fans consider it her best work.
A supposed comeback after years of invasive paparazzi and disparaging headlines driven by personal turmoil, Blackout is the kind of pop document that finds seduction in darkness and trust in disorder, much like how Brat constantly craves chaos – even if it feels like Charli is second-guessing it.
But really, the power of Blackout lies in the iconic three words that open the album: “It’s Britney, bitch.”
SOPHIE: OIL OF EVERY PEARL’S UN-INSIDES
One of the sonic architects behind Charli’s transformation into a transgressive pop star was SOPHIE, who unfortunately passed away in 2021 after a freak accident. SOPHIE has been name-checked in Charli’s music ever since, and her influence lives on in the DNA of queer pop worldwide.
If you’re new to SOPHIE, her first (and sadly only) album, Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides, is essential listening. SOPHIE was a producer who crafted beats that could shake foundations, but this album also reveals her more tender side.
As for Charli, over time, she learned how to show her vulnerability after establishing herself as a pop supernova for the underground – it’s what makes tracks like Girl, so confusing and I think about it all the time so relatable. There’s no doubt that Charli learned a thing or two from SOPHIE in this regard.
DJ RAMEMES: SEM LIMITES
Over the past few years, Brazilian funk has spread beyond the favelas, where residents have been blasting its music at ear-splitting volumes. Now, the rest of the world has started to take notice.
It’s a diverse style of dance music that feels uniquely contemporary, even though it technically originated in the 1990s. What began as a blend of hip-hop, electro, and Miami bass has evolved to incorporate the wobbly bass of dubstep and the aggression of rage music, among other influences.
With Brazilian funk (also known as baile funk, Rio funk, or funk carioca) gaining traction over the past year – and its influence clearly heard on the Brat standout track Everything is Romantic a great starting point is DJ Ramemes’ album Sem Limites, which features some of the most mind-blowing beats you’ll ever hear.
AND NOT FORGETTING THESE OTHER CHARLI XCX MASTERPIECES...
CHARLI XCX: VROOM VROOM
Yes, if you’re still new to the XCX World, there’s so much more to explore. While Charli started early in her career, experimenting with pop-punk (Sucker) and Tumblr-era synthpop (True Romance), the true beginning of the Charli we know today is her 2016 EP Vroom Vroom. This EP marked the moment when she abandoned everything she knew about music to speed down the hyperpop highway.
CHARLI XCX: NUMBER 1 ANGEL AND POP 2
Her double mixtape releases of 2017, Number 1 Angel and Pop 2, are both breathless workouts in her newfangled style of electro-pop. Since then, she has made two attempts at defining her own version of pop stardom with 2019’s Charli and 2022’s Crash – both gems, albeit rough around the edges.
CHARLI XCX: HOW I'M FEELING NOW
Released in between those albums above was How I’m Feeling Now, her treatise on the newfound loneliness we all faced during pandemic self-isolation. Here, she arguably got to be her true self, warts and all, and her attempt at connection ended up re-energising a new generation searching for meaning through the internet.
And while she hasn’t updated it in years, her Spotify playlist ‘the motherf***ing future’ compiles some of her influences that may just broaden your horizons even more.