They’re calling it the biggest generational clash in modern musical history. At Coachella over the weekend, hackles were raised at seminal pop-punk band Green Day taking the Saturday headline spot, with Charli XCX relegated to a 7 pm ing slot.

Charli then threw gasoline on the fire by appearing at a Coachella afterparty with a sash reading “Miss Should Be Headliner”, but does she have a point? Let’s crunch the numbers and examine their cultural impact, fanbase size, and current relevance.

Charli xcx wearing a “Miss Should Be Headliner” sash at her Coachella afterparty! pic.twitter.com/NVnvIfI5qS

— (@concertleaks) April 13, 2025

Green Day, formed in 1987, is a punk rock institution. With over 75 million records sold worldwide, albums like 1994’s Dookie 2004’s and 2004’s American Idiot are generational touchstones. Their catacludes anthems like ‘Boulevard of Broken Dreams’, ‘Basket Case’, and ‘Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)’ which remain staples on radio and streaming platforms.

At Coachella on Saturday, their performance drew a massive crowd, with reports noting it dwarfed Charli XCX’s, despite her prime slot. Green Day also sold out stadiums during their 2024 Saviors tour, repeatedly underscoring their immense draw and continued popularity with everyone from young boomers to older Gen Z. Many will have grown up alongside the band and that level of emotional attachment can’t be understated.

But nobody can deny that Charli XCX is a modern-day juggernaut. Her 2024 album Brat ignited a cultural phenomenon, with its lime-green aesthetic and party-girl ethos dominating social media, though she began her musical career in the early 2010s.

Tracks like ‘360’ and ‘Guess’ (featuring Billie Eilish) have racked up hundreds of millions of streams, and her Coachella set, packed with guests like Lorde and Troye Sivan, was custom-designed to generate viral moments. Charli’s influence is undeniable: she’s a trendsetter for Gen Z and has roughly 30 million monthly Spotify listeners, (though that’s still less than Green Day’s 32 million per month). Yet, her sales (estimated at 1-2 million records) and chart history pale against Green Day’s four-decade career. Her fanbase, while extremely loud and incredibly fervent, is narrower, mostly thriving in online and amongst younger demographics.

Popularity isn’t just numbers—it’s context. Green Day’s Coachella crowd reflected their universal appeal, bridging ages and genres. Charli’s set, though awesome, heavily leaned on Brat’s zeitgeist, which may fade faster than Green Day’s catalog. While Charli is the moment, Green Day’s legacy means they’re more popular. And anyway, when it comes to Coachella 2025, Gaga left them both in the dust.

Charli XCX might be trading in her pop star status for something a little more icy. Word on the street is that the British singer-songwriter is being considered for a major role in Greta Gerwig’s highly anticipated The Chronicles of Narnia adaptation for Netflix. And while nothing is set in stone yet, insiders suggest she’s among the top choices for none other than Jadis, the White Witch. Yes, the cold, cunning villainess who ruled Narnia with an iron grip. 

Fans have thoughts, and they’re not convinced

The news came on the same day Charli was announced as headlining Glastonbury 2025, making it a huge moment for the BRAT hitmaker. But while her music career is thriving, her recent pivot toward film is turning heads. Over the past year, she’s been building up her acting résumé, landing roles in The Gallerist (Cathy Yan), The Moment (Aidan Zamiri), Sacrifice (Romain Gavras), and I Want Your Sex (Gregg Araki). Now, stepping into the world of C.S. Lewis? That would be a game-changer.

The Narnia fandom, however, isn’t exactly throwing a BRAT-themed welcome party just yet. Fans have taken to X to voice their skepticism, and let’s just say the responses are harsh. One fan wrote: “Absolutely not, lol. I can’t picture it even if they gave her THE White Witch look — tbh they need a higher caliber, more experienced actress for that part.” Another added: “She doesn’t have quite the essence I feel like the Witch needs.” And, in classic internet fashion, some even dragged in old rumors about Charli’s party lifestyle. One snarked: “Gonna be doing poppers on set.”

It’s clear that many fans are struggling to picture Charli stepping into the role made iconic by Tilda Swinton in Walden Media’s Narnia films (2005–2010). Swinton’s chilling performance in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe earned her a Saturn Award nomination for Best Actress, and her portrayal of Jadis is still widely regarded as one of the best parts of the trilogy. So, it’s understandable why fans are hesitant about a musician who has no major acting credits yet taking over such a legendary character.

What does Tilda Swinton think?

Interestingly, Swinton herself commented on Netflix’s new Narnia project last year. While she’s intrigued by Gerwig’s adaptation, she has no plans to return. In an interview with Canal+, the 64-year-old actress expressed her curiosity about the films. When asked if she’d reprise her role, Swinton laughed. 

“I doubt it. I don’t like to repeat. That film’s over for me. But I’m curious that somebody wants to do another one.” That leaves the White Witch role wide open—if she even appears in Gerwig’s first film. While Netflix has been developing new Narnia projects since 2018, details remain scarce. What we do know is that the first installment is set for a special two-week IMAX run in November 2026 before hitting the streamer.

But the big question remains: can Charli XCX pull off Jadis? There’s no denying that Charli has an undeniable stage presence. But acting, especially a role as commanding as Jadis, is a different ball game. That said, Greta Gerwig isn’t the type to make random casting choices. If Charli is truly in the running, it’s likely because Gerwig sees something in her that could bring a fresh, unexpected take to the White Witch.

Chappell Roan’s speech asking record labels to look out for smaller artists at the Grammy’s has certainly ruffled some feathers, and we’d expect nothing less from a pop star who’s proven time and time again that she’s not like her contemporaries. That being said, the backlash has also resulted in some positive action already.

Chappell’s speech was heavily criticized by music executive Jeff Rabhan in a guest column featured in The Hollywood Reporter. Rabhan called Roan “misinformed” for believing that record labels should be providing healthcare for artists as, according to him, it would only be bad news for both parties involved.

“There is no moral or ethical obligation by any standard that hold labels responsible for the allocation of additional funds beyond advances and royalties.”

Chappell Roan rises to Rabhan’s challenge

Rabhan also challenged Roan to put her money where her mouth is, calling her speech “performative” while accusing her of not really doing anything about the issue herself. In response to this, the pop star donated $25,000 to Backline, a charity that s artists’ mental health. 

The gesture proved that the “Pink Pony Club” singer was more than willing to put her words into action, and it subsequently inspired other artists to match her donation. Musicians including Charli XCX and Noah Kahan all chipped in with $25,000 of their own money, resulting in Backline’s “single biggest fundraising day,” according to charity director Hilary Gleason. Her words and subsequent actions led to even more following suit, including global touring companies and promoters. 

Chappell Roan wants more protection for smaller artists

Roan’s message is one that should really shouldn’t be that controversial. Taking to the stage to accept her award for Best New Artist, the “Good Luck, Babe!” singer called out record labels for failing to provide things like healthcare to smaller artists. She recounts her own experience being signed as a minor and struggling to get by when the COVID pandemic hit due to a lack of work experience.

Despite what her detractors are saying, it seems like the proof is in the pudding, Chappell successfully rallied enough people to not only start this conversation, but actually make a difference. Gleason thanked the singer for using her moment to draw attention to an issue few outside the industry were even aware of.

“We really appreciate her using that moment to call for action to change the music industry.”

Roan’s response to Rabhan also included a message to the music exec in which she asked him to match her donation, but it seems he has yet to accept the challenge, although he has responded to Roan’s power move on X.

From a short two minute speech, Roan managed to inspire her peers and those in the industry to take action, and we’ve already seen a tangible positive result. Only time will tell what more she’s capable of, but we can only hope she carries on the way she’s going and never conforms to the system.

Charli XCX may well have just had the greatest year of her career. In June 2024, the British musician released Brat, and from then on, the Brat hype completely took over our everyday lives — even earning dedicated SNL segments for what may well take home Album of the Year at the Grammys.

After releasing the album, the 32-year-old singer went on to drop two deluxe versions: Brat and It’s the Same but There’s Three More Songs So It’s Not and Brat and It’s Completely Different but Also Still Brat, featuring 20 artists across all the tracks. Both editions were an undeniable success, and frankly, it was a pop culture shift in the making.

Just recently, however, the singer veered away from the lime green aesthetic and threw a curveball by releasing a limited-edition vinyl for the Brat remix album — filled with… white powder, and the reception was less than ideal.

This creative choice is, unsurprisingly, tied to the fact that much of Charli’s music revolves around, well, illicit activities. She has openly shared that she frequently DJs and attends clubs — and while we can’t say for certain whether she partakes in these activities herself, her lyrics suggest, at face value, that she has an affinity for party stimulants.

However, despite the vinyl’s creative and unconventional design, many netizens find the choice distasteful, criticizing Charli for “glorifying drug abuse” and arguing that the “normalization of drugs has caused irreparable damage to society.” One also expressed their desire to “move away” from the increasing mainstream acceptance of drug culture.

These s are undoubtedly right — according to a study conducted by Gallup, “the effects of substance abuse are felt by around half of all American families.” Drug abuse remains a prominent issue and will likely continue to shape the lives of many Americans for years to come. But we seem to be losing recipes here.

While these concerns are entirely valid, many fans argue that the backlash is missing the point, dismissing the outrage as an “overreaction” and labeling critics as “overly woke” for reading too much into the vinyl’s white powder — which is likely a nod to cocaine. And honestly, they might have a point.

After all, one of the most common criticisms across the web is that “underage” and “impressionable” young audiences may normalize drug use. However, this critique is entirely nonsensical because, if you, as a parent, allow your underage child to freely roam social media, listening to and praising Brat and its lyrics, perhaps the artist isn’t the one at fault. After all, no one is obligated to cater their art to anyone’s kids.

Moreover, music and drugs have been intertwined since the dawn of time. A significant portion of The Beatles’ discography and its promotion reportedly revolved around psychedelic and hallucinogenic drugs like LSD, which the allegedly frequently used.

Similarly, many other bands and musicians have centered their music and marketing around themes of illicit activities. Pink Floyd, Janis Joplin, Miley Cyrus, and The Weeknd are just a few prominent artists who have openly incorporated their experiences with drugs into their work. But maybe, we drew the line between music and drugs a bit too late — but that time seems to be now.

Perhaps though, this widespread reaction is due to overexposure, as a woman in the limelight often faces audience fatigue — because, well, misogyny. Or maybe it’s the result of fandom wars leading to excessive critique. Or, perhaps, we’ve simply reached a point where expressing oneself freely through art is no longer acceptable. Whatever the reason, maybe brat just isn’t brat enough anymore.

Dua Lipa, one of the world’s leading pop stars, was left out of 2025’s incredibly tight Grammy race when the nominations dropped in November, but she’s happy to see others get the attention — especially one of her best friends and ers in the industry, Charli XCX.

With nods lined up for Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, and the year’s internet queen XCX, this year’s Grammy Awards are gearing up to be a certified diva-off. Lipa would have liked to have been included with Radical Optimism, but she’s not overly bothered, considering she’s just had “the best year of [her] life”

“Overall I’m really happy with where I am,” she told Billboard UK for its Global No. 1s series regarding the lack of Academy love for her third studio album. “I don’t think it really matters in the grand scheme of things — where I am, where I want to be and where I’m going. It doesn’t change the way I feel about the record at all.”

The 29-year-old says the album helped her realize some of her biggest dreams, including working with Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker, concerts all over Asia, a special Royal Albert Hall performance, and headlining Glastonbury’s mythical Pyramid Stage. “There came a point in the year where I was thinking, ‘I’ve got to sit down and write some new dreams and new plans and other things I wanted to do.'”

Nominated or not, Radical Optimism contributed to a year that was just overwhelmingly ruled by female voices. Most of 2024’s biggest, most talked about albums belonged to women, and the Grammys already reflect that. Beyoncé received a whopping 11 nods for her country turn in Cowboy Carter, officially becoming the most nominated artist in the awards’ history, followed by Eilish and XCX with seven (including a shared best pop duo/group performance nod for their collaboration in “Guess”), and Swift, Carpenter and Roan with six each. Kendrick Lamar and Post Malone were the only male artists to crash the ladies’ party, both with seven nominations.

While Lipa would have been a surefire addition to that list a couple of years ago, this year she’s just happy to see so many of her peers dominate.

Although it would have been nice to be recognized by your industry, especially as a woman, I’m so proud seeing so many incredible female artists nominated at the Grammys this year.”

Album of the Year winner predictions have varied, but the zeitgeist-seizing Brat is comfortably leading the race when it comes to end-of-year “Best Album” lists. Picked by the likes of The New York Times, Billboard, Rolling Stone, and NME as 2024’s best, XCX’s career-defining record also seems to be Lipa’s top pick.

“[Charli] has worked her arse off, and it’s so beautiful to see her get the recognition she deserves,” the British-Albanian singer said, adding “She’s really stuck to her guns and allowed herself to be creative in her own way, and it’s paid off. That’s the best thing that can ever happen to an artist. She’s so deserving of every moment.”

Lipa, of course, is featured in the deluxe version of Brat in the track “Talk Talk” alongside Troye Sivan and has been good friends with XCX since at least 2016, coming up in the same Brit pop scene. In an early 2024 Rolling Stone interview, she named the “360” musician as one of two friends that she really values in the industry, alongside Tove Lo. “Those are just two solid, core girls who are really girls’ girls … Both of them are just so real.”

Recently, a resurfaced clip of XCX doing back-up vocals for her friend on a 2018 BBC Live Lounge appearance went viral. “She was so wrong for having all the girls just do backup vocals omg like not even a single line,” said one fan — a wild sight considering the trajectories both of their careers have taken since.

Months before, in 2017, the Essex musician had promoted Lipa’s debut album on her profile. “Love you, Dua, congratulations,” XCX wrote.

Indeed, the “Houdini” singer isn’t exaggerating when she says XCX has “been so ive from day one.” “I love her so much … She’s always been a really good friend of mine … She deserves all the flowers,” Lipa gushed.

In 2024, Brat replicated a lot of the same viral success Lipa’s own Future Nostalgia achieved four years ago. And though it would have been fun to see the two London besties make the award rounds together this year, their respective global success is a testament to their hard work and longevity. That Lipa, who was one of the few main pop girls to be overlooked by the Grammys this year, will be channeling her energy towards ing her friend instead is a lesson in sisterhood that should be celebrated.

Charli XCX has been demanding everyone’s attention this week. She recently filmed an appearance for Saturday Night Live that gives fans a chance to see her comedic skills in action and wow us with her outfit choices. She will be the host and musical guest this week, and in a short clip of her skit, the “365” singer wears a white dress with a plunging neckline as she discusses her “real name” with Marcello Hernandez.

So, what does she say in response to the question? ​​“Charleston Ten One Hundred Ten,” she told Hernandez with a straight face and the perfect amount of attitude. We are sorry to inform those who believe the singer was born with such a far-out name, but she was born Charlotte Emma Aitchison.

The entertainer posted the clip on Instagram (where many of her loyal 6.6 million followers were excited to share their thoughts). Reactions to the post include “Let’s go babyyyyyy,” “we WILL BE watching,” and “this is literally all i have going for me this week.” But not everyone is impressed with the jokes, and honestly, they lacked that extra oomph we were expecting because Charli XCX is such an interesting character. “This is disgustingly unfunny,” a fan whined, while others complained how the show uses “recycled internet jokes for the promos.”

Are we excited to see Charli XCX on SNL? Of course, and we have no doubt her appearance will be memorable once they get into the more humorous material. But this is not the only post she has made this week that has caught our eyes!

Charli XCX has everyone’s attention thanks to her sultry pose

The singer also posted a topless photo from her campaign with fashion brand Acne Studios, which racked up comments from thirsty fans, and Charli XCX posed on an orange/brown sofa wearing matching brown pants and a top combination. The blouse she opted for has an interesting shawl collar neckline, which draws the eye in and becomes the focus of her outfit. She opted for heeled sandals and black sunglasses to complete the look. It’s not so much her outfit but the rather suggestive way she is sitting that has gotten her fans’ attention. “All of a sudden I want to be an orange couch,” a comment states, referring to the sofa she is sitting on.

Other reactions include, “Who is this DIVA,” “Hot,” and “Omg.” Due to the sheer excitement fans are experiencing from this photo, they are struggling to string a sentence together!

There have also been comments expressing joy that the singer will be on SNL, and she teased her appearance again in this post with a photo taken from outside the studios and with her caption. “Snl week babbyyyyyy lets gooooo,” she wrote.

This will be Charli XCX’s debut on the show, but she inspired a comedy sketch earlier this year when Bowen Yang parodied her. The “Apple” singer was asked to share her thoughts in an interview on The Howard Stern Show, and she let us know she took it comedic bit with good humor. “Oh no, no, no, I think SNL is iconic, and Troye [Sivan] and I, we had an inkling it was coming,” she said. “We were very excited about it, and I love Bowen, and honestly, I think he did a great job. I was very impressed with the hair texture actually, I thought it was a really good wig. Yeah, it was good. It was cool.”

BRAT Summer was a moment unlike pop culture had ever seen before. And if you thought we were done “bumpin’ that” with Charli XCX, think again! The BRAT party is here to stay, and just in time for the winter holidays, as well.

On Nov. 16, Charli XCX is set for SNL double duty, serving as both the host and the musical guest for the episode. This is her third time as a musical guest, but her first time hosting. In a hilarious promotional video, Charli and SNL cast member Chloe Fineman gracefully usher us into an extension of BRAT season.

BRAT is the new normal

Charli xcx for her appearance on SNL. pic.twitter.com/GNoiASs0Em

— Pop Base (@PopBase) November 13, 2024

Charli XCX undoubtedly had the soundtrack of the summer, as Brat has become more than an album. Now considered a cultural movement, everyone and everything from Snapchat, to VP Kamala Harris adopted their very own BRAT theme. 

To promote her appearance on SNL, Charli and Fineman exchange very few words on screen, as Charli’s response to just about everything is simply, “BRAT.” And judging from the public’s reaction, nobody’s really ready for the BRAT movement to end. In fact, the lime green color has almost become synonymous with the movement. As one X put it, “me when I see anything green in public.”

Just a month ago, the remix album, Brat and It’s Completely Different but Also Still Brat, was equally lauded for its innovative and fresh sound. With that, the BRAT renaissance took over, and it’s been UP for Charli XCX ever since.

In a conversation with Billboard, she shared that she’s been considering pivoting to acting and take some time off music, especially following the monumental success of Brat. “Actually, that could be cool if I didn’t really make music anymore after this,” she says. “I’m definitely thinking about it because I really want to act.” While it’s unsure what path she’ll take, she’s already earned her place in history after stealing the entire year.

An authentic musical statement

While there have been multiple breakthrough artists this year, it feels like Charli XCX’s success with Brat has stood out among the pack. By creating such an in-your-face project, she’s cemented herself as one of dance music’s most important voices. Ironically, six albums in, and the world’s just catching up with Charli’s genuine musicianship.

Charli XCX has been nominated for seven Grammys at 2025’s ceremony, including Album of the Year, and Record of the Year for “360.” Her other nominations include: 

• Best Dance/Electronic Album
• Best Recording Package 
• Best Pop Solo Performance – “Apple”
• Best Pop Duo/Group Performance – “Guess” feat. Billie Eilish
• Best Dance Pop Recording – “Von Dutch”

Brat is also the most acclaimed album of the year, with numerous rave reviews praising the artist for refusing to conform to the industry’s ideas of a hit album. Charli XCX brought her club and rave days in the UK to the forefront of American pop music, and has since collaborated with some of the biggest stars today, including Ariana Grande and Billie Eilish.

All in all, BRAT Summer might have kicked off the beginning of Charli’s unshakeable presence in pop culture, but the movement has become even bigger than the artist herself. And who knows, it could be a BRAT decade by the time the 2020s are through.

How did it happen so quickly? Charli XCX and Australian singer-songwriter Troye Sivan have ended their SWEAT tour, which ran for just over a month with dates in the United States and Canada (the tour started on Sept. 14 in Detroit and ended in Seattle on Oct. 23). To mark the end of their collaboration, the “360” singer took to Instagram to share an update with her 6.5 million followers, who are already in mourning.

Charli XCX’s post includes a chaotic video of herself and Troye vibing backstage. She also included a bunch of pictures from their collaboration, including snaps of them performing and behind-the-scenes videos that they have previously posted on their respective TikToks. To say they had a blast working together would be an accurate assessment, and the musician got emotional in her caption as she shared just how much this tour had meant to her.

Charli XCX celebrates the end of the SWEAT tour with emotional message

“Last night was the final night of sweat tour and i’m so sad it’s overrrrr,” she began. She commented that touring had always been challenging for her but that the SWEAT tour was an exception because it taught her the importance of surrounding herself with people who “can create the most amazing and special environment and memories.”

She continued, “As well as our incredible touring crew, Troye was such a massive part of making these shows so fun, and exciting and unforgettable. Troye — you’re one of a kind, I love you so much, you inspire me constantly and I am so so so beyond happy we got to do this together. Sweat tour is one of a kind.” The star concluded her message by thanking everyone for their continued .

Charli XCX’s words have moved many people, and they took to the post’s comment section to share their thoughts. “I’m in withdrawals mother thank you for this tour now do it again plz,” a comment reads. “Best ever,” another shared. Fans have also been asking for European dates for the tour and it’s clear that many people regret not being able to have seen these two performers live. Could a world tour be in the future? Fans have spoken, and it seems this is something that they really want!

Other reactions include “We had a blast babe, such an iconic chapter! Big love,” “this will definitely go down in history (please do a leg 2 sometime),” and “can we please make this like the olympics like a once every 4 years type thing bc i can’t live w/o it for the rest of my life.” Kesha, who was one of the special guest performers, also showed her for Charli XCX by writing, “Going down in history babes.”

To say Charli XCX’s star is on the rise would be an understatement because she has become one of the most in-demand artists this year. But she has itted to previously feeling like she didn’t belong and had trouble fitting into the music industry. “The industry’s changed a lot,” she told The Guardian in a 2024 interview. “I’ve been told for so long that I’m an outsider, and I never really felt accepted into the British music scene. The press has perpetuated that narrative of me. I’m this girl who straddles the underground and pop music, and that, for some reason, is really difficult for some people to wrap their heads around.” We look forward to seeing what she delivers in the future because its already ben an unforgettable ride!

Charli XCX has thoughts on who might have been behind the Kamala Harris campaign’s use of the pop star’s aesthetic for her latest album, Brat. 

In case your algorithm hasn’t yet delivered these Brat-themed presidential campaign moments, let me offer a refresher. Back in July, when Harris became the Democratic Party nominee for president following Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race, Charli XCX shared an innocent enough post on X, that read, simply, “Kamala IS brat.”

This referenced the singer’s most recent album, which also dropped in June and became a cultural phenomenon. Capitalizing on Charli XCX’s endorsement, the Harris campaign promptly changed its X banner by adopting the style of the Brat album cover, complete with that now-iconic shade of green and blurry Arial font. 

The whirlwind of interaction between a British pop star and a hopeful president of the US was enough to get everyone from CNN to Fox News talking, but now, months later, she’s has reflected on the origins of Harris’ adoption of the Brat aesthetic in a new interview with Zane Lowe. “They picked it up and ran with it,” she said of the social media team behind the Harris campaign. “That was cool.”

The singer went on to reveal which member of the Harris social media team might’ve been behind the Brat-themed maneuver, saying “I think that was a young gay man on that campaign who said, ‘let’s go.’” Charli has a long association with the queer community and legions of gay fans, so it stands to reason that one of them might have found their way into the Kamala Harris camp. 

She concluded her thoughts on the whole Harris/Brat moment by declaring that she is “happy to be on the right side of history” in of ing the Democratic nominee. She s the likes of Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift, Bette Midler and Barbra Streisand in endorsing Harris, while her opponent, Donald Trump, has …. Kid Rock in his corner. 

Elsewhere in the interview, she said her decision to share the “Kamala Harris IS brat” post on X was impromptu and warranted little thought, but that she couldn’t have imagined it “taking on quite the life that it did.” It must be welcome news for Parker Butler, who was revealed to be one of the people involved in Harris’ social media campaign last week. 

Butler took to X to re-share the clip of Charli XCX mentioning how a “gay man” must’ve been behind the Brat-themed campaign efforts, confirming that she was right on the money while also sharing the spotlight with his Harris campaign colleague, Paulina Mangubat. 

The pair shared some juicy behind-the-scenes intel around how they conceived of the bratty campaign moments, saying the green-colored mockups came together in a matter of minutes and that they questioned whether adopting the brat aesthetic looked as if they were “trying too hard.” 

The move paid off, but Kamala HQ has since done away with the brat imagery on their X page, with the new banner now trolling Trump rather than encouraging a “brat summer.”

In any case, the whole moment would surely secure Charli XCX a footnote in the history books if Harris does become the Brat In Chief in January.  

Scroll on TikTok for long enough and you’ll likely encounter a video from Kamala HQ, the social media page behind the presidential hopeful’s increasingly iconic online presence. 

Since ascending as the Democratic Party’s nominee, Kamala Harris has hugely benefited from her team’s social media savvy, quickly jumping on the hottest online trends to cater to a younger demographic.

Kamala HQ even made the news when it rode on the coattails of the ever-buzzy Charli XCX album brat, and this kind of finger on the pulse makes total sense for the originator of the “coconut tree” meme that overran our algorithm earlier this year.

The Kamala HQ TikTok page boasts a whopping 4.6 million followers, with videos that tap into a chronically online vernacular you wouldn’t necessarily expect from a presidential candidate. Oh, Kamala HQ is also hellbent on roasting Harris’ opponent Donald Trump, so it’s worth checking out for that reason alone. 

Now, some of the people behind Kamala HQ have delivered some juicy details about how they’ve operated the potential president’s social media presence. Taking to X, both Paulina Mangubat and Parker Butler — who co-run the viral Harris s — spilled some political lore around the branding of Kamala HQ, and it’s every bit as nonchalant as you’d expect from a Gen Z employee. 

In his original post, Parker reshared a snippet of Charli XCX reacting to Kamala HQ’s use of the brat branding, with the musician saying she presumed the was run by a “young gay man” (she was right). Parker agreed with the pop star’s assessment in his X caption, and shared screenshots of his and Mangubat’s text exchanges while brainstorming the logo and vibe of Kamala HQ. 

One text sees Mangubat sharing two versions of the logo followed casually by “idk”, before Parker delivers the lightbulb moment with “oh brat green.” In another screenshot, we see the pair questioning whether the brat-themed Kamala HQ branding is “trying too hard.” 

These screenshots are dated right before the Harris campaign underwent the brat rebrand, and the way it took off so rapidly online means Parker and Mangubat had little to worry about. 

For her part, Mangubat also took to X to deliver “some more lore” around the Kamala HQ rebrand. She said the mock-ups “came together in like 30 minutes”, and that they “weren’t necessarily planning on it becoming the permanent branding but i am glad it did.” 

As if the brat influences weren’t Gen Z enough, Mangubat also revealed that the logo for Kamala HQ was inspired by the hugely popular social media pages Deuxmoi and Pop Crave. The former is a celebrity gossip page that boasts over two million Instagram followers and the latter is an X page that posts regular celebrity updates.

A presidential campaign being inspired by both a buzzy pop album and a celebrity gossip was not on my 2024 bingo card, but the results have certainly paid off.

The Washington Post reports that Harris’ social media team is comprised entirely of people under the age of 25, some of whom are working their first jobs for the vice president. As we all know, Trump’s approach to social media once got him banned from X and now sees him using Truth Social, a platform he created that probably no one else visits.

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Charli XCX was arguably the hottest pop star of the year in 2024 thanks to her culture-shifting club music album Brat. What many may not know is that she is engaged to an equally talented musician in The 1975’s George Daniel, forming what could very well be the coolest celebrity couple in the music industry.

Charli and George met in 2019 while attending the British GQ Awards, and by 2020 they had become pretty chummy online but had rarely hung out. When they crossed paths again at that year’s NME Awards where they were sat at opposite tables, the “Apple” singer couldn’t stop staring, and neither could her would-be fiancé. That’s how her track “Talk Talk” from Brat was conceived, where she sings about the tension between the two as they both tried to find the courage to go and speak to one another.

“I’ve been lookin’ at you / Puttin’ holes in your head / We’ve been talking for months / But never in the same room / And now I wanna approach ya / But we’ve been keeping this a secret / And you’re surrounded by friends / And I’m just wondering what they know.”

As for the part where Charli sings about nearly following The 1975 drummer into the bathroom, that was also inspired by real events. “I saw that he went to the bathroom, so I was like, oh, I’ll go to the bathroom, and maybe we’ll bump into each other, and then we won’t be like texting all the time,” she said in a TikTok interview. “But then I got halfway there, and I was like, this is insane, and then I went and sat down again.”

Thankfully, they both got over the initial awkward and soon began making music together with George contributing significantly to Charli’s 2022 album Crash, followed by Brat and several other singles. In May of that year, they made their relationship Instagram official and by November of 2023, the drummer and producer had popped the million-dollar question. “Charli XCX and George Daniel f–king for life!!!,” the 32-year-old captioned the since-deleted social media announcement.

As for the wedding ceremony, Charli told Howard Stern the lovebirds are less concerned about the formalities of it all and more focused on just having a proper party with friends and family, like the true EDM enthusiasts they both are.

Who is George Daniel?

On top of being the band’s very talented drummer, George is incredibly involved in producing The 1975’s music and is often credited alongside lead singer Matty Healy as the songwriter for most of their discography.

George, who was born in Belgium, but grew up in Seattle before moving to England as a teen, met the rest of The 1975 boys, then called Drive Like I Do, in 2002 at Wilmslow High School in Cheshire (near Manchester). He replaced Healy as the drummer when he was bumped up to lead singer following the original vocalist’s exit from the band.

The foursome, which is rounded out by bass guitarist Ross MacDonald and guitarist Adam Hahn, have been playing music together ever since, but have recently branched out into individual projects. Besides producing music for other artists like Charli, The Japanese House, beabadoobee, and No Rome, George also released his own label in 2024 — dh2, a dance-focused imprint of The 1975’s loyal home of over ten years, Dirty Hit. The drummer, who has a degree in production and electronic music from a Manchester college, had been DJing for a while when he decided to officially venture off into the sweaty, high-octane world of clubbing.

Speaking about working with her partner in love and music, Charli said “I’ve never been with someone as super creative as [him]. (…) He inspires me daily.” Now that is a power couple.

You’d be forgiven for thinking Charli XCX is a new artist basking in the glow of her ultra-successful Brat album era but the truth is, you’ve been listening to Charli for years. The “Sympathy is a Knife” songstress might have reached a new career high thanks to the viral marketing power of Brat, but Charli’s been making music since the Myspace era. 

While you’ve surely heard songs like “360” and “Apple” all over social media, Charli’s been making hits since she stepped onto the scene in the 2010s. Along with her own songs like “Boom Clap,” she’s been featured on songs like Icona Pop’s 2012 single “I Love It” and topped Billboard with Iggy Azalea on 2014’s “Fancy.” In more recent years, Charli has carved out a niche as a pop tastemaker with fan-favorite projects like her 2016 Vroom Vroom EP and mixtapes like 2017’s Pop 2. Somehow, she still finds time to flex her songwriting chops on songs for other artists, like “Señorita” for Camilla Cabello and Shawn Mendes. It’s safe to say Charli’s proved herself as an artist after over a decade in the industry. 

Charli, born Charlotte Emma Aitchison, has attributed much of her success to her parents’ for her career at a young age. She’s opened up about growing up biracial and her relationship with her parents more often in recent years, even releasing the song “Apple” about intergenerational trauma and difficulties communicating with her parents. 

Who are Charli XCX’s parents">The apple really doesn’t fall far from the tree.

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