“Kamala IS brat”: Can pop music save the US election?
It’s a Brat summer; there’s no denying it. The second Charli XCX dropped her album back in June, the internet turned a neon lime green hue as the tone of the season was set. A state of chaos was declared as hedonism and partying was in with the energy of dancing while the world burned. But no one can ignore the smoke outside the club. At the same time, 2024 is a historic, weighty summer where the US election looms at the end of it, waiting in the wings for winter.
On the surface, the energy of a Brat summer feels like one that exists utterly untouched by politics. As Charli implores us to become a “365 party girl”, the vibe is one of inconsequential frivolity, of callousness that centres nothing but good times with your friends, looking hot and trying to shake the comedown in time for the next party.
What makes something or someone a ‘brat’ is tough to define. Charli herself said, “You’re just like that girl who is a little messy—and likes to party and maybe says some dumb things sometimes. Who feels herself but maybe also has a breakdown. But kind of like, parties through it.” In short, ‘brat’ means being dedicated to fun regardless of the chaos surrounding you.
It’s Gatsby-ish in a way, as the popularity of Brat and the fact that this album and this moment in time was the moment when Charli blew up from cultish to the big-time proves just how badly people have needed a good blowout as the world continues to race toward crisis. From the queue outside her set at Glastonbury Festival and the speed at which her Party Girl club tickets fly out, there is mass hysteria for the atmosphere delivered by her new lime green era. However, that energy could all too easily be misread as apathy.
So when Charli took to Twitter and sent a message saying, “Kamala IS a brat”, people were confused. When Joe Biden dropped out of the race for the US presidential election, and Kamala Harris took his place, Charli’s engagement with politics seemed to some like the bubble being burst. It felt like the lights coming on in their touchable world, starkly reminding them that life existed outside of it and that with the election looming in November, the stakes out there are high. Some even tried to declare that Brat summer is over, but in fact, the impact of the album, its hoards of fans, and the wider pop community could genuinely prove to be the heroes that politics needs right now.
The question of whether Kamala Harris is ‘brat’ feels beside the point. The real point is that Donald Trump, with his racism, transphobia, and desire to crush healthcare rights, especially for women, is not ‘brat’ at all.
Joe Biden also wasn’t ‘brat’. Until he dropped out of the race, the entire election brought up nothing but a sense of hopelessness. With his many blunders, it was becoming increasingly apparent that Biden was not only unfit to run but was posing a genuine threat to the Democrats’ chances of victory by dragging them down with him. Especially for younger voters, Biden gave them nothing to hang onto or rally for. In June, only one-third of all young Americans said they would vote for Biden, showing a stark decline from his 2020 campaign. That meant that the youth vote was an area of genuine concern, not only that it might swing towards republican favour, but simply that Gen-Z especially might not even show up. Young people were apathetic when Biden was at the helm. There’s no arguing that the youth care about political issues, but they simply didn’t care about Biden.
However, they care about pop culture, and as Harris has cashed in on the energy of a brat summer, she’s seen a genuine swing of favour that’s being dubbed a “youthquake” of support. Since being announced as the replacement candidate, Harris has jumped 20 points with the youth vote as millions seem re-engaged thanks to social media being flooded with lime green political memes or fan edits of the politician with the summer’s biggest songs in the background.
Memeing an election is nothing new, but there is something about the types of social media posts coming out about Harris that feel charged with renewed political energy and optimism. Besides Charli’s Brat crowd, pop music’s other leading name, Chappell Roan, could also be playing a hand. When Harris’ now infamous ‘coconut tree’ speech was placed over the top of Roan’s ‘Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl’, a new election anthem was born.
“You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?” Harris laughs, with the beat thumping in the background, “You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you.”
It’s silly, yes, but with Harris’ impassioned statement about America’s responsibility, about their position in history and her own awareness that selfishness and ignorance will get the country nowhere, the linkup with an artist like Roan, who is constantly fighting for the rights that Trump threatens, feels like a meme that moves in the right direction. Each time Harris leans into this, engaging with pop culture and proving herself to be plugged into the conversation, she shows young voters that she has them in mind by meeting them on their level to engage them with her own Kamala HQ campaign page, populated with pop culture memes and pop soundtracked videos, racking up 2.9 million followers on TikTok alone.
However, as we’ve seen time and time again throughout political and pop culture history, trends aren’t always indicative of the outcome. Back in 2016, when Hillary Clinton was in the race against Trump, the stars came out in droves to co-sign her campaign. Names like Beyoncé, Miley Cyrus, Elton John, Joan Jett and a lengthy list of others were all on her side as pop culture rallied for the candidate. Yet still, Trump won as celebrity opinion is never a reliable depiction of the broad general public, especially with the older age categories.
But maybe this is something different. Harris’ engagement with Brat and artists like Roan links her up with a politically charged group of fans and musicians who know how to mobilise their following for good. It’s also not just a celebrity endorsement. Instead, this is an active and bubbling trend that grips real attention day in and day out. As the love for Brat rises with Harris latched onto its trajectory, its boom could just prove to be the boost of attention she needs to not only re-energise young voters who previously felt disenfranchised but keep her name firmly in cultural conversation, attached to something good and fun.
It’s a Brat summer, but on a broader scale, it’s a pop summer. The biggest hits of the season so far, like Roan’s ‘Good Luck Babe’, Charli’s ‘360’, Sabrina Carpenter’s ‘Espresso’ or Billie Eilish’s ‘Lunch’, all deliver good energy and joy. People are out dancing, having fun and existing in this moment of cultural optimism that maybe, just maybe, could translate into a more serious season. As these songs power Gen-Z and Harris adopts them as unofficial campaign anthems, the waves of energy could just power her too if this so-called “youthquake” makes it to the polls.
