Kamala Harris wants you to know she’s having a ‘Brat’ summer

On Sunday, President Joe Biden shocked the country with his announcement that he would not seek reelection in November. He threw his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris. If elected, Harris would be the first Black and Asian American woman to become president, and her historic run is already creating excitement. Most Democrats are quickly falling in line. Some would say Harris is having a “Brat” summer.

“Brat summer” is a phrase that’s become the defining pop culture meme of the season — at least for the very online set — and references an album released in June by pop artist Charli XCX titled Brat. Charli XCX is a 31-year-old English woman who’s been around for a while, though her influence is greater than her name recognition. You might remember the hit 2012 song “I Love It” by Icona Pop. (“I don’t care! I love it!”) That was written by, and features, Charli XCX. Her work with producer A.G. Cook and electronic artist Sophie has had lasting impact on what pop music sounds like, giving mainstream exposure to a niche genre called “hyperpop.”

Charli XCX has already had a long and fruitful career (not to brag, but I’ve been here since the beginning). But Brat has landed in a way no other prior work has: critics have praised it, and it is by far Charli XCX’s biggest hit. Charli XCX has long been a critical darling rather than a blockbuster mainstream superstar like Taylor Swift. There’s an edginess that plays well to her fan base that would otherwise be lost on a more general audience.

The music is confident yet candid: on the record, Charli XCX sings about wanting to hear her own music in the club and being “your favorite reference, baby.” Then she moves on to the feeling of being an outsider, never to fit in with industry elites. Her public image isn’t squeaky clean or family friendly, and she’s acknowledged disputes she’s had with her record label in the past.

Brat, the album, brings this history together with personal narrative, creating a revealing portrait of a person who seems both a little detached but also deeply introspective. Songs like “I think about it all the time” have her questioning her life choices around parenthood, worrying whether she’s missing out on something by not having a child. The very next track is about endless partying and doing “lines” and “keys” in the club. Humans are complex.

The “Brat summer” concept is all of this rolled into one: chaotic club energy mixed with existential questions about life. “Brat summer” includes but is not limited to: cigarettes and no bra; bed rotting; annoying your boyfriend; not working; and alternating between crisis and unadulterated joy. It’s tender and vulnerable but also a little cocky and snotty. It’s called “Brat” for a reason.

Brat, the album, is wonderfully fun, but the marketing and rollout of the record are truly clever. Its album art — a plain lime green background with slightly pixelated black lettering reading, simply, “Brat” — was derided by some when it was initially revealed, but as the weeks went on, it became obvious how meme-able (and thus shareable) the album was before it was even released. Green now automatically means “Brat.” There are multiple Brat generators so people can put their own blurry text over a green background.

On Sunday, Kamala HQ, the rapid response account for Harris’ campaign, changed its X profile banner to a custom image in the Brat style. Shortly after, Charli XCX herself tweeted “Kamala IS Brat” — probably as close to an endorsement as you can get from a club kid pop artist who is huge with young people. The Brat aesthetic has seeped into CNN roundtables, and Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) shared a picture of her with Harris that was edited to have a lime green filter on it. Brat.

The Harris campaign is walking a fine line with its co-opting of the Brat imagery and language — the margin between amusing and cringe is razor thin. We can think of the “Brativity” (brat activity) as a microtargeted political ad meant for young people tapped into internet culture, especially on TikTok.

But those same young voters care about other things as well: they want a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, where Israeli attacks have already killed nearly 40,000 people. They worry about the economy and access to reproductive care. They are skeptical of institutions and don’t turn out to vote like older populations. A coconut tree meme can’t fix these things, and politicians shouldn’t expect young people to vote solely because your campaign is funny online.

At the same time, Harris is a prime candidate for this level of niche meme because even before Brat, she was at the center of internet jokes. More than a year ago, Harris delivered remarks at a White House event in which she was discussing equity and how different people come from different backgrounds.

“[My mother] would say to us, ‘I don’t know what’s wrong with you young people. You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?’ You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you,’” Harris recalled. The strange image of someone falling out of a coconut tree — coupled with Harris’ distinct laugh and immediate tone shift — made this small snippet the soundtrack of countless videos online even before the Brat crossover. It’s a little poetic in a weird way, especially when the few sentences are taken on their own without much explanation. And so the coconut tree meme was born. Harris’ campaign seems to be subtly leaning into this, too: the Harris HQ X account’s bio reads, “Providing context.”

Harris is far from the only politician trying to manufacture viral moments into electoral victory — former President Donald Trump won his 2016 election on a wave of viral imagery used and spread by his base. “The Great Meme War” waged by 4chan users and other pro-Trump communities ensured that Pepe the Frog represents something bigger than just a poorly drawn amphibian. Biden’s camp has plastered merch with “Dark Brandon” imagery, a meme of a sinister Biden that originated in right-wing circles but was then (mostly successfully) clawed back and embraced by Democrats.

But even before the internet became a battleground for the ballot box, things we could describe as memes — spreadable images or slogans carrying larger meanings — have haunted politics. Did the image of Michael Dukakis smiling while riding a tank kill his presidential ambitions after the goofy footage was used in a Republican attack ad? Probably not entirely. But it created an enduring image that is still cited today as a lesson for how to tank your chances (sorry).

I suspect we will see Harris pop up in other meme contexts: this morning, while scrolling TikTok, I saw that she has become the subject of a Harry Daniels video — for those uninitiated, Daniels is a creator who approaches celebrities and other notable people and asks if he can sing for them. The singing is purposely strained, off-tune, and often unsettling. For Harris, Daniels sang a few lines from Beyoncé’s “Formation” while Harris looked amused and wide-eyed.

As she walks away into the next room, you can hear her ask a staffer, “Who was that guy?” Most voters will have that same reaction. But if you know, you know.