Get to know Charli XCX: The singer behind 'brat'

Charli XCX - real name Charlotte Emma Aitchison - is a British singer songwriter. The singer's groundbreaking album 'brat' was the talk of the summer, hitting the Number 1 spot and spawning the 'brat summer' phenomenon - and she's not finished there. Releasing a new-and-improved version of the album in October - featuring some HUGE collaborations - it appears we may have a 'brat autumn' on our hands.

Despite Charli's current popularity, the singer has been releasing music for more than 10 years. As we welcome her new remix album - 'Brat and It's Completely Different but Also Still Brat' - let's take a look at who the singer is, her epic rise to fame, what some of her biggest hits are and where to catch her live. Here's everything to know about Charli XCX...

What is Charli XCX's real name?

As mentioned above, Charli XCX's real name is Charlotte Emma Aitchison. Her stage name comes from the MSN Messenger name she used when she was younger.

How did Charli XCX become famous?

Charli XCX started writing music when she was just 14-years-old. As a teenager she started posting her songs on MySpace, when she was noticed by a promoter, and asked to perform at some events.

A few years later, in 2010, Charli was signed to Asylum Records, when she released her first commercially available album 'True Romance'. However, it wasn't until the following year, with the release of 'Sucker', that she had success in the UK charts, with the album going to Number 15.

Despite writing the hit 'I Love It', Charli decided not to release it herself, and it was later released by Icona Pop in 2012, featuring Charli XCX. The song went to Number 1 in the UK and has been certified 2x Platinum.

How many albums has Charli XCX had?

'brat' is Charli XCX's sixth album, her debut album 'True Romance' was released in 2013, however it didn't enter the Top 40. It was followed by 'Sucker' just a year later, which reached Number 15, 'Charli' (2019), 'How I'm Feeling Now' (2020), and 'Crash' (2002).

Charli released her first remix album on 11th October 2024, titled 'Brat and It's Completely Different but Also Still Brat'. The record features all of the tracks on her studio album 'brat', however remixed to feature various huge artists. It was the following week 'Brat' reached Number 1 in the album chart.

Charli XCX's album 'brat'

Charli's latest studio album is called 'brat', and features 15 songs on its standard edition, with an extra three songs on its deluxe edition. The record features songs such as 'Apple', which quickly became a TikTok viral hit with its very own dance, and '360'.

'brat' was released through Atlantic Records on 7th June 2024, and after two months was certified Gold by the BPI. Four months after its release, it hit the Number 1 spot in the album chart.

Following the album's release, and the subsequent 'brat summer' phenomenon, November 2024 saw the word 'brat' top the Collins Dictionary list for Word of the Year.

Is there a remix of her 'brat' album?

Following the release of her sixth studio album 'brat', Charli began to drop various remixes of tracks from the record, featuring huge artists who had their spin on the songs.

In the weeks and months following the release of 'brat', we were gifted with remixes such as 'Girl, So Confusing' with Lorde, 'Girl, 'Guess' featuring Billie Eilish and 'Talk Talk' featuring Troye Sivan - with Dua Lipa's vocals also featuring.

It was then on 5th October 2024 that Charli revealed a full list of artists set to feature on her full album of remixed tracks - soon revealing that 'Brat and It's Completely Different but Also Still Brat' was set for set release on 11th October 2024.

Artists featuring on the 'brat' remix album include: Robyn & Yung Lean, BB Trickz, Ariana Grande, The 1975 & Jon Hopkins, Troye Sivan, Addison Rae, Caroline Polachek, Bladee, A. G. Cook, Lorde, The Japanese House, Tinashe, Julian Casablancas, Bon Iver, Shygirl and Billie Eilish.

Check out the full tracklist here, as well as everything you need to know about the remix album.

Brat crowned Collins Dictionary Word of the Year

Beating shortlisted words such as 'era', 'yapping' and 'delulu', the adjective 'brat' was crowned the Word of the Year by the Collins Dictionary in November 2024. Sharing the news, the printed and online dictionary of English shared the definition, writing: 'adjective characterized by a confident, independent, and hedonistic attitude'.

In what can't come as a surprise to many, the word has (of course) been around for a long time, however Charli XCX's sixth studio album had an undeniable effect on its popularity, with Collins Dictionary making many notable nods to the singer in their social posts - from imitating her album artwork, to including the iconic green apple donning Charli-esque black sunglasses.

Does she have a Bratz doll?

Despite the name of her hit album, surprisingly, Charli does not actually have her own Bratz doll. The brand, however, did post an image recreating her music video with Billie Eilish. Showing what the pair would look like as Bratz dolls, the image recreated an iconic shot from their 'Guess (remix)' music video.

What are Charli XCX's biggest hits?

Over the years, Charli has several big hits that she's released herself, as well as songs she's written for other artists. Her breakthrough solo song was 'Boom Clap' in 2014, followed by several Top 20 hits including 'Doing It' with Rita Ora, '1999' with Troye Sivan, 'Speed Drive', '360' and 'Apple'.

'Apple' became a big hit, both in the charts and on social media, as it started the 'Apple' dance craze. Celebrities and fans took to TikTok to record themselves doing the dance. Charli herself even joined in recording a video.

Charli XCX for Skims

On 19th August 2024, the exciting news was announced that Charli was fronting the new campaign for Kim Kardashian's shapewear brand, SKIMS. Charli joins an exclusive list of A-list stars that have fronted the viral band, including the likes of Paris Hilton, Lana Del Rey, Kate Moss and Sabrina Carpenter.

The collection Charli fronts is the latest cotton collection - with the series of photographs showing off a stripped-back sporty look, championing her carefree spirit. The collection launched on 21st August 2024.

On appearing on the campaign, Charli said: "Skims empowers people to feel confident in their own skin, which is the essence of brat".

Is Charli XCX on tour?

Charli will be going on tour later this year. The singer announced her 'brat 2024 Arena Tour' in support of her album in April. She will be performing in Manchester, London, Birmingham and Glasgow, starting on 27th November in Manchester.

Who has Charli XCX written for?

As well as releasing six albums, Charli has also written several very popular songs for other artists. You might recognise hits such as Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello's 'Señorita', Selena Gomez's 'Same Old Love', Camila Cabello feat. Quavo's 'OMG' and Icona Pop's 'I Love It'.

Did Charli XCX perform at the Paris 2024 Olympics?

Despite rumours, Charli XCX didn't perform during the Paris 2024 Olympics Closing Ceremony. The singer originally quoted Billie Eilish's post on X writing: '... you wanna guess ;)', however she quickly back tracked on her post after it started to go viral, later writing: 'lololololol sry just kidding', (sic).

Take a look through tours in 2024 and beyond:

Now read:

Why are celebrities doing the 'Apple' dance and what is a 'brat summer'?

Charli XCX announces her biggest ever headline shows in the UK for her 'BRAT 2024 Arena Tour'

Looking ahead at some of the biggest tours coming up in 2024 and beyond

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