Charli XCX: Popularity of Brat was ‘heavy, confusing and very vulnerable change’
By Carla Feric, Press Association Entertainment Reporter
Charli XCX has said the popularity of her Brat album, which sparked a cultural phenomenon after its release in 2024, was “heavy, confusing and a very vulnerable change”.
The singer found huge fame after the release of the record, which caused a frenzy on social media and inspired the “Brat summer” trend, incorporating sultry fashion choices inspired by the neon green and black album cover.
On Friday, the 33-year-old released her mockumentary film The Moment – a fictionalised account of the period after the release of Brat, following the singer on the lead-up to her world tour.
Speaking on BBC One’s The Graham Norton Show, Charli XCX said: “I had just come out of this huge change in my life where I’d made the album Brat, which opened me up to a whole new audience.
“I’d not experienced that scale of interest in what I had to say before and it was heavy, confusing and a very vulnerable change.”
The singer, real name Charlotte Aitchison, continued: “My response was to make art, so when I was asked to make a real documentary – a concert film – I wanted to poke fun at myself and that world.
“The music industry is ripe for satire, and I really enjoyed doing it.”
Aitchison plays a version of herself in the film and, when asked if she had always aspired to act, she said: “I realised even when I am making music I am not listening to music.
“I’ve always watched and got inspiration from films so, after a while, I thought, ‘How could I work in that world?’.
“I don’t feel I have to decide which world I work in. I want to do what makes me feel good in the moment.”
The singer has secured roles in movies including Pete Ohs’ Erupcja and Julia Jackman’s 100 Nights Of Hero.
She has also written an album for Emerald Fennell’s film adaptation of the Emily Bronte classic Wuthering Heights, starring Australian actors Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie.
The album was released on February 13 and received high praise from critics.
Aitchison said: “I still can’t believe it’s happening. I feel very lucky and happy.”
The Graham Norton Show airs on BBC One and iPlayer on Friday at 10:40pm.
