You've probably seen a neon green square popping all over your feed in recent weeks, with 'brat' scrawled across in bold black lettering. ICYMI, it's thanks to Brit pop singer Charli XCX, who released her sixth studio album Brat on June 7.
One of its tracks, '360', has been an anthem celebrating the new wave of 'It-Girls' (read: the Julia Foxes of the world). Another of its hits, 'Apple', has fast become the song du jour over on TikTok, with millions jumping on the dance trend.
Even the cast of Twisters.
The album has had such an impact, it's become more than just music. It's a feeling.
A 'brat summer' feeling, to be exact.
The movement is in direct opposition to the idea of the 'good girl'. It's a focus on fun, on doing whatever you please; it's defiant, carefree, confident and headstrong; and generally leans heavily into hedonism. It's a cheeky middle-finger to the idea we have to be perfect. And it's a movement people want to get behind.
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Kamala Harris IS brat.
So popular is the brat vibe, even US Vice President Kamala Harris has opted in for her freshly announced Presidential campaign, after fans and followers dubbed her aligned with 'brat summer'.
And while the hedonism part doesn't really apply, the rest tracks: Harris is fun. She likes to laugh, she likes to dance. She is a feminist, she's unapologetic, and she fights for women's rights.
She follows Charli XCX on social media and has been known to walk out at public appearances to tracks from the album. Even Charli XCX (a British citizen) has endorsed the politician by publicly declaring her 'brat'.
It all started after a video of Harris speaking at a White House event last May went viral. The VP joked, "You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?" before laughing, and getting serious, saying philosophically, "You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you."
Of course, it's all a bit of fun (and a pretty smart way to galvanise younger voters). But more than anything, Harris' nod to the growing trend is a testament to how far and wide this cultural phenomenon is expanding.
But here's the thing about being 'brat'. Before the memes, online chatter and a really, really great album, the word had its connections to hedonism in another way.
And it's kinda kinky.
The saucy history of 'brat' culture.
Within the BDSM community, brats take on a specific role. They're cheeky. They're low-key trouble-makers. They're... not unlike Charli XCX.
If you're not super familiar with BDSM (bondage, discipline/domination, submission/sadism, masochism) titles, let us catch you up. A 'brat' is a type of submissive (AKA they fit into a dom/sub dynamic) who likes to be 'punished' for their silly, cheeky, naughty, 'bratty' behaviour. (And before you worry about the bedroom brat's welfare, this is all consensual — and 'punishment' can involve things like orgasms from their dom, so it's... not all bad.)
As Certified Sex Educator Emma Hewitt, from Adult Toy Mega Store, explains, "In my opinion, being a brat within BDSM is a really fun role to take on. You get to be cheeky and naughty and question authority rather than do what you are told.
"It's all about defiance, and Charli XCX seems to have that in droves."
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While borrowing characteristics from BDSM sub-culture isn't going to be in every pop singer's marketing plan, Hewitt thinks it's testament to Charli XCX's ability to show off versatility and boldness amongst her peers.
"She's not a cookie-cutter pop star and you never know what you are going to get with her," she says.
"On the album, going from 'I Think About It All the Time' — a song about worrying about running out of time to have a child and the existential crisis that comes with that — straight into '365', which is a party anthem, just proves that you can't make any assumptions about her, what she is going to sing about or what she wants out of life."
And therein lies the essence of 'brat summer': a larger-than-life persona that fulfils all the corners of your being. It's bold, it's cheeky, it's wild and, let's be honest, it's steeped in BDSM lore.
"One of the many fun things about BDSM is that you get to play roles which may be entirely different from your real life or maybe a more exaggerated version of yourself," says Hewitt. "And it feels like that is what Charli XCX is doing. The party girl vibe, the constant rave life and the 'I don’t give a s**t' attitude feel both exaggerated and also completely authentic at the same time, which is why she pulls it off so well."
When asked how she feels about brat energy making its may into mainstream, Hewitt is all for any positive representations of sexual exploration. If the vehicle for that happens to be one of the world's biggest pop stars, she's going to get behind it.
"I'm sure there are plenty of people who don't like the co-optation of BDSM in mainstream media but I'm all for it," she says.
"BDSM is a great way to explore our sexual pleasure and it can teach us a lot about setting boundaries, communicating openly and ensuring safety and consent in play. So, if seeing it in the media gets someone excited to learn more about it, I think that's a good thing!"
And there you have it. So, go dance to 'Apple', binge Kamala Harris memes and be 'brat'.
Feature Image: TikTok/charlixcx.
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