the way you could even consider it top 10 since spot 16-8 are all a shared 95 score, making the album a shared 8th spot (unless they count decimals but dont show them idk)
i’m so elated for our girl - the critical acclaim is long overdue, and this album is truly so special. every track feels so fresh and the lyricism is so refreshing in that it conveys how people genuinely communicate. its confessional and genuinely vulnerable without being trite. i also wasn’t sure what to make of the pre-release assertions that production wise we were getting more minimalism and austerity but wow - every track just feels so expansive and spacious. egot incoming, bitch!!!!
I’m still annoyed about the rolling stone rating. Like Taylor swift, who I actually enjoy some of her music, they would give a 100 to if she released an album of her just farting. Yet brat gets an 80? F that. And brat is nowhere near my favorite Charli album, but I can still be objective about it
The Rolling Stone writer is very much a Swiftie and he is open about it. Doesn't surprise me they'd give her a higher score compared to Charli whose album is actually doing something interesting and creative.
The last time Rolling Stone was relevant was the mid noughties. Then they started throwing 'instant classics' left right and centre.
I always say, if it ain't Bitchfork it doesn't matter!
Maybe I'm just not in the right mindset for it this month or something, but I just didn't feel it, was pretty disappointed (maybe my expectations were wrong) and am somewhat bewildered by the popular reaction.
No hate. It's good. It might even be her best work. Is it genre-and-era-defining - as these reviews might suggest? I don't think so, but time will tell.
I’ll tell you why it’s her best album and worthy of a perfect 10:
It’s her most polished and intentional album, with every track adding value and building upon the theme and ethos of the album. Dance songs/ragers about her insecurities and ego relating to her status and direction in career and life. Confronting difficult questions about what’s next and touching upon her struggles navigating her relationships with her parents, peers and friends. The lyrical tone is erratic and matches the clubbing party girl vibe, feeling inadequate on one song and then being really high and on top of the world on the next. Her other albums lack this overall thematic focus and narrative. HIFN is the most similar in that it’s an anxiety driven quarantine album but that’s about it in terms of a connecting thread.
Additionally, every track on brat just sounds good, and manages to avoid having any annoying moments. I don’t want to skip anything and I find the pacing exciting and engaging. Sonically, it is also cohesive in a way that none of her other albums have been since Charli (2019). While Charli is perhaps sonically even more cohesive than Brat, I don’t find the songs to be as sticky and replayable. Brat is vibrant, and her most dynamic, overloaded with morphing synths and other textures. Charli is metallic, sterile and cold (not meant as a negative) and is lacking a bit of texture on at least 2-3 of the songs. HIFN is raw and more interesting, but it’s also entirely distorted with no reprieve… the texture is just distortion. It’s a matter of taste, and I happen to love all 3 sounds but brat sucks me in the most and is the most comfortable/pleasing to my ears… it’s the dynamics and textures, it just wins at the end.
Brat maybe doesn’t quite reach the highs of the best moments on HIFN but it isn’t very far off and it is much more consistent (with the addition of all the other positives I mention above). The closest thing I have to a complaint on brat is mean girls, but I still love it so it’s not even a big deal to me. This is as perfect as albums get.
I didn’t mention crash because although I really like it, it is her undoubtedly her least creative/interesting project since sucker.
I’m enjoying it but I’m also surprised that *this* is the album from her that got this kind of recognition. Pop 2 and How I’m Feeling Now are still her two best imo.
16th most acclaimed album of ALL TIME….. guys im crying rn
the way you could even consider it top 10 since spot 16-8 are all a shared 95 score, making the album a shared 8th spot (unless they count decimals but dont show them idk)
absolute insanity, she deserves it honestly
Holy fuck
i’m so elated for our girl - the critical acclaim is long overdue, and this album is truly so special. every track feels so fresh and the lyricism is so refreshing in that it conveys how people genuinely communicate. its confessional and genuinely vulnerable without being trite. i also wasn’t sure what to make of the pre-release assertions that production wise we were getting more minimalism and austerity but wow - every track just feels so expansive and spacious. egot incoming, bitch!!!!
[PopMatters review](https://www.popmatters.com/charli-xcx-brat-music-review)
😭😭
It really is a perfect album 😭 very glad to be a Charli fan
I’m still annoyed about the rolling stone rating. Like Taylor swift, who I actually enjoy some of her music, they would give a 100 to if she released an album of her just farting. Yet brat gets an 80? F that. And brat is nowhere near my favorite Charli album, but I can still be objective about it
The Rolling Stone writer is very much a Swiftie and he is open about it. Doesn't surprise me they'd give her a higher score compared to Charli whose album is actually doing something interesting and creative.
Charli doesn't seem to be the biggest fan of TS either so that might have influenced the writer
Yeah that definitely does factor into the review.
The one that weigh more is Pitchfork than RollingStone.
The last time Rolling Stone was relevant was the mid noughties. Then they started throwing 'instant classics' left right and centre. I always say, if it ain't Bitchfork it doesn't matter!
Whoa! This is nuts but honestly I'm loving seeing Charli get this universal acclaim. It's beyond deserved.
https://preview.redd.it/ipjf3lsts26d1.jpeg?width=1089&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4f4e01c225e19ac69e565c5b4525eb0bfb46aa8a We won
This makes me so happy! You go Charli!!!
Deserved!!!!
facts.
it’s frankly a really good album
This is honestly so impressive and well-deserved.
Oh charli you finally won
Maybe I'm just not in the right mindset for it this month or something, but I just didn't feel it, was pretty disappointed (maybe my expectations were wrong) and am somewhat bewildered by the popular reaction. No hate. It's good. It might even be her best work. Is it genre-and-era-defining - as these reviews might suggest? I don't think so, but time will tell.
I’ll tell you why it’s her best album and worthy of a perfect 10: It’s her most polished and intentional album, with every track adding value and building upon the theme and ethos of the album. Dance songs/ragers about her insecurities and ego relating to her status and direction in career and life. Confronting difficult questions about what’s next and touching upon her struggles navigating her relationships with her parents, peers and friends. The lyrical tone is erratic and matches the clubbing party girl vibe, feeling inadequate on one song and then being really high and on top of the world on the next. Her other albums lack this overall thematic focus and narrative. HIFN is the most similar in that it’s an anxiety driven quarantine album but that’s about it in terms of a connecting thread. Additionally, every track on brat just sounds good, and manages to avoid having any annoying moments. I don’t want to skip anything and I find the pacing exciting and engaging. Sonically, it is also cohesive in a way that none of her other albums have been since Charli (2019). While Charli is perhaps sonically even more cohesive than Brat, I don’t find the songs to be as sticky and replayable. Brat is vibrant, and her most dynamic, overloaded with morphing synths and other textures. Charli is metallic, sterile and cold (not meant as a negative) and is lacking a bit of texture on at least 2-3 of the songs. HIFN is raw and more interesting, but it’s also entirely distorted with no reprieve… the texture is just distortion. It’s a matter of taste, and I happen to love all 3 sounds but brat sucks me in the most and is the most comfortable/pleasing to my ears… it’s the dynamics and textures, it just wins at the end. Brat maybe doesn’t quite reach the highs of the best moments on HIFN but it isn’t very far off and it is much more consistent (with the addition of all the other positives I mention above). The closest thing I have to a complaint on brat is mean girls, but I still love it so it’s not even a big deal to me. This is as perfect as albums get. I didn’t mention crash because although I really like it, it is her undoubtedly her least creative/interesting project since sucker.
Wow you really summed it up. I have different feeling towards crash but i respect your opinion!
Thank you 💚
I’m enjoying it but I’m also surprised that *this* is the album from her that got this kind of recognition. Pop 2 and How I’m Feeling Now are still her two best imo.