In a bewildering display of celebrity pandering, British pop star Charli XCX has thrown her support behind Kamala Harris for the 2024 presidential race. This follows President Joe Biden's June 21 announcement that he would end his campaign and endorse his vice president. Charli XCX’s endorsement, delivered via social media, has quickly become a target for widespread ridicule and memes.
The singer posted on July 21, "Kamala IS brat," a bizarre nod to her own music and social media trend which is geared predominantly for Gen-Z audiences. Many have criticized the endorsement as another example of celebrity out-of-touchness.
The term "brat" ties into Charli XCX's sixth studio album and the "brat summer" trend. This movement, which rejects the "clean girl" aesthetic, features a messy, chaotic vibe with neon green as its signature color, replacing Barbie's hot pink. The "brat" aesthetic embodies someone "who feels herself but then also maybe has a breakdown, but parties through it" according to Charli XCX. Indeed these are the qualities needed for the nation's next Command-in-chief.
"Brat" has been compared it to the styles of Courtney Love in the '90s, Amy Winehouse in the early 2000s, and Ke$ha in the 2010s. All these referenences are tragic figures who have been involved in some sort of decadent lifestyle, controversy or even untimely demise.
By linking Harris to the "Brat" trend, Charli XCX's endorsement seems more like a desperate grab for relevance than a meaningful political statement. Her fans might find it amusing, but most impartial observers with common sense see it as yet another example of celebrity culture's detachment from reality. All of this highlights the disconnect between Hollywood's elite and the everyday American voter.
