Is the 'brat' summer over already?
Is the ‘brat summer’ already over? It’s been widely reported that we should all now be ‘demure’, which doesn’t sound half as much fun. I hope that the ‘brat’ ethos lasts a little longer, just like ‘punk’ has.
Brat used to mean a badly behaved child, but this summer it has taken on a whole new meaning after the release of Charlie XCX’s album.
What is brat?
“You’re just like that girl who is a little messy and likes to party and maybe says some dumb things sometimes. Who feels herself but maybe also has a breakdown. But kind of like, parties through it, is very honest, very blunt. A little bit volatile. Like, does dumb things. But it’s brat. You’re brat. That’s brat.” - Charlie XCX
With a striking fluorescent green cover, a DIY aesthetic to the typography I was immediately reminded of the Sex Pistol’s debut album. One used as part of a Presidential campaign. The other a reaction against politics and social unrest. Both iconic, both instantly copyable.
What is punk?
“Punk is musical freedom. It’s saying, doing and playing what you want. In Webster’s terms, ‘nirvana’ means freedom from pain, suffering and the external world, and that’s pretty close to my definition of Punk Rock.” - Kurt Cobain
What about the music?
Both are thankfully short but crammed full of tunes.
Brat; 41 minutes (15 songs), Never Mind The Bollocks; 39 minutes (12 songs).
Musically ‘brat’ sounds current (including too much vocoder), with an electronic sheen, maybe not as angry and disruptive as The Sex Pistols with its grit, energy and urgency (which didn’t sound current when it was released as an antinode to bloated prog-rock). Both are rooted in attitude and are lyrically relevant to the time they are written in.
Girl, it's so confusing sometimes to be a girl (girl, girl, girl, girl)
(Girl, So Confusing)
Don't know what I want but I know how to get it. I wanna destroy the passersby (Anarchy in The UK)
Will ‘brat’ still have the same impact in 47 years?
Does ‘Never Mind the Bollocks’ still have the same impact 47 years later?
I hope they both should.
Enjoy, and let me know what you think.
Listen to; brat
Listen to; Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols
Tagged: #music