Charli XCX has shared her ‘Brat’ manifesto from 2023, which led to the creation of her smash-hit 2024 album.
- READ MORE: It’s Charli XCX’s world and we’re just living in it: a timeline of ‘Brat’ summer so far
In a post on her private Instagram account shared yesterday (December 29), Charli shared screenshots of a document file detailing her ambitions that would come to fruition in this year’s “Brat summer”, including guidelines for the album’s artwork, music style, and promotional campaign.
The manifesto was written and addressed to her label Atlantic, a subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
On the artwork, which features a now-iconic bright green with an enlarged ‘Brat’ text, she wrote: “The artwork for ‘Brat’ will be obnoxious, arrogant and bold. Some people will hate it. It will be heavily text based, either font on a plain background or some kind of painting on a wall or disregarded object.”
On the album’s sonic direction and subsequent promotion, a portion reads: “There is no explanation for what I do. The answer is always ‘no comment’. We must cultivate desire, chaos and destruction. The whole album campaign is high art.”
It also details her early plans to “throw a rave” before the album’s release, resulting in February’s ‘PARTYGIRL’ Boiler Room set, along with a final liner that reads: “The angels are ready and waiting. This is the moment.” See screenshots from the post shared by Twitter/X account Pop Crave below.
Charli xcx shares her ‘BRAT’ manifesto from summer of 2023:
“The artwork for BRAT will be obnoxious, arrogant and bold. Some people will hate it.” pic.twitter.com/i1YUSUaOko
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) December 29, 2024
Charli previously spoke about the ‘Brat’ manifesto in an interview with Zane Lowe last October. “It was essentially saying all the things I should have said when I was doing [2016 EP] ‘Vroom Vroom’ but probably didn’t have to confidence to say,” she told Lowe.
The release of ‘Brat’, her sixth studio album, saw an unprecedented surge in popularity for the pop singer, resulting in successful arena tours, including a co-headlining tour with Troye Sivan.
In November, Charli pulled double duty in performing and hosting Saturday Night Live, where not only did she perform tracks from her most recent album, but also earned praise from fans for her on-screen ability and comic timing after delivering an Adele impression in a skit.
Elsewhere, Charli also received an additional Grammy nod for Best Recording Package, taking her total to eight at next year’s event, including for Record of the Year with ‘360’, and Album of the Year for cultural phenomenon album ‘Brat’.
Meanwhile, Charli has busy year on the road in 2025. As well as Primavera, she has been confirmed as the first headliner for next year’s Parklife and the ‘360’ artist will also curate a day at London’s LIDO Festival, where she will deliver a bill-topping performance.
Additionally, she will play two outdoor shows in Belfast and Dublin, perform at Coachella 2025, and, on top of that, she’s also announced a US arena tour for April and May. You can purchase any remaining tickets here.
She’s also due to star in upcoming films The Gallerist and Sacrifice. Most recently, Charli revealed her long-rumoured Letterboxd account to fans, sharing her opinions on films released this year.
