Ruby Loxley analyses the impact of popular music on politics, focusing on Kamala Harris and her employment of BRAT Summer tactics.
We’ve all heard of ‘BRAT summer’, the craze taking over our social media, the rival of ‘clean girl’, and the summer 2024 aesthetic. In Charlie XCX’s own words, she describes ‘BRAT’ as someone; “Who feels herself but maybe also has a breakdown. But kind of like, parties through it, is very honest, very blunt. A little bit volatile. Like, does dumb things. But it’s brat. You’re brat. That’s brat.” So why are political figures in the most powerful country in the world jumping on the “BRAT” trend?
The surge in ‘Gen Z’ Kamala Harris supporters came after Joe Biden announced he was dropping out of the 2024 Presidential Election Race where Charlie XCX posted on Twitter; “Kamala is BRAT”. This tweet now has over 50 million views, marking the beginning of Kamala’s popularity with the younger generation.
Since Charlie XCX’s post, Kamala HQ’s X account has reposted multiple memes in regard to Kamala and BRAT, as well as the account showing a lime-green coloured photo, in the spirit of #bratsummer. But is all this just some tactical marketing campaign to boost voting numbers for the previous vice-president?
Many argue that Kamala has hopped aboard the trend as it is already viral, making it much easier to gain the support of those who view the Democrats as old-fashioned. This has gained some negative media attention as some believe the ‘Kamala BRAT era’ to be just an act put on by the candidate, confusing some of the older voters. Despite this, Kamala continues to expand the powerful marketing campaign, bringing massive artists such as Megan Thee Stallion, Lil Jon, and John Legend to the stage, promoting nothing but positivity surrounding Kamala’s campaign. The use of music creates a true sense of connection between community and politics, specifically regarding the history and power of black women involved with US Politics. An example of this representation was seen during the 2024 campaigns, where Kamala used Beyoncé’s popular song ‘Freedom’ as a symbol of the relevant fight.
Kamala, however, is not the first to use music as a massive part of the political campaign. Previously historic figures including John F. Kennedy changed the words of Frank Sinatra’s ‘High Hopes’ to fit his campaign. In addition, Bill Clinton used ‘Don’t Stop’ by Fleetwood Mac to boost his supporters in the Baby Boomer Generation. Both campaigns were successful, representing a powerful signifier towards how important music can be in the political sphere.
Aside from the musical performances on stage, what is it that Kamala is proposing as part of her popular campaign? Harris has proposed to reduce the cost of prescription drugs, along with promising that abortion is to become a basic human right across all of America, abolishing the current laws.
Kamala can certainly benefit from this campaign style; already the vice-president and her team are enticing more young people to vote, or even pay increased attention to the campaign than they have in previous years. It’s a smart move from Kamala’s team, gaining off of something that is already ‘booming’ in the social media world whilst promoting not only her party but also the importance of women, specifically black women, having a key role in politics to inspire the up-and-coming generation. Having figures such as Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and, of course, Charlie XCX supporting Kamala, creates a great sense of empowerment surrounding her campaign as it’s clear Kamala Harris understands the younger generation.
In true BRAT style, we should all follow the footsteps of Kamala Harris and Charlie XCX by “accepting our imperfections while embracing the chaos.”