‘Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat’ Reinvents a Club Classic

Charli xcx’s “brat,” released June 7, saturated every corner of pop culture with a brash lime green. Presidential candidates, businesses and TikTok influencers alike embraced the album’s thematic bluntness. 

On Oct. 11, just as the heat of brat summer faded, Charli released “Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat,” which features remixed versions of the original 15 tracks on “brat” and one off the deluxe “Brat and it’s the same but there’s three more songs so it’s not.” 

A stacked set of artists assist the British pop sensation in reworking — and sometimes reinventing — the electro-pop tunes.

Released as a single May 31, “360” adds Swedish artists Robyn and Yung Lean, both long-time presences in Charli’s career. While the repetitive bed of bubbly beats stays the same, new lyricism reflects fondly on the performers’ lasting careers. 

“Three child stars out here doing damage / Me and Lean and Robyn, we don’t even have to practice / We got many hits, get you feeling nostalgic,” Charli sings. 

“Club classics featuring bb trickz” chops up the original’s swirling synths, blending them with warped vocal clips from “365” and a smooth verse from the Spanish rapper. The track’s quick pace and repetitive layering call back to Charli’s rave culture roots.

Pop icon Ariana Grande brings her silky vocals to “Sympathy is a knife.” References to journalist misquotes, public body-shaming and cut-throat fandoms reveal the double-edged blade of success and fame. 

Tense relationships to fame are explored further in “I might say something stupid featuring the 1975 & jon hopkins.” Stripped down to an achingly slow piano ballad, the song’s a sonic departure from the bumping electronic currents of the previous tracks. 

Australian singer Troye Sivan joins Charli for the third collaborative song of their careers with an infectious rendition of “Talk talk.” Charli’s requests to be talked to in any language are satisfied with multilingual voice memos from an uncredited Dua Lipa.

Released March 22, “Von dutch a.g. cook remix featuring addison rae” is more playful than its source material, with teasing lyrics and shrill screams from Charli’s pop protege Addison Rae. 

“I’m just living that life / Von dutch, cult classic, but I still pop / Everytime a track drops, you’re jealous,” Charli sings. 

“That life” of confidence and opulence is questioned in “Everything is romantic featuring caroline polachek” where the American artist shifts settings from an Italian vacation to a quiet night in London. 

“Living that life is romantic, right?” Polachek sings.

Hazy production and insecure subject matters continue into the somber “Rewind,” featuring Swedish rapper Bladee.

In an Instagram post celebrating the album’s release, Charli said she struggles to think of songs as fixed, and recognizes the “endless” possibilities contained in each. 

These splintering possibilities are clear on “So I featuring a.g. cook.” The original focuses on the difficulties of grief — an ode to Charli and producer A.G. Cook’s late friend and collaborator SOPHIE. In the happier remix, the visionary lives on through uptempo hyperpop production, and in the positive memories Charli recalls of SOPHIE. 

Singer-songwriter Lorde confirmed suspicions “Girl, so confusing” was written about her tense friendship with Charli when she jumped on a remix, released June 21, to put hostilities to bed. 

“Well, honestly, I was speechless / When I woke up to your voice note / You told me how you’d been feeling / Let’s work it out on the remix,” Lorde sings.

Featured artists’ distinct styles are interwoven with the techno dance-pop standard on “brat.” The Japanese House brings her mellow indie-pop tone to “Apple,” Tinashe approaches a bouncier “B2b” with smooth R&B-pop delivery and Julian Casablancas’ “Mean girls” is futuristic with electronically-modified vocals. 

In “I think about it all the time featuring bon iver,” the candor of “brat” manifests in vulnerability. Airy folk-pop textures and vocals from Bon Iver frontman Justin Vernon complement Charli’s considerations of starting a family amid the commercial height of her career. 

“Me and George sit down and try to plan for our future / But there’s so much guilt involved when we stop working / ‘Cause you’re not supposed to stop when things start working,” Charli sings. 

“365 featuring shygirl” is a whiplash-inducing, overbaked blast of synth and bass leading listeners to throw caution to the wind and head to the dance floor. 

Billie Eilish’s whispery vocals join Charli’s flirtatious taunts for the remix of thunderous deluxe track “Guess,” released Aug. 1. 

Released and added to the tracklist Oct. 14, “Spring breakers featuring kesha” doesn’t hide from the uninhibited reputation of its performers. 

“Ooh, these bitches rip off / Wish they could be OG, but they not / We going psycho, we going off / Yeah, me and Charli, we the party girl gods,” Kesha sings.

“Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat” dismembers and repurposes its predecessor while remaining faithful to the valiant honesty at its core.

Listen to “Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat” on all major streaming platforms.