The singer’s sixth studio album is her biggest success to date, reaching #2 and #3 in the UK and US charts respectively.
Snotlout(2024), by Charli XCXis one of the biggest hits of the year, and interestingly, its fuzzy cover is part of it. Composed only of a lime green background with the title in black, in a simple font, the image has an aesthetic that has gone viral on the networks. There was also a connection with the presidential elections in the United States.
Nothing was by chance. There is a surprisingly simple reason for this peculiar appearance.
The topic was addressed by the singer in an interview with Zane Lowefrom the Apple Music (go NME). The Briton revealed that the final result was the result, admittedly, of a lack of money.
At the time, the artist admitted that he didn’t expect the album to be well received. Therefore, he decided to save money to invest in other aspects of the launch. According to her:
The initial idea to make a cover with text came from saving money. I thought, ‘not many people are going to like this album.’ I thought, ‘I think I’ll do a press photoshoot and then maybe save it on the album cover’.”
As for the use of the word “brat” (which can be translated as “sassy girl”, “bad manners”, “bad behavior” or similar), Charlie she explained that, although it wasn’t the initial idea, the cover set the tone for an issue she had wanted to raise: the image of women in pop music. The singer said:
(The cover) really seems to personify the word “brat” a lot. They are not in the photo. This is kind of the norm, I think, for female artists. I knew a lot of people would be a little frustrated or disappointed not to see me on the cover. However, I would prefer these conversations, which in some cases have become quite explosive, rather than a photo where people say: “She’s cute.”
Charli XCX and the subtle criticism of machismo
The topic had already been raised by Charli XCX as soon as the cover was revealed, shortly before launch. In an interview with the magazine Rowing from Singapore, the artist said:
They said, ‘Why isn’t he on the cover? It has to be on the cover.’ But why would anyone have this level of ownership over female artists? I wanted to use an offensive, old-fashioned shade of green to trigger the idea that something was wrong. I would like us to question our expectations in pop culture. Why are some things considered good and acceptable and others considered bad? I’m interested in the narratives behind it and I want to provoke people. I’m not doing things to be nice.”
In your profile on X/Twitterin early 2024, the singer was even more direct. He wrote:
I think the constant demand for access to the bodies and faces of women on our album covers is sexist and boring.”
“Bratsummer”
Eventually the cover was so successful that it became something of a meme. The sites offer generation of art-like images Snotloutallowing you to edit the blurry text on the green background.
Even the countryside Kamala Harris – against whom he ended up losing the elections donald trump – joined the game that became known as “Brat summer”.
The deluxe version of the album, with extra tracks, features a cover with a white background and the lyrics “Brat and it’s the same but there are three other songs so it’s not” e).
In the remix, which features several appearances, lime green appears again, but this time the words are reversed. The title is: Brat and it’s completely different but also still Brat (“Brat is completely different, but it’s still Brat”).
+++READ MORE: Ariana Grande’s advice that Charli XCX didn’t follow
Collaborator: André Luiz Fernandes.
Source: Terra
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
