Charli XCX brings the brat tour to Los Angeles
los angeles, california - june 15, 2024
Following an expertly curated album rollout that built unprecedented hype, the June 7th debut of Charli xcx’s sixth studio album did not disappoint. The cover art, iconic in its minimal and therefore provocative design, has become somewhat of a cultural symbol: a lowercase, low resolution “brat” in arial font set against a solid lime green background. So starkly simple that it provoked controversy upon its unveiling. But in the time since, it has been categorically claimed by a young, largely queer audience. As Charli revealed more about the vision and intent behind the record, many identified with the bold, statement-making iconography and flashy, exaggerated attitude that is brat.
Brat album cover art designed by New York City-based studio Special Offer, Inc.
Within her lyricism, we hear painfully honest introspections on the nuances of being a woman in the industry, ruminations on familial and romantic relationships, the complexities of grief, unfiltered declarations of confidence, and odes to the party girl lifestyle. To shape brat’s sound, Charli assembled a roster of boundary-pushing producers including recurring collaborators A.G. Cook, George Daniel, and EASYFUN, as well as new ones like Hudson Mohawke, Gesaffelstein, El Guincho and The Dare. Together, they crafted an eclectic soundscape for the brat universe ranging from pulsing club beats to twinkling synth arrangements.
Long-time angels know that for Charli, music is only a part of the picture. While the critical acclaim and commercial success of brat can speak to its musical caliber, it’s really her effort in curating the performance, imagery, styling, pop-culture savviness, and overall world-building that defines her artistry. She proved this yet again at her Los Angeles performance of the extremely limited brat tour, one of only three live shows in the US.
To prime the audience for her performance, Charli invited artist and collaborator The Dare (Harrison Patrick Smith) as a supporting act.
The Dare and Charli xcx at a freakquencies party at Le Bain nightclub in NYC. Photo by @thecobrasnake.
Just three days after the release of brat came its deluxe version, aptly titled, brat and it’s the same but there’s three more songs so it’s not. One of those three songs was a highly anticipated collaboration with The Dare called “Guess”. The hype around it was first sparked at a freakquencies party in NYC—a recurring event curated and DJ’ed by Harrison. He spun the track while Charli danced and lip-synced to her lyrics from behind the decks.
The Dare’s opening show was as exhilarating as any freakquencies party. Instead of DJing, he performed a live set of largely unreleased original music. Harrison is widely considered to be one of the first to re-popularize the indie sleaze genre of the late aughts. His electroclash sound emulates the club scene in NYC circa 2007, where indie rockers and edm heads joined forces in the name of dance music. This earned him buzz in the local and broader music scene, prompting comparisons to LCD Soundsystem and drawing the attention of Charli xcx.
Harrison’s stage presence was palpable. Flailing around in his signature skinny suit, he alternated between singing and smashing a crash cymbal he carried around on stage. For a large portion of his set, he showcased tracks that have yet to be released. But he made sure to play all the hits from his debut project, The Sex EP, including his most popular song, “Girls”. The Dare excels at capturing the atmosphere within his niche club scene and delivering it to the masses in a flashy, stylish, and pretentiously cool package. It’s not hard to see why Charli brought Harrison into the mix for her record, and invited him to perform ahead of her on tour.
By the time The Dare left the stage, the venue was approaching capacity and brimming with anticipation. Soundtracking the chatter were songs from all eras of Charli’s discography, both released and unreleased. On the balcony, the VIP sections were filling up with notable names in the industry. Musicians Isaac Dunbar, Harmony Tividad, Sky Ferreira, and of course Harrison himself were just a few of the VIPs in attendance.
Charli xcx performing at The Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in Los Angeles, CA. Photo by @leagarn.
The light cut abruptly, queuing an outburst of screams. Blinding LED beams flashed on, strobing in time with a compilation of samples from brat and from legendary artist and producer, SOPHIE. It was time to rave. Following the dramatic intro sequence, EASYFUN’s unreleased “365” remix started up, shaking the room. A giant, lime green banner dropped from the ceiling. The iconic album cover now served as the stage’s backdrop, and out from behind it came Charli. Dressed in white and donning her signature sleek, black sunglasses, she strutted onto stage and broke out into dance.
From there on it was hit after hit: “360”, “Spring Breakers”, and “Rewind“ all back to back right out the gate. The stage production and blaring bass kept the crowd riding a consistent high. There were only a few exceptions to this. During the ballads “So I” and “I might say something stupid”, Charli sang lyrics that paid homage to her late friend and collaborator, SOPHIE, and expressed the insecurity she feels in maintaining her artist persona. These performances were beautiful, fleeting moments as the majority of the set was at the opposite end of the energy spectrum.
Charli xcx and Addison Rae performing at The Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in Los Angeles, CA. Photo by @davis.bates.
Charli performed the entirety of brat (the one exception being Hello goodbye off the deluxe). My personal highlight was not only the performance of “Mean girls”, but experiencing the collective insanity of the crowd’s response to hearing it live. The selection of non-brat songs included “Track 10” and “Unlock It” from Pop 2, “party 4 u” from how i’m feeling now, “Vroom Vroom” from the Vroom Vroom EP (produced by SOPHIE), and singles “1999”, “Speed Drive”, and “I Love It”. During the “Von Dutch” remix, influencer turned pop-star Addison Rae joined Charli on stage and the two performed the duet of a lifetime. When Addison walked off, Charli declared, “That’s a fucking pop-star right there!” The crowd agreed.
As she noted in her speech preceding her performance of “Sympathy is a knife”, Charli xcx has adhered to her artistic vision since her inception as an artist. She gained a cult fan base along the way, but breaking into the mainstream was never her goal. Instead, she was interested in pushing the boundaries of pop, always inspired by and collaborating with those who shared that vision. While she acknowledged the success of brat as her big moment in the limelight, she thanked the fans who have supported her from the start, stating, “I just feel like… artistry shines through, you know what I’m saying?”.
While the brat tour is nearly done with its limited run, Charli will embark on the Sweat Tour with Troye Sivan and Shygirl beginning in September, slated for many more cities across the US. Go ahead and give brat another stream below.