While the Swifties and Bey Hive dream of a world where Taylor Swift and Beyoncé come together to jointly endorse U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris as the Democratic presidential nominee, one singer is already getting the party started.
British pop singer Charli XCX has entered the virtual chat, posting 鈥渒amala IS brat鈥� on X on Sunday.
If you don鈥檛 understand what that means, you are both not alone and in a safe space. Welcome to 鈥淏ratology 101.鈥�
What is a 鈥榖rat?鈥�
鈥淏rat鈥� is less a noun than it is a concept, though it is also a thing.
The title of Charli XCX鈥檚 sixth studio album, she envisions a 鈥渂rat鈥� as someone who has a 鈥減ack of cigs, a Bic lighter and a strappy white top with no bra.鈥�
鈥淵ou鈥檙e just like that girl who is a little messy and likes to party and maybe says some dumb things sometimes,鈥�
鈥淲ho feels like 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鈥檚 brat. You鈥檙e brat. That鈥檚 brat.鈥�
Many theorize that it is the antithesis to the 鈥渃lean鈥� and 鈥渉ighly groomed鈥� aspect so often on display by social media influencers.
There is even a 鈥渂rat鈥� colour, a very specific shade of chartreuse, which the internet has all but declared as the color of the summer.
The singer made it her album colour and has that it鈥檚 鈥渒ind of the idea of making something like quite disgusting and turning it into this thing you know people are going to look at quite a lot and think about and ask, you know, why that green?鈥�
Team Harris鈥檚 response
Harris鈥檚 camp responded in a way that signalled to the internet they understood the compliment and are embracing it.
Those visiting on X, which links to her official site, are met with a background photo in the 鈥渂rat鈥� green color and the vice-president鈥檚 name in the same font as sported on Charli XCX鈥檚 album.
Gen Z voters
If Harris secures the Democratic nomination, she鈥檒l be working for every vote in the race against former president Donald Trump. Younger voters could prove essential to the outcome of the 2024 election.
David Hogg, a 24-year-old activist and co-founder of the March for Our Lives movement formed after a mass shooting while he was a student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., on Sunday.
鈥淭he amount this single tweet may have just done for the youth vote is not insignificant,鈥� Hogg wrote.
Gen Z not only grew up on the internet, but they have also shown they know how to use social media to organize to push for change.
Soon after President Biden endorsed Harris, the internet was flooded with meme photos and videos of everything from Harris dancing to coconut trees.
That latter came to be thanks to remarks Harris gave induring a swearing-in ceremony of commissioners at an initiative focused on expanding educational opportunities for the Hispanic community.
Harris spoke about 鈥渁 difference between equality and equity鈥� and personalized it with a family story.
鈥淣one of us just live in a silo. Everything is in context,鈥� she said. 鈥淢y mother used to 鈥� she would give us a hard time sometimes 鈥� and she would say to us, 鈥業 don鈥檛 know what鈥檚 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.鈥欌��
The internet responded with coconut memes that again gained traction on Sunday as a way to show support. The Harris campaign returned the sentiment with a line on the Harris HQ X account that reads: 鈥淧roviding context.鈥�
Some have complained that even if the coconut memes are well meaning, they might also be perceived as racist.
