Charli XCX Just Broke the Remix Album (And We’re Obsessed)

Spoiler: It involves slime green, Billie Eilish, and zero rules

The remix album is usually a quick cash-in, a side project that extends an album’s life just a bit longer.

However, trust Charli XCX to defy expectations.

With Brat and it’s completely different but it’s also still brat, Charli took the remix album and turned it on its head.

This isn’t just a new version of BRAT; it’s a radical reimagining, where each song feels as if it’s been entirely reborn.

Let’s look at how Charli did it, and why the results are undeniably bratty.  

The Remix Formula, Broken  

Charli XCX could have easily handed BRAT to a few DJs and slapped together an album that mirrors industry standards.

Instead, she tore up the blueprint and opted for a collection of utterly transformative remixes, pushing her sound and challenging collaborators to warp each track into something fresh.

The goal wasn’t to let guest artists simply “feature” but to let them infuse their own flavour into Charli’s creations.  

Use Guess, for example, which was reworked with Billie Eilish. Billie’s distinctive sound clashes deliciously with Charli’s beat, creating a moody, darkened version that became one of her highest-streamed songs this year.

Charli’s bold move was to actually let go, allowing her collaborators not just to add vocals like a typical remix project, but to reimagine the songs from the ground up.  

All-Star Cast, Full BRAT Mode  

To pull this off, Charli needed more than a remix team—she needed partners-in-crime who would throw all convention out the window.

Enter the likes of The 1975, Caroline Polachek, Jon Hopkins, and Ariana Grande.

Each artist didn’t just lend a verse; they left their own stamp all over the tracks.

With Caroline, Charli’s Everything Is Romantic transformed from a high-speed banger to an ethereal piece.

The 1975 turned I Might Say Something Stupid into a seven-minute ambient journey that feels as intense as it is unexpected.  

And it’s worth noting that these partnerships weren’t just about names on the tracklist.

Charli brought in artists with distinct styles, giving them the freedom to stretch her songs into new, uncharted territory.

Each remix isn’t just a “rework,” it’s an experiment, a wild ride through different genres, moods, and sonic aesthetics.  

Charli’s BRAT Takeover By the Numbers

The numbers for Brat and it’s completely different but it’s also still brat are seriously impressive:

The remix album racked up 132,007,546 streams in its first week, while the original BRAT got 82,561,749 streams.

Guess featuring Billie Eilish became one of Charli’s highest-streamed tracks ever, with 293.2 million plays.

Charli’s Instagram following skyrocketed by 1.7 million in the lead-up to the album’s release – her biggest growth in 6 years.

Embracing the Mess  

Some people loved Brat and it’s completely different but it’s also still brat. And other didn’t.

However, Charli revelled in this divide. With a neon green cover and intentionally pixelated font, Charli dared listeners to accept her vision or reject it entirely.

“I wanted it to be disgusting,” Charli admitted in an interview, and boy, did she succeed.  

She wasn’t looking for universal approval; instead, she leaned into the “brat” energy that has always defined her.

By embracing this unpolished, rather chaotic aesthetic, Charli kept her album edgy and unpredictable, defying any attempts to fit it into the mould of conventional pop.  

BRAT as a Philosophy  

The concept of BRAT runs deeper than an album cover or edgy remixes.

For Charli, it’s an approach to music that lets her buck expectations without compromise.

In her hands, BRAT means creative risk-taking and the freedom to rework her songs endlessly.

She isn’t interested in preserving a track as it was released; instead, she’s exploring the endless potential of what it could be.  

Breaking the Rules (and Making New Ones)

What makes this whole thing revolutionary isn’t just the music – it’s the attitude.

Charli’s basically rewritten the rules for what a remix album can be:

1. Want to completely change the genre? Go for it!

2. Fancy turning a 3-minute pop song into an ambient epic? Why not?

3. Think your song could work as a completely different song? Just do it!

Brat and it’s completely different but it’s also still brat is a statement that remix albums don’t have to be remixes at all—they can be entirely new creations.

And that’s what makes music so exciting – when someone comes along and shows us there’s another way to do things.

Even if that way involves a questionable amount of slime green.

Who is brave enough to follow her lead?