Undoubtedly, Charli XCX has had an outstanding few years. Her sixth studio album Brat was more than just music for fans, it sparked a movement - a pushback against the clean girl aesthetic dominating social media. Over the course of her album campaign, Charli collaborated with many brands, further pushing the album’s momentum. So what is it about this album that made it so successful? And how did these brand collaborations resonate with fans?
To discuss this, we sat down with long-time Charli XCX fan Camryn Denny who gave us an insight into what BRAT means to her.
Undoubtedly, Charli XCX has had an outstanding few years. Her sixth studio album Brat was more than just music for fans, it sparked a movement - a pushback against the clean girl aesthetic dominating social media. Over the course of her album campaign, Charli collaborated with many brands, further pushing the album’s momentum. So what is it about this album that made it so successful? And how did these brand collaborations resonate with fans?
To discuss this, we sat down with long-time Charli XCX fan Camryn Denny who gave us an insight into what BRAT means to her.
KS: How and when did you first discover Charli XCX?
CD: Around 2014 when I saw the Fault in Our Stars and she made a song for the movie, Boom Clap. I’ve been a fan of her music pretty much ever since then.
KS: Besides her music, what is it about Charli XCX that makes you want to be a fan?
CD: I think she seems really genuine and you can see that she is just completely herself. She’s very innovative and cool as an artist within both her personal branding and her music as a whole. Even as she evolves as an artist through each album release and era, you can tell she’s being true to herself.
KS: What do you think is the main reason for Charli XCX’s success with her latest album - Brat? What is it about this album that stands out more than her previous work?
CD: It wasn’t forced, she made something that she liked and the people who resonated with that got on board. Although a lot of the songs are clearly inspired by the rave seen and are more dance music, the album is also very vulnerable which means a lot of people find a lot of meaning in it and I think can relate to a lot of songs. Also, the album rollout was stellar with the features such as the brat wall.
CD: I also think the “Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat” (a re-release of Brat with a featured artist on each track) was a great way to continue the album hype into the following summer. It gave the opportunity for each song to be heard in a new way with another artist and reach a different group of people who might not have listened to Charli’s music otherwise.
KS: What does Brat mean to you?
CD: To me, Brat means having fun, being messy and not really being bothered about what other people might think of that. I think for a lot of people it’s about pushing the boundaries and not being afraid to speak your mind.
KS: Do you think that Charli XCX’s music creates a sense of community and inclusivity amongst her fans?
CD: 100%, her music has always been very popular within the LGBTQ community and she definitely was pandering towards this group (during the brat era) and sharing her appreciation. But, it is also very relatable for the average woman with songs like “Girl, So Confusing” and, “Sympathy is a Knife” where she explores themes of jealousy, competition between woman, and feeling inadequate.
KS: What do you think about Charli XCX’s brand collaborations? Do you think they feel true to her image and values?
CD: I think her H&M, Acne Studios and Valentino campaigns all make a lot of sense for Charli. H&M have quite a lot of “cool girl” influencers that do marketing for them and produce a lot of basic cool clothing which Charli wears. Acne Studios is a more high end brand but again fits her cool girl image.
CD: I also think her Brat x Wildflower Cases collaboration was to true to her and made sense as she is friends with the owners of the brand. However, some of her other collaborations such as Magnum and Nintendo feel very random and I wouldn’t automatically think of her if I saw those brands.
KS: As a fan, do you find it exciting or overwhelming to keep up with her brand collaborations?
CD: Yeah definitely exciting when it’s something interesting or innovative.
KS: Do you think that any of her brand collaborations have affected her image or reputation?
CD: I know a lot of fans were displeased that she was working with H&M as it is a fast fashion brand but other than that I haven’t seen any other backlash. I think that for the most part she’s really good at understanding what her fans want to see from her, as most of the time they do just want to see her be herself.
KS: Why do you think that so many of her brand collaborations are successful?
CD: When they are true to her and align with her brand it really works and she has a loyal fan base who are willing to go above and beyond to support her.
KS: How and when did you first discover Charli XCX?
CD: Around 2014 when I saw the Fault in Our Stars and she made a song for the movie, Boom Clap. I’ve been a fan of her music pretty much ever since then.
KS: Besides her music, what is it about Charli XCX that makes you want to be a fan?
CD: I think she seems really genuine and you can see that she is just completely herself. She’s very innovative and cool as an artist within both her personal branding and her music as a whole. Even as she evolves as an artist through each album release and era, you can tell she’s being true to herself.
KS: What do you think is the main reason for Charli XCX’s success with her latest album - Brat? What is it about this album that stands out more than her previous work?
CD: It wasn’t forced, she made something that she liked and the people who resonated with that got on board. Although a lot of the songs are clearly inspired by the rave seen and are more dance music, the album is also very vulnerable which means a lot of people find a lot of meaning in it and I think can relate to a lot of songs. Also, the album rollout was stellar with the features such as the brat wall.
CD: I also think the “Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat” (a re-release of Brat with a featured artist on each track) was a great way to continue the album hype into the following summer. It gave the opportunity for each song to be heard in a new way with another artist and reach a different group of people who might not have listened to Charli’s music otherwise.
KS: What does Brat mean to you?
CD: To me, Brat means having fun, being messy and not really being bothered about what other people might think of that. I think for a lot of people it’s about pushing the boundaries and not being afraid to speak your mind.
KS: Do you think that Charli XCX’s music creates a sense of community and inclusivity amongst her fans?
CD: 100%, her music has always been very popular within the LGBTQ community and she definitely was pandering towards this group (during the brat era) and sharing her appreciation. But, it is also very relatable for the average woman with songs like “Girl, So Confusing” and, “Sympathy is a Knife” where she explores themes of jealousy, competition between woman, and feeling inadequate.
KS: What do you think about Charli XCX’s brand collaborations? Do you think they feel true to her image and values?
CD: I think her H&M, Acne Studios and Valentino campaigns all make a lot of sense for Charli. H&M have quite a lot of “cool girl” influencers that do marketing for them and produce a lot of basic cool clothing which Charli wears. Acne Studios is a more high end brand but again fits her cool girl image.
CD: I also think her Brat x Wildflower Cases collaboration was to true to her and made sense as she is friends with the owners of the brand. However, some of her other collaborations such as Magnum and Nintendo feel very random and I wouldn’t automatically think of her if I saw those brands.
KS: As a fan, do you find it exciting or overwhelming to keep up with her brand collaborations?
CD: Yeah definitely exciting when it’s something interesting or innovative.
KS: Do you think that any of her brand collaborations have affected her image or reputation?
CD: I know a lot of fans were displeased that she was working with H&M as it is a fast fashion brand but other than that I haven’t seen any other backlash. I think that for the most part she’s really good at understanding what her fans want to see from her, as most of the time they do just want to see her be herself.
KS: Why do you think that so many of her brand collaborations are successful?
CD: When they are true to her and align with her brand it really works and she has a loyal fan base who are willing to go above and beyond to support her.
Katie Stewart April 2026
Katie Stewart April 2026