Pop Star Charli XCX Backs Kamala Harris, Takes Brat Energy to Neon Green Heights: Is the Presidential Hopeful Targeting Gen Z?

Charli XCX Champions Kamala Harris

Shortly after Vice President Kamala Harris was endorsed by Joe Biden as the Democratic presidential nominee, she received a culturally significant endorsement from pop star Charli XCX.

The British artist tweeted, "Kamala IS brat," referencing her latest album "Brat," which had already developed a cult following and inspired numerous think pieces.

This endorsement has sparked considerable attention and discussion.

Team Harris is All About that Brat

Harris' team quickly signalled their understanding and embrace of Charli XCX's endorsement.

They updated the Harris HQ Twitter and Instagram graphics to mirror the "Brat" album cover and began incorporating Charli XCX songs into Harris' TikTok videos.

The Harris HQ Twitter account saw its followers double overnight amidst the surging hype.

Visitors to the official Kamala HQ account on X are now greeted with a background photo in "brat" green and the vice president's name in the same font as Charli XCX's album.

Bratology 101

Charli XCX has championed the idea of a "Brat summer" in conjunction with the release of her critically lauded album.

In an interview with BBC Sounds, Charli described a "Brat summer" as a blend of luxury and grunge.

The term "Brat" is more of a concept than a noun, although it also refers to a specific type of persona.

The title of Charli XCX's sixth studio album encapsulates her vision of a "brat" as someone who embodies the essence of having a pack of cigarettes, a Bic lighter, and a strappy white top without a bra.

She explained in a video shared on TikTok:

“You're just like that girl who is a little messy and likes to party and maybe says some dumb things some times. Who feels like herself but maybe also has a breakdown. But kind of like parties through it, is very honest, very blunt. A little bit volatile. Like, does dumb things. But it's brat. You're brat. That's brat.”

Essentially, having a "Brat summer" is about letting loose, perhaps indulging in excess, and embracing the colour neon green, a nod to the album's cover.

Charli XCX has even associated this vibe with Harris, the younger and more spirited Vice President, who is seen as potentially succeeding Biden and maintaining the Democrats' presence in the White House.

This association suggests that the "Brat summer" ethos is in some way reflected in political dynamics.

Many speculate that the "Brat summer" is the antithesis of the "clean" and "highly groomed" image often portrayed by social media influencers.

There is even a specific "brat" color, a shade of chartreuse, which has been informally declared as the colour of the summer by the internet.

Charli XCX has adopted this colour for her album, explaining that it represents the idea of taking something that might be considered distasteful and transforming it into something that people will look at, contemplate, and question.

Perhaps most significantly, the neon lime backdrop of her album cover symbolises both the exhilarating highs of a night out and the inevitable comedown of a hangover, encapsulating the dual nature of the "Brat summer" experience.

Related Meme Token Saw a Boost

The phenomenon unexpectedly sparked a revival of a dormant meme coin, which rapidly surged to a market capitalisation of $5 million.

The Solana token Brat Summer (BRAT) was minted on the meme coin platform Pump.fun on 17 July, before Harris' campaign adopted the meme.

The coin's creator was seemingly singularly focused on the meme inspired by Charli XCX's album and the ensuing "Brat summer" trend.

Despite the meme's ascent in pop culture, the token initially failed to gain traction and the project seemed to be defunct.

It did not reach the decentralised exchange (DEX) Raydium, a milestone typically achieved when a token on Pump.fun attains a market cap of approximately $60,000.

Some investors speculated that the developer had abandoned the project.

However, when Charli XCX tweeted her praise for Kamala Harris, the token's market cap soared from a modest $5,000 to $105,000.

Once Harris embraced the meme, the token's market cap skyrocketed to just under $5 million within two days, before retreating to a market cap of $2.6 million, and now, a $1.7 million.

Harris Appealing to Gen Z

This ignited a campaign that is garnering the interest of young voters.

Should Harris secure the Democratic nomination, she will be vying for every vote in the contest against former President Donald Trump.

Younger voters could play a pivotal role in the outcome of the 2024 election.

David Hogg, a 24-year-old activist and co-founder of the March for Our Lives movement, which emerged after a mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, shared Charli XCX's post on Sunday.

Gen Z, having not only come of age on the internet but also demonstrated their proficiency in utilising social media to mobilize and advocate for change, could be a formidable force in the electoral landscape.

Not Everyone Feels Brat-tastic About Brat But All is Not Lost

Harris's embrace of the Brat meme has injected fresh energy into her campaign and seemingly buoyed the meme coin.

However, not everyone is on board, which is unsurprising given the polarised discourse surrounding the election.

American conservative commentator Greg Gutfeld labelled Harris "an unserious person" on Fox News, questioning, "Do you really want brats to run this country? They already do enough damage."

Conversely, Gevin Reynolds, a former speechwriter for Harris, opined that it is "extremely smart for her to lean into the meme."

He noted:

“It shows a recognition of how critical young voters are to winning in November, and a commitment to meeting them where they are.”

Older pundits appear perplexed by the trend.

CNN's Jake Tapper convened a roundtable on the subject, resolving that he "will aspire to be brat."

Stephen Colbert even performed a Brat-themed TikTok dance on The Late Show.

While memes alone cannot win elections, Charli's tweet has enlivened a race that Harris's candidacy had already rejuvenated.

Nonetheless, there is more work to be done.

The TikTok creator who choreographed the dance to Charli's song "Apple", Kelley Heyer, expressed:

"If Kamala wants to be brat, then she needs to promise to legalise and protect abortion at a federal level. And also wear apple green.”