Latest news with #Bratsummer
Edinburgh Live
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
Fans find out meaning behind Charli xcx's name and why she won't change it
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Charli xcx was already building momentum long before her album "Brat summer" dominated the charts and timelines in 2024. However, it appears that fans have only recently uncovered the unusual story behind her stage name. Charlotte Emma Aitchison, known by her stage name Charli xcx, made headlines in June 2024 with the release of her sixth studio album BRAT. The album's bold aesthetic, non-stop energy, and viral marketing campaign not only defined the summer but also introduced her music to a new and significantly larger audience. Her rise to fame began with the 2014 hit Boom Clap, followed by the unapologetically playful Boys in 2017, which took over playlists everywhere. In 2018, she even served as the opening act for Taylor Swift's global Reputation stadium tour, occasionally joining Swift on stage for the crowd-pleaser Shake It Off. Despite her growing discography and high-profile appearances, the meaning behind her stage name remained a mystery to some fans. As it turns out, the origin of her name is a nostalgic throwback. (Image: AFP via Getty Images) In a 2015 interview with Tanya Rad on On Air with Ryan Seacrest, Charli revealed that her now-famous stage name was inspired by her teenage MSN Messenger days, reports Surrey Live. "XCX was my MSN screen name when I was younger, which was really gnarly of me, I guess," she recalled. "It stood for kiss Charli kiss. "When I first started playing my first shows, the promoter was like, 'What should I put on the flyer?' I was like 14 or 15, and I was like 'Uh, just put Charli xcx!' And it just kind of stuck from there." At the 2015 Grammy Awards, she humorously remarked on the red carpet: "Gotta stick with it... I'm not gonna pull a Prince," in a playful reference to the iconic musician's decision to change his name to an unpronounceable symbol. (Image: Getty Images) Charli xcx has since etched her name into British pop history. Hailing from Cambridge and growing up in Essex, she has emerged as one of the UK's most innovative artists, earning both critical acclaim and commercial success. Her album BRAT received widespread praise last year, bagging multiple awards including Album of the Year at the 2025 BRIT Awards, Artist of the Year, Best Dance Act, Song of the Year for 'Guess' (featuring Billie Eilish), and Songwriter of the Year. She also triumphed at the Grammys, winning Best Dance/Electronic Album and Best Recording Package.
Daily Record
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Charli xcx fans are only just learning the 'gnarly' story behind her name
Charli xcx has been a staple of British pop for years - but some fans are only just learning the meaning behind the name of the BRAT superstar Long before "Brat summer" took over the 2024 music scene, Charli xcx was steadily climbing to fame. Yet, it appears that her fans are only now discovering the unique origin of her stage name. Charlotte Emma Aitchison, known in the pop world as Charli xcx, grabbed headlines in June 2024 upon releasing her sixth studio album BRAT. The album's striking style, unstoppable vigour and a viral promotional campaign catapulted her into public consciousness, significantly amplifying her listener base. She first gained recognition with her 2014 hit Boom Clap and then maintained momentum with the bold single Boys in 2017, which quickly became a mainstay on playlists. Charli also supported Taylor Swift during the 2018 international Reputation stadium tour, occasionally joining the megastar for performances of Shake It Off. Despite her growing body of work and numerous notable gigs, many remain unaware of the backstory to Charli xcx's moniker. A nostalgic trip down memory lane uncovers the truth behind her name. In a 2015 interaction on On Air with Ryan Seacrest, Charli told Tanya Rad that her celebrated alias originated from her early MSN Messenger nickname, reports Surrey Live. "XCX was my MSN screen name when I was younger, which was really gnarly of me, I guess," she said. "It stood for kiss Charli kiss. "When I first started playing my first shows, the promoter was like, 'What should I put on the flyer?' I was like 14 or 15, and I was like 'Uh, just put Charli xcx!' And it just kind of stuck from there." She brought up her stage name again at the 2015 Grammy Awards, quipping on the red carpet: "Gotta stick with it... I'm not gonna pull a Prince," giving a playful nod to the iconic musician's well-known switch to an unpronounceable symbol. Years on, Charli xcx has etched her name into British pop history. Hailing from Cambridge and growing up in Essex, she has emerged as one of the UK's most innovative artists, earning both critical acclaim and commercial success. Last year, her album BRAT received widespread praise, bagging multiple honours, including Album of the Year at the 2025 BRIT Awards, Artist of the Year, Best Dance Act, Song of the Year for Guess (featuring Billie Eilish), and Songwriter of the Year. Additionally, she took home Grammys for Best Dance/Electronic Album and Best Recording Package.
Time Out
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
The best songs of 2025 so far
It's been a hot minute since Selena released anything at all, and most of us expected a few more classic ballad-esque pop tunes and yearning 'Lose You To Love Me'-style dance tracks. And we got a fair bit of it with I Said I Love You First, her new album with bae Benny Blanco. But then, there was 'Bluest Flame' – a fresh, boppy, fun tune with a distinctly 'Brat summer'-esque vibe with the repetition of, 'I just wanna go all night/I just wanna go insane'. Could this be a contender for 2025's song of the summer?
Daily Mirror
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
The resurrection of Lorde - fans say 'queen of pop is back' as single What Was That drops
Move over Brat summer, the queen is back. In an intimate open-air Washington Square Park gig, New Zealand pop star Lorde dropped her first new single since 2021 and now fans are going wild You've heard of Brat Summer, now it's time for Lorde summer. After an agonising four-year wait, the two-time GRAMMY winner has just dropped her new single What Was That – and fans are going crazy. Lorde's fanbase have buzzing with anticipation ever since she teased the drop her new single What Was That on TikTok last month. Now, the excitement has been ramped up after a clip of Lorde performing at Washington Square Park on April 23 went viral on Tiktok. Standing on a small wooden stage, she sang her new hit to a small crowd of screaming fans. One video caption read: 'We're still in disbelief.' Best known for her breakthrough hit 'Royals', released in 2013, Lorde has cemented her position as music royalty. The New Zealander topped charts worldwide, before being awarded Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance at the 2014 GRAMMYs. She has since become known for her distinctive layered sound and the catchy melancholia of her lyrics, observed in subsequent top hits like 2017's Green Light. And, according to TikTok, her latest drop doesn't disappoint. Beginning with a grey street surrounded by brick houses, Lorde can be seen strutting down the road in a white shirt and jeans as the song's bass slowly picks up. 'You already know she's the queen of build ups,' one fan said in a TikTok video, before jumping up and down at the chorus drop. 'THE QUEEN OF POP IS BACK,' another ecstatic TikTok fan declared, also dancing around their room. Another wrote: 'LORDE SUMMERRR IS HERE.' 'The way its already a hit… oh my god,' one user said. 'A minute and a half off the next album and I already have goose-bumps. This my summer,' another wrote. Former X-Factor stars Jedward even chimed in with their reaction: 'the Lorde has risen to save us'. Another comment took the religious metaphor a little further: 'the pope died so the Lorde has risen'. TikTokkers have also speculated that 'queen of Brat' Charli XCX was teasing a 'Lorde summer' at this year's Coachella. Videos of the crowd going crazy spread like wildfire after the singer brought Lorde out during her performance of Girl, so confusing – a song written about the pair's fraught friendship. 'I'm so happy we're getting Lorde back this year, dream come true,' one commenter wrote. 'Charli brought her out of hibernation,' another joked. The star has been lauded for her talents by other influential figures in the music industry. Notably, the late David Bowie was quoted as believing the singer to be the "future of music". His long time pianist Mike Garson told fans during a Periscope Q&A: "David really liked Lorde, and he felt like she was the future of music, and they had a few wonderful moments together." This came after Lorde was chosen to perform a Bowie tribute at the 2016 BRIT awards. It's not confirmed when exactly Lorde's new album will be released. However, the hype around 'Lorde Summer' has left fans hoping that it will be out in time for the sunny season.
Telegraph
02-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Charli XCX says ITV ‘complained about her nipples' at Brit Awards
Charli XCX criticised ITV for 'complaining about my nipples' during her acceptance speech at this year's Brit Awards. The British pop star, credited with popularising the term ' Brat summer ', claimed the broadcaster had objected to her near-see-through black dress during Saturday's ceremony. Charli XCX, whose real name is Charlotte Aitchison, sparked a round of applause and cheers from the crowd as she said: 'I heard that ITV complained about my nipples. I feel like we're in the era of free the nipple though, right?' The 32-year-old singer-songwriter added: 'They put the clap track on, cool. Thanks for being on my side.' Free the nipple, a movement which advocates for women to be allowed to go topless in public, first gained public attention in 2014 after Bruce Willis's daughter, Scout, walked half-naked through New York. The movement has since been championed by British actors including Oscar-nominated Florence Pugh, and Emma Corrin who won a Golden Globe for portraying Diana, Princess of Wales in The Crown. On Saturday, Charli XCX won five Brits, including for song, album and artist of the year. But she turned down requests from organisers to perform at the ceremony and had previously criticised the music awards for not nominating enough women. Damian Christian, chairman of the Brit committee, confirmed that she had told organisers 'thanks for the offer, but I'm going to go and enjoy the night with my friends and family'. Speaking about the success of her song Guess, featuring Billie Eilish, she said: 'I'm really happy that a song about underwear now has a Brit award, very important stuff and I'm sure that that proves something about songwriting but I'm not quite sure what. 'I always felt like an outsider, particularly in the British music industry, it feels really nice to get recognition for this album. I've not changed anything … I guess culture caught up with us and wanted to be on this journey.' Charli XCX's sixth studio album Brat popularised the term as a person who has a 'confident, independent and hedonistic attitude to life' and was named word of the year by Collins Dictionary. The album's 'slime-green' aesthetic was used by Kamala Harris, the former US vice-president, as promotional material in her presidential election campaign last July. Charli XCX won album, artist, song, best-song writer and dance act of the year. They are the first Brits she has won and represent the second-most won by any artist in a single year in the awards' history, behind the British singer Raye, who won six in 2024. She is expected to take a break from her music career and spend more time acting.
