0:00:00.000,0:00:02.628
1, 2, 3[br]AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!

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Olá a todos, sou BRATthony[br]Greeentano,

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o nerd de música mais ocupado da internet.[br]E é hora de uma crítica

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deste novo disco "Brat" de Charli xcx.

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Aqui temos o 6º álbum oficial[br]de estúdio da cantora pop e

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compositora Sra. Charli xcx.

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Um dos meus álbuns mais esperados do[br]ano, por quê?

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Bem, na última década, aos meus olhos,[br]Charli se tornou uma das forças

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mais criativas, únicas e pioneiras[br]na música pop atual.

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E a evolução dela tem sido interessante[br]de assistir, para dizer o mínimo.

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Não sou fã de seus primeiros[br]trabalhos, na verdade, mas

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hoje eles servem como um ponto[br]de referência interessante.

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Pelo que ela está fazendo neste[br]disco.

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As eras "True Romance" e "Sucker" de [br]sua carreira, trouxeram alguns dos

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seus maiores sucessos e[br]participações até hoje, verdade,

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mas sonoramente, grande parte da música que ela[br]estava lançando nessa época não estava

0:00:55.581,0:00:57.401
muito ousada ou mesmo profunda.

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Na melhor das hipóteses, poderia[br]dizer que era pegajosa, da época.

0:01:00.562,0:01:03.582
Em meados da década de 2010, no entanto,[br]é quando a música dela

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realmente começou a empurrar os limites.

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Juntando-se criativamente com[br]compositores e produtores da

0:01:08.736,0:01:10.515
gravadora de música PC em ascensão.

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Estou falando de pessoas como[br]Danny L Harle e EASYFUN, A.G Cook,

0:01:14.775,0:01:15.815
e a falecida SOPHIE,

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que na época estavam ganhando[br]uma boa reputação pela

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revitalização da estética pop[br]da era Y2k, mas com um

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som hiperfuturista e nervoso.

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E o nosso primeiro gosto dessa[br]nova direção veio na forma do

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EP "Vroom Vroom" de Charli xcx em 2016.

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O que alguns críticos simplesmente[br]não sabiam o que dizer na época,

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e embora tenha sido meu EP do ano[br]naquele ano,

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Eu ainda podia ver como ele teria [br]afastado muitas pessoas se elas

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chegassem na música de[br]Charli com certas expectativas,

0:01:47.033,0:01:49.133
já que ela era uma artista pop.

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Porque o tom de "Vroom Vroom" é,[br]em pontos, meio escuros e viscerais

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e maneiro de um jeito estranho.

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Brega, também, com algumas faixas variando[br]descontroladamente de parte a parte que,

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você poderia entender o que ela estava[br]fazendo como uma piada ou inovação.

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No entanto, as faixas deste EP[br]são seríssimas.

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E foram um passo novo e ousado para [br]música pop, bem como um momento popular,

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para Charli e PC Music de forma criativa.

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Porque neste ponto, Charli se tornou[br]o canal perfeito para o que eles

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estavam tentando canalizar essa[br]reconstrução detalhada e retro-futurista

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da música pop dos anos 2000,[br]que desfocam as linhas entre o satírico,

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e o reverente.

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Enquanto isso, a química criativa[br]de Charli com A.G e SOPHIE

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a permitiu, eu acho, a experimentar mais[br]e amadurecer como compositora.

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Permitindo a ela a liberdade de lançar[br]hits loucos, bem como

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hinos elegantes e poderosos.

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Músicas com estruturas estranhas[br]ou características muito improváveis,

0:02:49.539,0:02:54.310
Muitas dessas ideias e conceitos foram[br]mais ou menos testados na estrada na

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mixtape que ela lançou em 2017,

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e então, aos meus olhos, foi[br]totalmente executado em seu excelente

0:03:01.201,0:03:02.313
disco "Charli" de 2019.

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Agora, ao longo dos anos, como Charli[br]desenvolveu esse novo som,

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sua escrita ofereceu mais profundidade,[br]tornou-se mais pessoal e íntima,

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em especial seu álbum da pandemia[br]"How I 'm Feeling Now".

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Mas acho que a escrita dela cresceu[br]mais conceitual, também.

0:03:16.134,0:03:21.564
Com uma apresentação elegante,[br]de inglesa festeira em muitas músicas

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se tornou, mais ou menos, uma personagem[br]exagerada que ela interpreta.

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Porém, de certa forma, o som reconhecível[br]instantaneamente de Charli e lugar único

0:03:30.814,0:03:37.895
na paisagem pop, tornou-se tanto uma[br]bênção e uma maldição na década de 2020.

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Porque seu estilo tinha passado de[br]desafiador para meio que definível

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com este recém-criado "hiper-pop"[br]termo que estava sendo colocado em todos

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que soassem vagamente[br]como ela ou 100gecs.

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E ela rapidamente passou a se despir[br]de muitas características "hiper"

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de sua música no próximo álbum "Crash"[br]trabalhando com novos produtores

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E embora eu não possa negar que o disco[br]apresenta alguns hits respeitáveis,

0:04:07.587,0:04:09.747
Eu tenho que perguntar: a que custo?

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Porque "Crash", de forma muito mensurável,[br]tinha muito menos personalidade do que

0:04:13.747,0:04:16.596
qualquer coisa que Charli tinha lançado[br]nos últimos anos.

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O que nos traz até hoje. O último ciclo[br]de álbuns de Charli, "BRAT".

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Onde eu acho que ela está genuinamente[br]se reconectando com a trajetória que

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a trouxe até este ponto e fez dela[br]uma artista especial.

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Even EASYFUN and A.G Cook are back[br]in the mix on this production side,

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on a whole lot of tracks, uh, numerous[br]others too.

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There are even references to A.G Cook[br]on some of the lyrics to this record

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as quite a bit of meta-commentary[br]is going on as well.

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You can really tell that Charli is fully[br]embracing the impact she's had on pop music

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in recent years, and really using it as[br]more of a strength than a weakness

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that she can be pigeon holed into.

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And I think that's something she can[br]do confidently because

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her and A.G Cook aren't just merely[br]trying to, y'know,

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revive some kind of hyperpop trend on[br]this LP.

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I mean, for sure, Charli's goal and focus[br]is to give us this autotuned, bold,

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and hard-hitting homage to 2000s era [br]pop music,

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but this time around we have a refreshing[br]focus on dance-pop, on EDM from that era,

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on electropop from that era, club bangers[br]generally.

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With a pretty aggressive edge, making this[br]LP very worthy of the title "BRAT".

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Because this record is meant to be[br]danced to.

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And, at points, cry to.

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As I think Charli's writing is more mature[br]and thoughtful than it's ever been.

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For one, her party girl persona takes[br]a bit of a dark turn,

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or at least gets deflated a bit

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as she reveals that it's kind of a[br]mask,

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and that she doesn't always feel[br]like she's worthy of being there at the party

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or that her and the party are a bit[br]at odds.

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Meanwhile, "i think about it all the time"[br]sees Charli musing about whether or not

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she can continue her career in the way[br]she currently is,

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while also becoming a mother, which she[br]very clearly has interest in at some point.

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Skipping ahead here, it's also kind of[br]crazy how narratively, this contrasts so hard

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with her going back full into party mode[br]on the closing track, "365".

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Of course, there are notes of nostalgia[br]on this album, too, that is very much

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in line with tracks like "1999", most[br]notably on "Rewind",

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but this song specifically is more about[br]Charli missing the older aspects

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of her life before the fame.

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Between sticky choruses on this track,[br]she delivers her verses in this way that

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kinda comes off like, conflicted internal[br]monologue, or like

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she's musically journaling.

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There are lots of tracks on this thing too[br]that deal in love.

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But these songs narratively feel vastly[br]different from previous singles like

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"Good Ones", for example.

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Tracks where historically, Charli can be[br]seen running away from love

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or being a bit self-effacing and talking [br]about how she's fucking it all up.

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Instead, on songs such as the really[br]infectious

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<i>singing</i> "Talk talk to me!"

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as, uh, as well <i>laughs</i>[br]as the very cinematic

0:07:07.242,0:07:09.464
<i>singing</i> "Everything is romantic"

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Yeah, Charli can be seen accepting[br]love and doing quite a few shoutouts

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to her fiancé George.

0:07:15.773,0:07:20.619
But yes, between this and numerous nods[br]to wanting to have maybe a more normal

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life at some point, Charli really presents[br]some interesting internal conflicts

0:07:24.883,0:07:30.019
throughout this album, which we also[br]hear as well on tracks where she is

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singing about things like friendship[br]and sharing the limelight with other women.

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I mean, historically Charli is very[br]pro-woman,

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especially when it comes to supporting[br]other artists with her music

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through features, through attention she[br]can throw their way with her creativity

0:07:46.215,0:07:50.215
I mean, even look at the lyrics in the[br]music video to one of the big singles

0:07:50.215,0:07:51.475
from this record, "360".

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That is the Charli that most fans[br]know and love.

0:07:54.770,0:07:57.863
By that same token, there are[br]numerous songs on this record

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where she is being very unfiltered[br]and just admitting

0:08:02.248,0:08:08.224
how, just, insecure and plagued with[br]fear she is sometimes.

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There's "Sympathy is a knife" where she[br]talks about, just, being so

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self-conscious around this other woman[br]that she wishes for

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a gun to shoot herself with.

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Which is context that some fans might[br]even miss if they're mostly wrapped up

0:08:22.274,0:08:27.267
in the roaring bass and fantastic string[br]hits going on the dance beat.

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There's also "GIrl, so confusing" where[br]Charli sings about the difficulties

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of letting people in, and navigating[br]the music industry among other

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people who she may have a difficult[br]time connecting with,

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knowing how to trust.

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The song seems to be very specifically[br]about a single person who

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maybe she's been likened to by fans[br]but she doesn't fully see it.

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However, there's still a desire there[br]on some level to make the friendship

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or the connection work.

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Then the song "Von dutch" sees Charli[br]getting pretty aggressive and

0:08:56.467,0:08:57.719
combative lyrically.

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Specifically in regards to someone who[br]doesn't seem to like her,

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maybe even is talking behind her back.

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And her response to that is, essentially,[br]this big anthemic "Fuck you" here.

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Where she's delivering some biting lyrics[br]about how this person may actually be

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nothing if it weren't for some [br]"little dance" they're doing.

0:09:15.105,0:09:19.858
So, yeah, there are these intense[br]emotional peaks all over the album

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but the biggest bombshell of all of them[br]has to be the song, "So I".

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Which is very obviously a tribute to the [br]late great producer and songwriter SOHPIE

0:09:31.584,0:09:34.963
who actually collaborated with Charli[br]quite a few times,

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so consistently, in fact, from an outside[br]perspective, I don't think any fan of either

0:09:40.465,0:09:45.237
Charli or SOPHIE would have presumed[br]anything of them and their connection.

0:09:45.237,0:09:49.530
Other than something along the lines of,[br]"Hey, they're collaborators, they have

0:09:49.530,0:09:51.801
big respect for each other, they[br]love each other,

0:09:51.801,0:09:53.261
they're probably friends,

0:09:53.261,0:09:57.061
Charli, SOHPIE, SOPHIE, Charli,[br]name a more iconic duo-"

0:09:57.061,0:10:02.820
But what Charli says on this track here[br]actually tells a very different story

0:10:02.820,0:10:07.584
and is quite revealing in a way that[br]is actually pretty admirable.

0:10:07.584,0:10:11.584
Because the angle of the song is,[br]yes, very sad, obviously,

0:10:11.584,0:10:14.144
but it doesn't necessarily paint Charli [br]in the best light.

0:10:14.144,0:10:20.001
And, again, it's painfully sad and[br]has made me reflect on the tone

0:10:20.001,0:10:24.699
that tributes in art or whatever[br]other medium often take.

0:10:24.699,0:10:27.929
They usually end up being less about[br]the tributed person

0:10:27.929,0:10:31.231
and more about the tributer's love and [br]adoration.

0:10:31.231,0:10:34.582
"Look how great I think this person[br]is, who we all think is great."

0:10:34.582,0:10:38.795
And Charli's song here does contain[br]quite a bit of praise for SOHPIE

0:10:38.795,0:10:40.225
that's true, don't get me wrong.

0:10:40.225,0:10:45.038
But a lot of the track is actually an[br]admittance on Charli's part, with her

0:10:45.038,0:10:48.317
pretty much saying, "I was a shitty[br]friend."

0:10:48.317,0:10:50.999
"I kinda pushed this person away. I wish[br]I didn't."

0:10:50.999,0:10:56.270
"And now, I am plagued with an[br]insurmountable amount of regret."

0:10:56.270,0:11:01.347
Which does make it a really tough listen[br]even if I think instrumentally and

0:11:01.347,0:11:03.677
melodically it is one of the strongest[br]showings here.

0:11:03.677,0:11:08.581
Narratively and emotionally there are[br]quite a few cuts that I think are

0:11:08.581,0:11:12.821
a bit lighter in tone, but they still[br]contribute a great amount of quality to

0:11:12.821,0:11:16.821
the record and are just generally[br]fun and entertaining to listen to.

0:11:16.821,0:11:20.161
There's "Club classics", which I thought[br]was an incredible single to

0:11:20.161,0:11:24.433
the album. Also, "B2b", which is just some[br]very straightforward, cut and dry,

0:11:24.433,0:11:29.816
throwback, quality dance pop with a pretty[br]clear hot and cold, back and forth

0:11:29.816,0:11:32.006
love on the rocks type narrative

0:11:32.006,0:11:36.006
There's also "Apple", which is some[br]very groovy throwbacks synthpop too.

0:11:36.006,0:11:40.867
All about a situation and dynamic that[br]Charli likens to a rotten apple,

0:11:40.867,0:11:45.566
it's a situation she describes having to[br]escape from by car, by plane,

0:11:45.566,0:11:50.056
There's "Mean girls", which is a[br]character portrait about exactly that,

0:11:50.056,0:11:53.838
with a soaring and anthemic chorus [br]plus a killer piano break

0:11:53.838,0:11:56.214
that the entire track builds off of[br]from there.

0:11:56.214,0:11:59.574
And then at the very end there's [br]"365", which is this

0:11:59.574,0:12:03.574
version of the song "360" that kicks[br]the record off, this

0:12:03.574,0:12:08.244
mirrored, remix-as-reprise big finish.

0:12:08.244,0:12:11.353
With some acid bass mixed in there[br]for good measure.

0:12:11.353,0:12:14.552
So, I love the way the record finishes.[br]Love the way it kicks off,

0:12:14.552,0:12:17.431
and the flow from moment to moment [br]generally is great.

0:12:17.431,0:12:20.206
It's to the point where certain tracks[br]in the leadup to the record

0:12:20.206,0:12:24.206
that I thought were just kind of okay[br]sound better being reinforced

0:12:24.206,0:12:27.453
by the vibes and the aesthetics of the[br]surrounding songs on the album.

0:12:27.453,0:12:30.355
Because as I've heard the entire[br]thing now many times over,

0:12:30.355,0:12:31.485
I don't think there's a skip on it.

0:12:31.485,0:12:35.485
The production generally goes hard[br]as hell, it is vibrant, it is colorful,

0:12:35.485,0:12:39.102
it is very visceral at times, aggressive,[br]but,

0:12:39.102,0:12:42.621
I can see some people kinda scratching[br]their heads at the fact that it doesn't

0:12:42.621,0:12:48.125
come across quite as futuristic as some[br]of those "hyperpop" classics

0:12:48.125,0:12:48.899
in recent years.

0:12:48.899,0:12:52.116
But more importantly what I think[br]the production does on

0:12:52.116,0:12:55.826
this album is that it serves the songs.

0:12:56.111,0:12:59.701
It's sweet when it needs to be,[br]it's dynamic when it needs to be,

0:12:59.701,0:13:02.701
it's lowkey or explosive when it needs[br]to be,

0:13:02.701,0:13:06.482
and there is still a very clear and[br]consistent aesthetic focused on

0:13:06.482,0:13:09.624
the entire album that centers around[br]a certain era of pop and dance music.

0:13:09.624,0:13:13.398
So, I'm not necessarily disappointed[br]with this record not being as

0:13:13.398,0:13:16.628
ahead of the curve as a project like[br]"Charli", for example.

0:13:16.628,0:13:22.000
Especially considering that Charli xcx[br]copycats these days are abound.

0:13:22.000,0:13:26.600
The impact that people like her and A.G[br]and SOPHIE have had on the modern era

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of pop music, is not going anywhere[br]anytime soon.

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And it's with that I say I loved[br]"BRAT", killer album,

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and I think that this record proves that [br]Charli truly is a generational pop artist.

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Which is why I'm feeling a strong 9,[br]to a 10 on this LP.

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Tran-

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sition. Have you given this album a [br]listen? Did you love it? Did you hate it?

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What would you rate it? [br]"You're the best, you're the best",

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What should I review next? [br]Hit the like if you'd like,

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please subscribe, please don't cry, [br]hit the bell as well.

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Over here next to my head is another video[br]you can check out,

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hit that up or the link to subscribe [br]to the channel.

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Anthony Fantano, Charli xcx. Forever.