“Brat Summer” may be coming to an end, but queer pop’s golden era is just beginning.
WORDS BY MICHAEL SHERIDAN
The lime green hues, the low-res font… Brat aesthetics have defined this year’s summer, infiltrating social media feeds, fashion and culture. The so-called “Brat Summer” has reached across the pond, and even into the White House, after Charli XCX declared on Twitter/X: “Kamala IS brat.” But Brat isn’t just an ironic, viral trend, it symbolises something more; the queer pop revolution is here.
For centuries, much of queer culture and music has existed on the fringes of society; hidden from view, on secret dance floors and underground venues. But the tide has turned. In a similar vein to Sylvester and Village People taking disco from discreet dance halls to established nightclubs, Charli has brought hyperpop from the outskirts to the top of the charts.
The success of Brat’s rebellious, maximalist and electroclash sound and its subversion of pop conventions is a testament to the fact that the queer music really has gone mainstream. Charli is unapologetically and authentically herself, a theme that is synonymous with Pride. She defies what society expects of her (just take a look at the music videos for ‘360’ and ‘Von Dutch’), which is perhaps why she has grown a strong affinity with the queer community.
I was even hosting a party recently (in my £2 green swimming trunks with Brat scrawled over them in Sharpie, hope you approve Charli?) and my friend said they loved the gay-nightclub-style playlist that was on. But it wasn’t a queer playlist… it was the Top 40.
Queer artists like Billie Eilish, Lil Nas X and Chappell Roan are now so prevalent that their music has seamlessly blended into the charts. Like Charli, Chappell Roan is an artist who started on the margins of the music industry. Initially, she was dropped by her record label after the original release of the now incredibly successful ‘Pink Pony Club’, an anthem inspired by Chappell’s first visit to a
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