"My Music Is Not Political": Charli XCX Just Got So Honest About Her "Kamala IS Brat" Tweet

Contrary to Pitchfork's declaration, Brat Summer is still in full swing. The aesthetic trend is named after Charli XCX's sixth studio album, Brat, which dropped in June.

The Brat aesthetic — which is somewhat amorphous but includes partying, an effortless cool factor, and a very specific shade of green — has reached such a cultural zeitgeist that it's become a political talking point.

This occurred after Charli tweeted, "kamala IS brat," in July, following President Joe Biden announcing that he was ending his reelection campaign and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic presidential candidate.

@charli_xcx/Twitter / Via x.com

Soon after, Kamala's campaign embraced the Brat aesthetic on social media, which then led cable news channels like CNN and Fox News to cover (and attempt to make sense of) what exactly Charli's vibe is, how it relates to the presidential candidate, and what impact it might have on the election. Memorably, CNN anchor Jake Tapper even said on air he'd "aspire to be brat."

Amid all this, Charli has largely stayed quiet on the politicization of Brat. However, she recently opened up about it in a new cover story about her major summer for New York magazine.

"To be on the right side of democracy, the right side of women's rights, is hugely important to me," Charli told the publication of her "kamala IS brat" tweet, adding “I’m happy to help to prevent democracy from failing forever.”

As for whether she intended the tweet to make such an impact? Yes and no. "I obviously knew what I was doing," she said, before noting, "Did I think me talking about being a messy bitch and, like, partying and needing a Bic lighter and a pack of Marlboro Lights would end up on CNN? No."

The British singer clarified that she doesn't see herself as "a political artist" à la Bob Dylan. "My music is not political," she said. "Everything I do in my life feeds back into my art. Everything I say, wear, think, enjoy — it all funnels back into my art. Politics doesn't feed my art."

You can read Charli's full New York magazine cover story here.