“Night two, bitches,” Charli xcx yells as “365 featuring shygirl” bumps in the background.
Fresh off of two back-to-back weekends at Coachella, the English pop singer of Scottish and Indian descent kicked off her 2025 Brat Arena Tour with two sold out nights in Austin, Texas. Producer and songwriter Finn Keane joined her to open the show.
Though Charli’s album “Brat” was released nearly a year ago in June, its impact on pop culture has been immense. Charli describes the album as, “me, my flaws, my fuck ups, my ego all rolled into one.”
More specifically, “You’re just like that girl who is a little messy and likes to party and maybe says some dumb things sometimes, who feels herself but maybe also has a breakdown, but kind of parties through it, is very honest, is very blunt, a little bit volatile, does dumb things. But it’s brat,“ she explains in a TikTok interview clip,
In some ways, to be “brat” is to be human. And seeing a South Asian woman accept herself in this way feels particularly refreshing. Plus, the adoption of “brat” as an attitude, vibe, and lifestyle led to the “brat summer” trend that spawned off into many a meme and remix, and even the famous “kamala IS brat” post. The Brat Arena Tour began at the end of last year in the United Kingdom before extending to other dates, including the U.S. leg.
A Seamless Show
At 8:58 p.m., “Bitter Sweet Symphony” by The Verve begins to play. As the song fades away a few minutes later, the lights dim and begin to flash as Charli’s introduction blares across the venue.
The singer’s entrance isn’t grand. But when she lifts up the bright green “brat” curtain that’s dropped from the ceiling in between beats to loud cheers and steps forward into view, the crowd goes wild. For the rest of the night, the energy stays that way.
Even her exit at the end of the night is a little unceremonious. She stays on stage for her video outro, but quietly walks off as the…
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