It can be an exciting moment when something you like becomes popular or, perhaps, an inciting one. You could be pleased that other people share your taste, or you can worry that something you love has become watered down.
I mention this because around 2012 or 2013 I became a fan of a young British artist who went by the name Charli XCX. Her debut album, True Romance, passed quickly through the indie music sphere I associated myself with at the time. Dark, but poppy, and clearly going somewhere. Charli XCX quickly embraced the more mainstream dance-oriented sound that pop was embracing and lost me a little bit. It was good, I liked it, I just didn’t listen to it very much.
There were little flare-ups here and there. She was definitely a popular act and I couldn’t claim any kind of special ownership. Her contribution to “Fancy” by Iggy Azalea makes the whole adventure listenable. She started collaborating more with producer SOPHIE, who I adored, and things got a bit more interesting to me.
I explored all of this when she did a song for the new Barbie movie and I assumed that might be a peak. Good for her, I thought. Obviously, I am a dummy. Her latest release, brat, hit the consciousness of certain Americans like a 100-megaton bomb. It was “brat summer” all of a sudden.
Everyone knew who she was. She hosted Saturday Night Live. She was inescapable. I mention this because Mercedes wrote about her leaky bra today, and Dennis Birtcher made an excellent point:
The Bratopian. Could be bras or Subaru Brats. Either are acceptable.
Or Charli XCX! Everyone wins!
Photo: Subaru
The comments on this post are cracking me up. It’s fun to hang out with so many witty people. Thank you!
On the subject of Bratopian – many of us like grilled sausages as well…
If there isn’t already a website for folks who like sausages, bras, and Subaru BRATs, there should be.
Yes ha ha YES!!
Re: Charli XCX – I’m a guy who has yet to grow out of his high school edgy metalhead phase when it comes to music, and my driving playlist consists of hours upon hours of Arch Enemy, Satyricon, At the Gates, Mayhem, … and now brat. Hell, not a day goes by that I don’t catch myself humming “I’m everywhere, I’m so Julia,” to the great amusement of my better half, whose music taste is far more in line with the “sad dad music” that usually accompanies The Morning Dump. (Mitski in particular won you a lot of points with her.)
Hell of an album, and now that I’ve had the chance to listen to some of her older stuff, hell of an artist too.
I am a hard rock guy myself. Metallica, Godsmack, etc.
The other day, I heard Hot To Go by Chapell Roan.
I am STILL bopping along to “H-O-T-T-O-G-O
Snap and clap and touch your toes”!
I’m afraid to listen to Charlie xCx now.
Chappell is brilliant too – Kate Bush voice, great style, energetic stage presence, loads of lyrical social commentary, and catchy as all get-out. I just wish her management would stop running her into the ground and instead do a better job of shielding her from parasocial weirdos – I get it that a celebrity being mentally ill, “unstable” and controversial is good for business, but the poor girl’s been through a lot.
We had tickets to go see her at All Things Go NYC last year that she ended up cancelling last minute. Still on my list of live acts to see, and I say that with the same enthusiasm that I had seeing AC/DC back in the day, or Metallica during the Black Album 20th anniversary tour.
Anyway, I digress – I think you’ll like Charli.
Hahahahaha, it’s okay to like both!
I enjoy confusing people with my musical (lack of) taste, TBH.
I’m glad to see a COTD that’s properly Justyfied.
I’m not sure how I feel about the Legacy of that pun.
If you’ve got a problem with it,we can take it Outback and settle things!
Whoa, whoa, it seemed pretty B9 to me.
I agree. They might be missing the Forester for the trees.
I concur. Definitely not Impreza-ed by the aggression here.
Should we meet in Tribeca and discuss our differences?
Careful. Folks there aren’t exactly Loyale!
It WoRX
Kinda want one again. I’ll take a 85 without the center speaker and without jump seats. Pug 505 15″ wheels were fun even if it looks a bit wierd.
How was driving it with those wheels?
I briefly had them on my 87 GL wagon, and it was slow even by my standards.
Faster than the 205 wide i found for the stock rims. Surprisingly very little different than the factory 13″ rims but that might be due to modern (for the time) sport tires rather than the cheap junk left in 13″ I had before.
Subaru Brat? Sounds delicious!
Nah, they’re the wurst.
I think there’s a case to be made for them.
I never sausage a thing!
These comments are bangers!
Not sure what a banger is. Got a link?
If I’m being Frank, this thread may have gone too far.
Hey, you’re not the kielbasa me!
Great now I have They Might Be Giants stuck in my head.
You’re still a wiener in my book, Ash. Now go listen to Istanbul (Not Constantinople).
Hot dog, what a run!