‘Brat’ the title of Charli xcx’s sixth studio album has been named Collins Dictionary’s word of year following its success at influencing an online culture since its release in June of this year.
Collins’ has two pre-existing definitions of ‘brat’ including: someone who “behaves badly or annoys you” or “one who is ill-mannered or unruly”. However, the new definition inspired by Charli’s album relates to someone who has a “confident, independent, and hedonistic attitude”.
Upon the Number 1 album’s release, Charli revealed her definition of ‘brat’ on TikTok: “a girl who is a little messy, 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”.
@charlixcx what it means to be a brat #OffTheRecord Club classics – Charli xcx
She delved in deeper on the visuals of brat whilst she co-hosted an episode of ‘Sidetracked’ with Nick Grimshaw and Annie Mac. Charli revealed brat’s fusion of luxury and trashy was characterised by speedboats, “a packet of cigs, a Bic lighter, and a strappy white top with no bra”.
The influence of ‘Brat’ has been astronomical, it has pathed this year’s summer aesthetic which moved briskly away from TikTok’s ‘clean girl aesthetic’ towards a ‘brat girl aesthetic’ which places partying, confidence, and chaos the forefront.
The ‘360’ singer foreshadowed her album’s popularity and the culture it would promote when she explained to Billboard her artistic decision to give Brat a very particular shade of green for its artwork. She revealed the colour and pixelated font emerged from the idea “of making something quite disgusting and turning it into this thing that you know people are going to look at quite a lot and think about and ask, you know, why that green?”
When announcing the word of the year, Collins disclosed their choice had come from ‘brat’ being “one of the most talked about words of 2024.” Continuing: “More than a hugely successful album, ‘brat’ is a cultural phenomenon that has resonated with people globally, and ‘brat summer’ established itself as an aesthetic and a way of life”.
BREAKING NEWS The Collins Word of the Year is… brat. Find out more about #CollinsWOTY 2024 and see the full list here: https://t.co/gmsnCqA0yv#wordoftheyear #CollinsDictionary #brat #CollinsWOTY pic.twitter.com/Y93NCjFVno
— Collins Dictionary (@CollinsDict) November 1, 2024
Social media and the continued influence of TikTok unequivocally contributed towards the use of ‘brat’, in naming a lifestyle and defining an attitude. Some runners up for the word of the year included ‘era’, arguably after Taylor Swift’s use of the word to define her latest world tour which encapsulates moments and tracks from her entire discography, along with ‘supermajority’ reflecting the high number of elections this year, including major elections in both the UK and US.
Collins’ choice of naming ‘brat’ word of the year signifies the impact of the internet on our everyday lives. ‘Brat’ is word used both online and in real life, defining this year’s cultural moment.
