When PinkPantheress controversially revealed that she doesn’t listen to albums in an interview earlier this year, it raised a question about their relevance in today’s listening climate. She explained:
“I don’t listen to albums. I just listen to songs. That’s why when it came to my own album, I was like, do people care about tracklisting? I couldn’t believe it. When I saw people review my album, some people were like, ‘It’s a great album, but the tracklisting doesn’t make sense.’ I’m like, just listen to the songs.”
The singer hints at a shift in how people consume music today—through individual songs, not albums. With platforms like TikTok and Spotify, music is presented as snippets or single tracks added to playlists. Everyone has heard “Hot To Go” by Chappel Roan; how many people have listened to the album it’s from, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, all the way through? And even still, how many of us have listened to it more than once? Buying an entire album to access its singles is a thing of the past, and streaming services encourage eclectic playlists over dedicated album listening. For those without Spotify Premium, listening to an album means playing it on shuffle, preventing you from experiencing the artist’s true vision. As PinkPantheress wonders whether anyone still cares about tracklisting, the answer seems to be: most don’t.
Yet, Charli XCX managed to defy this trend with her album BRAT. In a listening culture shaped by TikTok snippets and algorithms, BRAT revives the experience of album listening. Charli didn’t just release a collection of hits; she crafted an album meant to be consumed as a whole, offering a rare complete experience in today’s fragmented market. The album’s success was partly due to its clever marketing, including an instantly recognisable cover that was easily replicated on social media. Charli created an aesthetic that made BRAT not just an album but a cultural phenomenon, worth experiencing from start to finish.
The initial response to BRAT, however, was lukewarm. Its first single, “Von Dutch,” wasn’t a chart-topper; it seems that the greatest indicator of an album’s success at the moment is whether the singles trend on social media, and “Von dutch” did not. Releasing a remix with A.G. Cook and TikTok star Addison Rae, Charli received her first snippet of BRAT-virality, with Addison Rae’s iconic and totally ad-libbed scream going viral on TikTok. Still, despite this, the song didn’t receive a significant surge in streams; early reception was limited to industry insiders and Charli’s existing fans. While there wasn’t much noise surrounding the album’s singles, once BRAT was officially released in early June, and particularly once the deluxe album was released three days later, BRAT was all anyone could talk about, whether referring to the music specifically or being “brat” as a more abstract concept. Even the weak performance of the album’s singles functioned to direct attention instead to the album as a whole. Unlike most modern music marketing, which emphasises singles above all else, Charli didn’t let the singles overshadow the album, allowing BRAT to take centre stage.
Unlike PinkPantheress, who questions the importance of tracklisting, Charli XCX clearly values it. The cohesiveness of BRAT is the key to its eventual success, encouraging listeners to experience the entire album rather than isolating singles. Charli’s choice to title the album with a refrain whose sentiment is echoed throughout the album, (rather than the title of a single, as is commonplace in much of mainstream music) connects the tracks thematically, creating a sense of continuity throughout. The abstract concept of “brat” ties the album together, making it more than a collection of songs—it becomes a narrative, and with Charli creating this abstract “brat” concept to tie her album together, she in turn created the “brat summer” that social media sought to replicate. The album’s tracklisting also knits it together sonically; the opening and closing tracks, “360” and “365,” function as companion pieces, with “365” reprising elements of “360” both melodically and lyrically. This symmetry gives the album a satisfying sense of closure, a rare feature in today’s music, which often lacks a structured narrative or conclusion.
Although we are now well and truly in autumn, it seems as though we are experiencing somewhat of an Indian (brat) summer; the album is still culturally relevant in both the media and in clubs. The longevity of BRAT can be attributed to Charli’s decision to extend the album’s lifespan with a deluxe edition and a remix album. Released only three days after the original, the deluxe version immediately elongated the BRAT era, with sultry track “Guess” contributing to its mainstream appeal. However, it was the remix album that truly kept the momentum going. Unlike many artists who rerelease albums for commercial purposes, Charli’s remix album feels like a passion project. Known for her DJ skills and collaborations within the hyperpop and PC Music scenes, Charli carefully paired songs with fitting collaborators, such as Lorde on “Girl, so confusing” and Billie Eilish on “Guess.” The remix album feels like a natural and thoughtful extension of BRAT, serving to prolong the album’s presence in both media discussions, and in our Spotify libraries. The large gap between the two albums (BRAT was released in early June, the remix album only last week) meant that just as hype was dying out, Charli resurrected it, ensuring we will continue listening to, and talking about, the entirety of BRAT, now months after its initial release, with the album just climbing to number one in the charts this week.
In a music industry dominated by playlists and snippets, Charli XCX has reminded us of the artistry of the album. By thoughtfully crafting BRAT, she proved that albums still have a place in today’s music landscape—one track at a time.
Image: Brat Generator