Understanding Kamala Harris' "brat" appeal

This summer, even our politics has been touched by Charli XCX's new album "Brat."

Charli's Euro-club music has transformed into a lifestyle, an aesthetic and an internet phenomenon that has even tinged Vice President Kamala Harris lime green, the color of the musician's studio album.

After President Joe Biden bowed out as the Democratic presidential nominee and endorsed Harris, she's now having a viral moment when Charli subsequently tweeted, "Kamala IS brat." As Harris has increasingly gained popularity as a new leader of the Democratic party, the internet has embraced her personality as a fun example of a brat.

But what exactly is a brat, and why does this fit Harris?

Salon explains Harris' brat moment:

What is a brat?

According to Charli, being a brat is a hedonistic way of living in a person's womanhood and that includes being a mess, a "3-6-5 party girl" or a "city sewer slut.”

The pop singer further explained that an example of a brat is a "girl who is a little messy and likes to party, and maybe says dumb things sometimes, who feels herself but then also maybe has a breakdown but parties through it. It’s very honest; it’s very blunt — a little bit volatile, does dumb things, but, like, it’s brat. You’re brat. That’s brat."

But also, Charli also shared that “It can go that way, like, quite luxury, but it can also be so, like, trashy. Just, like, a pack of cigs, and, like, a Bic lighter, and, like, a strappy white top. With no bra. That’s, like, kind of all you need,” she said.

OK, that doesn't really sound like the Vice President . . . or does it?

How does Harris embody a brat?

On July 21, Charli tweeted after Harris' presidential bid was made known, "Kamala IS brat." Evidently, the singer felt there was something about the Veep that resonated with the brat mindset. While being a "brat" perhaps should not be taken literally, the biggest clue to understanding how Harris has seemed to achieve honorary brat status is when Charlie mentioned, "It’s very honest."

The way Harris comports herself is not just relatable, it's human. Unlike Biden's mixed attempt to appeal to younger voters through Dark Brandon memes, Harris' online popularity and brattiness seemingly stems from her personality, through her words, dances, laughter and jokes.

In a viral video seen more than a million times on X, Harris utters her most quotable line, "You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?” from a 2023 speech. The edit flashes frames of Charli's album cover over the video. Then the video transitions from the speech to various clips of Harris with the Charli song "Von Dutch" playing over the video.

More videos of the coconut tree quote have been edited and remixed into songs like Charli's viral TikTok song "Apple," "Not Like Us" by Kendrick Lamar, "Rude Boy" by Rihanna and many others. The videos, viewed millions of times, are gaining traction online simultaneously as Harris has already garnered $100 million in donations in the first 48 hours of her campaign.

Her campaign spokesperson Kevin Munoz told The Associated Press, “The historic outpouring of support for Vice President Harris represents exactly the kind of grassroots energy and enthusiasm that wins elections."

While Charli also highlighted the connection between Harris and the brat aesthetic, Harris's team has also played into Harris' brat moniker. The Kamala HQ account on X has cheekily adopted the lime green background and font from Charli XCX's "brat" album. So far, Harris herself has not acknowledged her new title, but isn't that just like a brat?