By now, if you haven’t heard of “Brat Summer” (or “Brataumn,” as some are calling it), there may not be much left to say. The iconic Brat album by the English electronica extraordinaire became one of this summer’s standout releases, despite its unconventional sound and marketing campaign. Now, just four months later, Charli XCX is back with what is almost a wholly new album. Although billed as a remix, many of the backing tracks, and even lyrics, have been extensively reworked, with each song featuring a different special guest.
While the original album stayed true to Charli’s dance-pop, club roots, the features on the newest remix pushes the album into a more unconventional space, as the tracks jump from styles like synthpop, electro-acoustic, and footwork to push the edges of the album into a variety of dance sub-genres. Artists like Bon Iver and The 1975 soften the electronic edge while keeping Charli’s distinctive production intact, adding an indie dimension to tracks like “I Might Say Something Stupid” and “I Think About It All the Time.” Meanwhile, Bb trickz boosts the digital energy in others, such as “Club Classics.” Yet other artists come in to distribute a verse on some of the underrated songs of the first album, elevating them to new levels (“Girl, so confusing”, “Guess”) Fear not, though – despite all the new collaborators, the gritty resonance of Brat is thoroughly maintained in the new mix (I think you’d have to pry the bit-crushed drums out of Charli’s cold, dead hands).
Most importantly of all, the unabashed ego and emotion that Charli injected into her songs are ever-present, with many of the remastered lyrics acting as a direct response to the reception of the album. “I think about it all the time featuring bon iver” is one of the most uniquely heart-wrenching updates, as Charli reflects on the possibility of parenthood amidst the work that comes attached to her new success “Me and George sit down and try to plan for our future/ But there’s so much guilt involved…you’re not supposed to stop when things start working.” While lamenting the troubles of being rich and famous used to be career suicide, or at least a great way to get made fun of on the internet, Charli has always centered herself in her music as though she were the most important person in the world—why change that now, when it’s closer to being true than ever? Charli’s focus on the feeling of being a ‘main character’ is central to her party girl aesthetic too, ever since her first hit “I Love It”. Aside from the very real struggles of celebrity discussed throughout the album, Charli also doesn’t shy away from ruminating on the intricacies of friendships across fame. One of the first singles released after Brat’s success was a remix of her song “Girl, so confusing” that invited one of the primary motivators for the song, Lorde, to join the mix itself. The original song was a heartfelt expression of Charli’s struggles finding connection among her counterparts in the music industry, specifically with artist Lorde, who Charli cited as one she struggled with comparing herself to in the past. Now, the remix brings Lorde in to express her solidarity in the same feeling, and expand on her own feelings of inadequacy when compared to the DJ. The new addition represents much of the industry, or at least the invited artists, opinions on Charli – enduring support and happiness for her success.
Through a maze of 17 tracks, a hodgepodge of genres, and a Smörgåsbord of celebrity voices, it can be tough to find your own favorites within the album, or even interpret the work as a whole. While the original’s harsh production and rough edges contributed a very clear picture of the sharp ups and downs of the party girl lifestyle, the remixed tracks diffuse the meaning across new styles of productions, reworked lyrics, and new celebrity histories. I found the tracks I appreciated most were those where Charli brought in fellow DJ’s and popstars. My highlight track in this category was “Talk talk featuring troye sivan”, which also brings in Dua Lipa for an instantly infectious electronica track begging for the dance floor. Other highlights were “365 featuring shygirl” and “Guess featuring billie eillish”, where the collaborators helped blur the line between pop and rave while maintaining Charli’s signature sound. For WVUA Production Director and host of “Loser Radio” (the #1 emo and punk radio show airing on Thursdays from 8-10 PM on 90.7 The Capstone in Tuscaloosa) Kathryn Rachford, her highlights centered around remixes that added more layers to the original tracks while allowing collaborators to show their talent. On her favorite track, she wrote “A Julian Casablancas feature was not something I was expecting to see on Charli’s Brat Remix Album, but I can’t say it feels wrong. Although he’s mainly known for his work with alternative rock band The Strokes, Julian Casablancas is no stranger to electronic dance music. This remixed version of “Mean Girls” feels like a spiritual successor to “Instant Crush,” a Daft Punk song he is featured on, as well as “At The Door” off of the newest Stroke’s record. While it still has the groovy piano lead and Charli on the chorus, Casablancas adds a new perspective from the side of the mean girl’s lover. The original track is a light hearted celebration of all women, even the toxic ones, however this new POV transforms it into a reflection on how it can be harmful to glamorize unhealthy behaviors. The pain and hopelessness that Casablancas describes bring to light the possible negative consequences of engaging with a “mean girl.” Despite this drastic change in tone, this reimagined version of “Mean Girls” remains my favorite off the record (although my love for The Strokes may make me biased).”
For other songs though, the new features dragged the songs down. I found the tinashe remix of “B2b” diluted the soft, classic 2000s sound of the original and turned it into another pitched-up, biting track like much of the rest of the album. For “Loser Radio” co-host, Gareth Garner, new vocalists felt like an annoyance and not an addition. On “Rewind featuring bladee”, he states “I liked Charli xcx’s part. I did not like Bladee”. On other songs, collaborators crowd the authorship of the track, as Digital Media Director and “Loser Radio” co-host Julian Landis writes – “”I really enjoyed the Japanese House’s vocals within the first half of the song but it loses the magic that made Apple great in the original. The remix ultimately feels non-cohesive even though every part works well on its own.” But, sometimes that’s the risk taken with a project as bold as Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat. Despite its pitfalls, the iconic production of the album will stake its place in electronica history, and I’m sure we’ll see many of its tracks become DJ essentials. While I would’ve placed the original at a 6/10, I think the new remixes pushed both the groove and story of the album to a new level, specifically an 8/10.
