0:00:00.000,0:00:02.628
1, 2, 3[br]AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!
0:00:02.643,0:00:05.013
Olá a todos, sou BRATthony[br]Greeentano,
0:00:05.013,0:00:09.013
o nerd de música mais ocupado da internet.[br]E é hora de uma crítica
0:00:09.013,0:00:12.441
deste novo disco "Brat" de Charli xcx.
0:00:12.441,0:00:17.862
Aqui temos o 6º álbum oficial[br]de estúdio da cantora pop e
0:00:17.862,0:00:20.422
compositora Sra. Charli xcx.
0:00:20.422,0:00:24.572
Um dos meus álbuns mais esperados do[br]ano, por quê?
0:00:24.572,0:00:28.812
Bem, na última década, aos meus olhos,[br]Charli se tornou uma das forças
0:00:28.812,0:00:32.812
mais criativas, únicas e pioneiras[br]na música pop atual.
0:00:32.812,0:00:36.285
E a evolução dela tem sido interessante[br]de assistir, para dizer o mínimo.
0:00:36.285,0:00:39.055
Não sou fã de seus primeiros[br]trabalhos, na verdade, mas
0:00:39.055,0:00:42.253
hoje eles servem como um ponto[br]de referência interessante.
0:00:42.253,0:00:44.663
Pelo que ela está fazendo neste[br]disco.
0:00:44.663,0:00:48.920
As eras "True Romance" e "Sucker" de [br]sua carreira, trouxeram alguns dos
0:00:48.920,0:00:51.541
seus maiores sucessos e[br]participações até hoje, verdade,
0:00:51.541,0:00:55.581
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.
0:00:57.401,0:01:00.562
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
0:01:03.582,0:01:05.586
realmente começou a empurrar os limites.
0:01:05.586,0:01:08.736
Juntando-se criativamente com[br]compositores e produtores da
0:01:08.736,0:01:10.515
gravadora de música PC em ascensão.
0:01:10.515,0:01:14.775
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
0:01:18.574,0:01:22.896
revitalização da estética pop[br]da era Y2k, mas com um
0:01:22.896,0:01:25.280
som hiperfuturista e nervoso.
0:01:25.280,0:01:29.380
E o nosso primeiro gosto dessa[br]nova direção veio na forma do
0:01:29.380,0:01:33.027
EP "Vroom Vroom" de Charli xcx em 2016.
0:01:33.027,0:01:36.295
O que alguns críticos simplesmente[br]não sabiam o que dizer na época,
0:01:36.295,0:01:39.601
e embora tenha sido meu EP do ano[br]naquele ano,
0:01:39.601,0:01:43.601
Eu ainda podia ver como ele teria [br]afastado muitas pessoas se elas
0:01:43.601,0:01:47.033
chegassem na música de[br]Charli com certas expectativas,
0:01:47.033,0:01:49.133
já que ela era uma artista pop.
0:01:49.133,0:01:54.335
Porque o tom de "Vroom Vroom" é,[br]em pontos, meio escuros e viscerais
0:01:54.335,0:01:56.688
e maneiro de um jeito estranho.
0:01:56.688,0:02:00.931
Brega, também, com algumas faixas variando[br]descontroladamente de parte a parte que,
0:02:00.931,0:02:05.361
você poderia entender o que ela estava[br]fazendo como uma piada ou inovação.
0:02:05.361,0:02:08.835
No entanto, as faixas deste EP[br]são seríssimas.
0:02:08.835,0:02:14.190
E foram um passo novo e ousado para [br]música pop, bem como um momento popular,
0:02:14.190,0:02:17.368
para Charli e PC Music de forma criativa.
0:02:17.368,0:02:22.218
Porque neste ponto, Charli se tornou[br]o canal perfeito para o que eles
0:02:22.218,0:02:26.879
estavam tentando canalizar essa[br]reconstrução detalhada e retro-futurista
0:02:26.879,0:02:32.341
da música pop dos anos 2000,[br]que desfocam as linhas entre o satírico,
0:02:32.341,0:02:33.664
e o reverente.
0:02:33.664,0:02:36.953
Enquanto isso, a química criativa[br]de Charli com A.G e SOPHIE
0:02:36.953,0:02:40.701
a permitiu, eu acho, a experimentar mais[br]e amadurecer como compositora.
0:02:40.701,0:02:43.957
Permitindo a ela a liberdade de lançar[br]hits loucos, bem como
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hinos elegantes e poderosos.
0:02:45.539,0:02:49.539
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
0:02:54.310,0:02:57.033
mixtape que ela lançou em 2017,
0:02:57.033,0:03:01.201
e então, aos meus olhos, foi[br]totalmente executado em seu excelente
0:03:01.201,0:03:02.313
disco "Charli" de 2019.
0:03:02.313,0:03:06.663
Agora, ao longo dos anos, como Charli[br]desenvolveu esse novo som,
0:03:06.663,0:03:10.493
sua escrita ofereceu mais profundidade,[br]tornou-se mais pessoal e íntima,
0:03:10.493,0:03:13.190
em especial seu álbum da pandemia[br]"How I 'm Feeling Now".
0:03:13.190,0:03:16.134
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
0:03:21.564,0:03:26.216
se tornou, mais ou menos, uma personagem[br]exagerada que ela interpreta.
0:03:26.216,0:03:30.814
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.
0:03:37.895,0:03:43.287
Porque seu estilo tinha passado de[br]desafiador para meio que definível
0:03:43.287,0:03:48.866
com este recém-criado "hiper-pop"[br]termo que estava sendo colocado em todos
0:03:48.866,0:03:52.370
que soassem vagamente[br]como ela ou 100gecs.
0:03:52.370,0:03:56.943
E ela rapidamente passou a se despir[br]de muitas características "hiper"
0:03:56.943,0:04:03.013
de sua música no próximo álbum "Crash"[br]trabalhando com novos produtores
0:04:03.013,0:04:07.587
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?
0:04:09.747,0:04:13.747
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.
0:04:16.596,0:04:20.927
O que nos traz até hoje. O último ciclo[br]de álbuns de Charli, "BRAT".
0:04:20.927,0:04:25.665
Onde eu acho que ela está genuinamente[br]se reconectando com a trajetória que
0:04:25.665,0:04:28.600
a trouxe até este ponto e fez dela[br]uma artista especial.
0:04:28.600,0:04:32.803
Até EASYFUN e A.G Cook estão de volta[br]na área da produção,
0:04:32.803,0:04:35.609
de um monte de faixas, outras[br]pessoas também.
0:04:35.609,0:04:41.089
Há até referências a A.G. Cook[br]em algumas das letras deste disco
0:04:41.089,0:04:44.281
como se fosse um[br]meta-comentário.
0:04:44.281,0:04:49.252
Você pode notar que Charli está totalmente[br]abraçando o impacto que teve na música pop
0:04:49.252,0:04:55.462
nos últimos anos e usa isso mais[br]como uma força do que uma fraqueza
0:04:55.462,0:04:57.732
que ela pode ser rotulada.
0:04:57.732,0:05:00.689
E eu acho que é algo que ela pode[br]fazer com confiança porque
0:05:00.689,0:05:05.119
ela e A.G. Cook não estão apenas[br]tentando, sabe,
0:05:05.119,0:05:09.119
reviver algum tipo de tendência[br]hiper-pop neste LP.
0:05:09.119,0:05:14.909
Quero dizer, com certeza, o objetivo[br]e o foco de Charli é nos dar esta ousada
0:05:14.909,0:05:18.909
e contundente homenagem à música[br]pop da era dos anos 2000 com autotune
0:05:18.909,0:05:24.840
mas desta vez temos um foco[br]refrescante no dance-pop, no EDM,
0:05:24.840,0:05:28.712
no electropop daquela época,[br]hits de balada em geral.
0:05:28.712,0:05:33.732
Com uma vibe bastante agressiva,[br]fazendo dele digno do título “PIRRALHO"
0:05:33.732,0:05:36.142
Porque este disco é para ser[br]dançado.
0:05:36.142,0:05:37.874
E, às vezes, chorar.
0:05:37.874,0:05:41.377
Pois a escrita de Charli está mais[br]madura e atenciosa do que nunca.
0:05:41.377,0:05:45.229
Por um lado, sua persona de garota[br]festeira vai para um lado sombrio,
0:05:45.229,0:05:47.086
ou pelo menos se esvazia um pouco
0:05:47.086,0:05:49.976
e ela revela que é uma[br]espécie de máscara,
0:05:49.976,0:05:55.526
e que ela nem sempre sente como[br]se ela fosse digna de estar lá na festa
0:05:55.526,0:05:58.156
ou que ela e a festa estão[br]um pouco em desacordo.
0:05:58.156,0:06:02.808
E em "i think about it all the time"[br]vemos Charli refletindo sobre se ela
0:06:02.808,0:06:05.444
pode continuar sua carreira[br]no caminho atual ou não,
0:06:05.444,0:06:10.356
na ideia de se tornar mãe, o que ela[br]claramente tem interesse em algum momento.
0:06:10.356,0:06:14.806
Pulando adiante aqui, também é meio que[br]louco narrativamente como isso contrasta
0:06:14.806,0:06:18.906
tanto com ela voltando totalmente[br]para o modo de festa na faixa "365".
0:06:18.906,0:06:24.026
Claro, há notas de nostalgia[br]neste álbum, também, isso é muito
0:06:24.026,0:06:28.026
notável em faixas como "1999" e mais[br]notadamente em "Rewind",
0:06:28.026,0:06:31.286
mas essa música é mais sobre[br]Charli sentir falta dos aspectos antigos
0:06:31.286,0:06:32.754
de sua vida antes da fama.
0:06:32.754,0:06:37.358
Entre refrões pegajosos nesta faixa,[br]Ela entrega seus versos nesta maneira que
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kinda comes off like, conflicted internal[br]monologue, or like
0:06:40.748,0:06:42.480
she's musically journaling.
0:06:42.480,0:06:45.850
There are lots of tracks on this thing too[br]that deal in love.
0:06:45.850,0:06:49.850
But these songs narratively feel vastly[br]different from previous singles like
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"Good Ones", for example.
0:06:50.969,0:06:54.839
Tracks where historically, Charli can be[br]seen running away from love
0:06:54.839,0:06:59.021
or being a bit self-effacing and talking [br]about how she's fucking it all up.
0:06:59.021,0:07:02.002
Instead, on songs such as the really[br]infectious
0:07:02.002,0:07:03.666
singing "Talk talk to me!"
0:07:03.666,0:07:07.242
as, uh, as well laughs[br]as the very cinematic
0:07:07.242,0:07:09.464
singing "Everything is romantic"
0:07:09.464,0:07:14.267
Yeah, Charli can be seen accepting[br]love and doing quite a few shoutouts
0:07:14.267,0:07:15.773
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
0:07:20.619,0:07:24.883
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.
0:07:35.335,0:07:38.446
I mean, historically Charli is very[br]pro-woman,
0:07:38.446,0:07:41.895
especially when it comes to supporting[br]other artists with her music
0:07:41.895,0:07:46.215
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".
0:07:51.475,0:07:54.770
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
0:07:57.863,0:08:02.248
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.
0:08:08.224,0:08:12.665
There's "Sympathy is a knife" where she[br]talks about, just, being so
0:08:12.665,0:08:16.665
self-conscious around this other woman[br]that she wishes for
0:08:16.665,0:08:18.274
a gun to shoot herself with.
0:08:18.274,0:08:22.274
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.
0:08:27.267,0:08:30.701
There's also "GIrl, so confusing" where[br]Charli sings about the difficulties
0:08:30.701,0:08:34.825
of letting people in, and navigating[br]the music industry among other
0:08:34.825,0:08:37.841
people who she may have a difficult[br]time connecting with,
0:08:37.841,0:08:38.889
knowing how to trust.
0:08:38.889,0:08:42.889
The song seems to be very specifically[br]about a single person who
0:08:42.889,0:08:47.329
maybe she's been likened to by fans[br]but she doesn't fully see it.
0:08:47.329,0:08:51.193
However, there's still a desire there[br]on some level to make the friendship
0:08:51.193,0:08:52.467
or the connection work.
0:08:52.467,0:08:56.467
Then the song "Von dutch" sees Charli[br]getting pretty aggressive and
0:08:56.467,0:08:57.719
combative lyrically.
0:08:57.719,0:09:01.243
Specifically in regards to someone who[br]doesn't seem to like her,
0:09:01.243,0:09:03.083
maybe even is talking behind her back.
0:09:03.083,0:09:07.686
And her response to that is, essentially,[br]this big anthemic "Fuck you" here.
0:09:07.686,0:09:12.847
Where she's delivering some biting lyrics[br]about how this person may actually be
0:09:12.847,0:09:15.105
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
0:09:19.858,0:09:24.699
but the biggest bombshell of all of them[br]has to be the song, "So I".
0:09:24.699,0:09:31.584
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,
0:09:34.963,0:09:40.465
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
0:13:26.600,0:13:30.131
of pop music, is not going anywhere[br]anytime soon.
0:13:30.131,0:13:34.131
And it's with that I say I loved[br]"BRAT", killer album,
0:13:34.342,0:13:38.342
and I think that this record proves that [br]Charli truly is a generational pop artist.
0:13:38.342,0:13:42.602
Which is why I'm feeling a strong 9,[br]to a 10 on this LP.
0:13:42.974,0:13:43.744
Tran-
0:13:43.744,0:13:47.103
sition. Have you given this album a [br]listen? Did you love it? Did you hate it?
0:13:47.103,0:13:48.934
What would you rate it? [br]"You're the best, you're the best",
0:13:48.934,0:13:50.744
What should I review next? [br]Hit the like if you'd like,
0:13:50.744,0:13:53.275
please subscribe, please don't cry, [br]hit the bell as well.
0:13:53.275,0:13:56.025
Over here next to my head is another video[br]you can check out,
0:13:56.025,0:13:58.225
hit that up or the link to subscribe [br]to the channel.
0:13:58.225,0:14:02.000
Anthony Fantano, Charli xcx. Forever.