After a three-year album hiatus, Clairo released her third studio album on July 12, 2024: Charm — and it works just like one. Alongside Charli XCX’s starkly contrasting album, Brat, released on June 7, 2024, this summer was one defined by its albums. With 26 featured songs on both albums combined, Charm and Brat encapsulate an emotional dichotomy of both Clairo and Charli XCX fans alike, extracting from their listeners a deep yearning for requited love while maintaining a wild, party-girl attitude.
Clairo’s Charm in Summary
Mimicking the tone of her earlier releases, Clairo’s Charm acts as a continuation of her 2019 album Immunity and her 2021 album Sling in terms of sound with hushed and mysterious vocals drawing attention to her relaxing background instrumentals. . With a combination of soft-rock instrumentals and lyrical references to emotions of limerence and unrequited love, Charm is a complicated mix of soul and substance.
Collaborating with co-producer Leon Michels, who had previously worked on albums for artists like Kali Uchis and Don Toliver, Clairo explained that Charm took much inspiration from The Beach Boys, Harry Nilsson, and jazz singer-pianist Blossom Dearie.
Each song chronicles a mundane moment in time through intimate lyrics and musicality that takes inspiration from ’70s jazz and soul. Mixing acoustic sounds with synth instrumentals reminiscent to those in her bedroom-pop debut album Immunity, Clairo careful crafts an alluring love letter to a feeling of yearning that resides in everyone.
“Sling and Immunity were both extremely informative for me, and I couldn’t have made this record without the context of either of them at all. I was like, ‘How can these two records come from the same person?’ Charm was this project of, ‘Let’s see how we can meld both together to really show the one person.’”
– Clairo, Angie Martoccio Rolling Stone
Released as a single two months prior to the album on May 23, 2024, “Sexy to Someone” is a heartfelt ballad about the intense desire for being desired by someone. Underscoring the importance of acceptance by a romantic partner and the feelings associated with unexpected validation. This song uses soft flute, piano, and bass guitar to drive across these sincere emotions.
“Juna,” an authentically sensitive song combining the names of Clairo and Leon Michel’s dogs, Joanie and Luna, serves as an ode to the delicate nature of deep, genuine human connections. Highlighting the desire for sincerity in relationships, it is relatable and relevant.
With these notable songs and nine other memorable tracks, Clairo carefully crafted a summer soundtrack for hopeless romantics, her vocals and poetic lyricism oozing vulnerability and allure.
Charli XCX’s Brat in Summary
In stark contrast to Clairo’s soft, melancholic album, the eclectic tracks on Charli XCX’s sixth studio album, Brat, have become the unofficial party-girl anthems of the summer. With driving synths and electro-pop instrumentals, Brat injects listeners with beats that need to be danced to. Alongside the album’s wild and messy aesthetic, the term “brat” has quickly become a staple in Gen Z terminology.
Released through Atlantic Records, Brat was produced by a string of popular names in the music realm, including George Daniel, A. G. Cook, El Guincho, and EASYFUN. Charli XCX explained in an interview that the main influence for the album’s loud tone and aesthetic was the English rave scene of the early 2000s.
“I didn’t want any metaphors — like at all. I wanted this record to feel like I was having a conversation with the listener in a true way. I could say that to you in the back of a cab on the way to a club. Like tonight? I want to dance with A. G.”
– Charli XCX, Kristin Robinson Billboard
Although each song utilizes fast-paced, in-your-face instrumentals to create a sense of frivolous fun for audiences, the lyrics subtly draw attention to a list of social issues, including the trials and tribulations of female friendships, generational trauma, and general insecurities/fears.
In late February, four months prior to the release of Brat, Charli XCX released her single “Von Dutch,” an idiosyncratic track that embodies the tone of high-energy club music. With fuzzy snare drums, loud synths, and distorted vocals, “Von Dutch” transports listeners back to the early 2000s as Charli XCX taunts her opposition with wordplay that oozes a bold sense of confidence.
Another notable track alongside “Von Dutch” is fan-favorite “Apple,” a track delving into intergenerational trauma. Serving as an analogy for traits passed down through family lineage, “Apple,” much like the rest of the album’s songs, uses clever lyrics and a loud sound to draw attention to Charli XCX’s strained relationship with her multiracial parents.
With Brat, Charli XCX sheds light on relevant social issues amongst her Gen Z listeners while single-handedly reviving the indie-sleeze aesthetic, a look and attitude that is here to stay.
The Impact of Charm and Brat on Summer ’24
After listening to both albums in their entirety, I am, like other listeners, charmed by Clairo’s softness and vulnerability, while simultaneously inspired to wildly dance to Charli XCX’s loud and raw sound.
As each lush Clairo song ended with another queued to follow, I found myself excitedly anticipating more of Clairo’s dreamy indie-pop sound. After finishing the album, I was left feeling melancholic and reflective of my own experiences, a distinct difference from how I felt after listening to Brat.
With Brat‘s concluding track, “365,” I was left feeling empowered and energized. Charli XCX’s clever lyricism and invigorating musicality allow for the various societal issues mentioned throughout the album to be more relatable and accessible to Gen Z.
Although the two albums are stark contrasts of each other, both effectively drive forward cultural conversation. Clairo’s Charm laser-focuses on the implications of deep emotional connections through beautifully poetic musicality, while Charli XCX’s Brat combines politics and pop culture to better resonate with the youth.
It is with the sensitivity of Charm and spunk of Brat that this summer nears its head, but paves the way for both Clairo and Charli XCX to continue their musical reign into the upcoming autumnal months.
