Charli XCX seems to have officially said goodbye to the ‘Brat’ era by teasing the beginnings of a new project.
The singer wrapped up the final headline date of her ‘Brat’ era at One Universe Festival in Gwacheon-si, South Korea, last night (August 15).
While she performed, text reading: “Please don’t let it be over,” flashed behind her on stage and shortly after ending the show, she took to Instagram to share a photo from the concert alongside a short clip of a film slate appearing to tease the first scene of her upcoming new A24 film The Moment.
Plot details are currently under wraps, but Deadline previously described the film as a “mockumentary” that “follows the life of a pop star in the lead-up to her first headline arena tour.
A few of the names involved have been revealed, including Rish Shah, who appeared in Ms. Marvel, Isaac Cole Powell, who starred in Armando Iannucci’s HBO series The Franchise, Kate Berlant, who starred alongside Nicolas Cage in 2023 movie Dream Scenario, and Stath Lets Flats’ Jamie Demetriou, according to Film Updates.
They join previously-announced cast Alexander Skarsgård (Succession), Rosanna Arquette and Trew Mullen (Blink Twice).
Following its release last year, ‘Brat‘ quickly evolved into a cultural phenomenon, with both the concept of ‘Brat’ summer and the record’s simple lime green artwork becoming a meme as fans worldwide embraced the album’s hedonistic aesthetic and attitude.
The album’s impact even extended beyond the pop world and worked its way into Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign, sparking a wave of serious political pundits trying and failing to explain the album’s ethos.
After dominating the cultural conversation for almost a year, Charli first began teasing an end to the ‘Brat’ era during her Coachella performance in April, with the giant screen behind her on stage reading: “maybe it’s time for a different kind of summer?,” before listing the artists and directors primed to take over this year.
Shortly afterwards, she reflected on a potential end of ‘Brat’, saying: “It is really hard to let go of ‘Brat,’ and let go of this thing that is so inherently me, and become my entire life.”
So far, little has been revealed about her upcoming plans for new music, though in May she hinted that she’s expecting her next album to go in a completely different direction, which could result in a “flop”, saying: “You can never really do the same thing twice and my next record will probably be a flop which I’m down for to be honest.”
This isn’t the first time we’ve been told about what her next album could look like. In February, her producers A.G. Cook, Finn Keane and George Daniel – who is also Charli’s husband – teased that the follow-up is shaping up to be “anti-Brat”: “Some of the conversations we’re having and music we’ve been playing around with the last couple of months have been completely the opposite.”
‘Brat’ was named as the Album of the Year by NME, and awarded a four-star review that read: “It all paints a picture of who XCX is in 2024. Growing pains, grief and aching doubts come alongside self-confidence, celebration and the knowledge of the place XCX holds in the musical landscape – indeed, she kicks off ‘360’ with the knowing: “I went my own way and I made it / I’m your favourite reference baby”.
The subsequent remix album, ‘Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat‘, received five stars from NME, with Aneesa Ahmed writing: “In some ways, ‘Brat And It’s Completely Different But Also Still Brat’ is a home run for its creator, letting her finish the game on her own terms.
“She has perfected the art of remixing, keeping the songs moving by giving them a brand new lease of life rather than letting them exist statically in their original form.”
Outside of music, Charli has several on-screen features underway, including the upcoming erotic thriller I Want Your Sex alongside Olivia Wilde and Cooper Hoffman, Sacrifice with Chris Evans and Anya Taylor-Joy, and the fantasy film 100 Nights of Hero.
