Charli XCX Responds to Criticism of Her Brat Album Artwork

Charli XCX is “just living that life” and doesn’t have time for any naysayers.

In a new cover story interview with Vogue Singapore, the British pop star, 31, responded to fan criticism of the cover artwork for her upcoming record, Brat, which simply features the title blurred out over a lime green backdrop. The hitmaker questioned why fans feel “ownership over female artists” so much so that they demand their photograph be on all of their work, and admitted that she intended for the Brat art to be a bit “offensive.”

“They were like, ‘Why isn’t she going to be on the cover? She needs to be on the cover,'” Charli recalled of the fan response that broke out social media. “Why should anyone have that level of ownership over female artists?”

The alt-pop artist (whose real name is Charlotte Aitchison) also opened up about her vision behind the cover.

She told the outlet that she thinks the color green has become “oversaturated” in pop culture and fashion and detailed the bright, neon choice she went with instead. “I wanted to go with an offensive, off-trend shade of green to trigger the idea of something being wrong,” she shared.

The “Good Ones” singer explained that there’s a larger concept behind her choices, which is drawn from her inspiration behind the music on the album, as well. “I’d like for us to question our expectations of pop culture — why are some things considered good and acceptable, and some things deemed bad?” she said.

“I’m interested in the narratives behind that and I want to provoke people,” the hyperpop phenom continued. “I’m not doing things to be nice.”

Charli told Vogue Singapore that Brat “is going to be confrontational” — so fans can expect the cover artwork to be only the beginning of what’s to come from the highly anticipated project.

This is not the first time the “Speed Drive” singer has reacted to commentary about Brat‘s minimalist visual, which select fans began voicing their opinions on immediately after she announced the LP in late February.

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Shortly after the musician teased the project and unveiled its cover artwork on social media, she took to X (formerly Twitter) to slam critics of it.

The Pop 2 artist first responded to a post featuring the album covers for Ariana Grande‘s Eternal Sunshine, Dua Lipa‘s forthcoming effort Radical Optimism, Taylor Swift‘s upcoming LP The Tortured Poets Department and her own album that said, “art directors must be on strike. dear god…”

“there is literally so much to say on this….” replied the singer-songwriter.

Shortly after, she also posted, “i think the constant demand for access to women’s bodies and faces in our album artwork is [misogynistic] and boring.”

Charli properly announced her sixth studio album Brat on social media in late February. Although she didn’t share an official release date, she teased that it’s due out “this summer” and confirmed that it’s set to feature 15 tracks.

She then dropped the album’s lead single, “Von Dutch,” and has since followed the track up with a remix featuring Addison Rae and her frequent collaborator/producer A.G. Cook.

Before she revealed the album title, the “Unlock It” singer offered fans a bit of insight about what they can expect from the new music she’s been working on with a post on X, calling it a “club record.”

Few details are known about her follow-up to 2022’s Crash, but Charli told The Face in a cover story that it’s her “most aggressive and confrontational record” to date and explores society’s “fascination with mean girls,” among other topics.

She also revealed to the outlet that one track is inspired by her grief since the death of the late DJ and her former collaborator SOPHIE — who died in 2021 in a “terrible accident.”

“There was a lot of distance between us because I was in awe of her and wanted to impress her,” the recording artist told the outlet of the late avant-pop star. “She believed in me in ways that I didn’t believe [in] myself. But I felt like I would never be interesting enough to operate in her world outside of the studio, which was the safe space where we could connect and bond over music.”

She added: ​“I didn’t feel like I was magical enough for this unbelievably magic person. And that makes me ashamed now I don’t have the opportunity to experience that anymore, because she’s gone. I feel ashamed for being a coward. It’s hard to write about. I’m sad for myself that I didn’t experience all this person had to offer.”