Is Kamala Harris having a 'brat summer'? What it means and why her 2024 campaign is embracing it
Going from vice president to presumed Democratic nominee for the presidency isn't the only rebrand in the works for Kamala Harris. Shortly after President Joe Biden announced his endorsement for Harris, her campaign quickly got to work, tapping into one of the internet's new viral memes - brat summer.
Kamala HQ on X, the official rapid response page of the Harris presidential campaign, quickly changed their profile header to read "kamala hq" against a lime green background in the style of Charli XCX's most recent album, "Brat."
Additionally, the account's bio reads "Providing context," referencing Harris' "coconut tree" quote which has taken the internet by storm. The quote comes from remarks Harris made in 2023, where she shared a quote from her mother, "You think you just fell out of a coconut tree? You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you."
Charli XCX gives her endorsement
Biden isn't the only person getting behind Harris' presidential campaign. The former California prosecutor has also gained the support of the mastermind behind "brat summer" herself — Charli XCX. On Sunday, June 21, the pop-star said "Kamala IS brat," in a post to X.
In the days leading up to Biden's announcement, Harris' "brat summer" was already well underway online, with many users sharing their speculations of Harris being named the Democratic party's nominee.
Support for Harris has taken the form of memes and video compilations of the VP's most memorable, quotable moments, all set to the tune of Charli XCX's club-pop anthems. Across TikTok, Harris/"Brat" videos have amassed millions of views and likes.
Here's what having a "brat summer" means and how the VP came to be involved with the latest Gen Z, pop culture phenomenon.
What does 'brat summer' mean? What does Kamala Harris have to do with it?
Following the release of "Brat" USA TODAY called the album "an embrace of a hot-mess pop star aesthetic, prioritizing club culture at its core but still offering introspective lyrics on aging, womanhood, grief and anxiety.” For Charli XCX, being a brat is not about behaving like a spoiled, ill-behaved child, rather a woman who is a "little messy who enjoys to party."
"It's very honest, it's very blunt, it's a little bit volatile … It's brat, you're brat, that's brat,' she said in a TikTok interview.
The message behind the album has resonated with fans, symbolizing living unapologetically, having fun and refusing to conform to the status quo. Fans and even celebrities were quick to lean into the "Brat" aesthetic, dancing to songs like "Apple" on social media.
In recent weeks, Harris has arguably become the most widely talked about woman online. Naturally, audiences identified her as the latest figure to symbolize having a "brat summer." Her campaign has since adopted the trend, embracing the lime green visuals and album typeface.
Who is Charli XCX? What is 'Brat?'
Charli XCX is an English singer-songwriter. As previously reported by Billboard, Charli XCX rose to fame as a collaborator, working on hits like Icona Pop's 2012 "I Love It" and Iggy Azalea's 2014 "Fancy," which topped the Billboard Hot 100.
"Brat" is the pop-star's sixth studio album. Since the album's release on June 7, the album has spent six weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's "Top Dance/Electronic Albums" list, and has ranked highly on the Billboard Top 200.
USA TODAY contributed to this report.
Diana Leyva covers trending news and service journalism for The Tennessean. Contact her at [email protected] or follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @_leyvadiana
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: What is 'brat summer?' And what does it have to do with Kamala Harris