The End of Brat Summer

By Katherine Schreiner

Summer is on the horizon, and with it comes a wave of nostalgia for what was once Brat Summer — arguably the hottest “hot girl summer” to ever hit.

Bumping the Charli XCX album in the car with the windows down was Brat. Going out to party in messy glam was Brat. Vulnerability was Brat.

The album wasn’t about being perfect. There was something messy about it. It never pushed anything unattainable. There were no apologies for being authentically yourself.

The summer 2024 era provided more than just a music trend. It created a new aesthetic, a movement, a meme, a dance trend, a fashion statement and everything that made that summer what that summer was. From the Apple dance to unfiltered new content styles, the Brat album quickly made its impact on those who followed along for Charli’s journey.

The album grew to the point of making itself a part of the presidential election of 2024, with Kamala Harris using trends — specifically the Brat trend — to campaign for the presidential spot. Brat was the moment.

Charli XCX ended the Brat era recently, taking her Coachella performance to make a statement on the end of said era. While the artist mentioned the end of Brat back in September 2024, her performance from Coachella week two solidified the end of an era.

The lime green background of Charli’s set slowly faded as she took her final bow for the album. Behind her, the screen flashed with potential new summer trends, such as Lorde Summer and Addison Rae Summer. Fans online mourn the end like a breakup. Socials fill with fans proclaiming, “Brat may be over, but I’m still brat at heart.”

We will miss the Brat look: dark eyeliner, digital cam filters, iMessage screenshots, unapologetic posts on socials and Y2K fashion.

While the era is over, we will always stay bumping that for Charli XCX.