The empowerment of women through exciting and fun music was rampant this summer, as female artists like Chappell Roan, Charli XCX and Sabrina Carpenter graced the stage with their vibrant personas that made the whole world want to get up and dance.
Courtesy of Charli XCX and her album “brat”, which came out June 7, brat summer became the hot topic of this season, with a focus on individuality, self-expression and some chaos mixed in. Although, the term brat is still quite vague in its description.
“That girl who is a little messy and likes to party and maybe says some dumb things sometimes. Who feels herself but maybe also has a breakdown. But kind of like, parties through it, is very honest, very blunt.” Charli XCX described, in a TikTok posted to her page.
No matter who you are or what amount of social media you use, it’s likely you’ve seen the lime green tone, the font or notorious apple dance pop up on your for-you page at least once, whether that be from your favorite influencer or even the official Kamala Harris HQ account. Through social media, the brat lifestyle has become a form of self-expression that’s leading people and women specifically to feel more confident in themselves, and bringing some mayhem into their lives. Along with this, very early on, brat was wrapped up with American politics and was utilized to advocate for various causes across social media. Charli XCX herself is very vocal in politics and advocacy. In August after the release of her latest single, “Guess” featuring Billie Eilish, Charli XCX donated over 10 thousand pairs of undergarments to I Support Girls, a foundation that collects and distributes undergarments to survivors of domestic abuse. Additionally, despite her British nationality, Charli XCX spoke out in support of Kamala Harris regarding the 2024 American Presidential Election when she tweeted a post simply stating “kamala is brat” pasted on her signature lime green background.
“To be on the right side of democracy, the right side of women’s rights, is hugely important to me. I’m happy to help to prevent democracy from failing forever.” Charli XCX said, in an interview with New York Magazine.
Charli XCX’s constant involvement in the media and mobilization of women into places where they feel they can speak is something recent that has been brought into the realm of social media and the music industry. Her, along with other artists this summer, have been prioritizing empowering individuals to speak out and live the life they wish to lead. Chappell Roan, who quickly grew in popularity this summer thanks to her Tiny Desk Concert for NPR and tour with pop artist Olivia Rodrigo, has harnessed the power of social media to call for the empowerment of all individuals and protections of their right to live the lives they wish to lead. Roan is often recognized for her extravagant ensembles based heavily in drag, but she is also extremely engaged in the political side of the world.
“It’s more important than ever to use your vote, and I will do whatever it takes to protect people’s civil rights, especially the LGBTQ+ community.” Roan stated, in an interview for Rolling Stone Magazine.
Roan also faced backlash earlier this year for declining to perform at the White House’s pride parade due to the Biden Administrations lack of support towards Palestine and the failure to support trans youth legislation.
“We want liberty, justice and freedom for all. When you do that, that’s when I’ll come” referring to her absence at the pride parade. That means freedom in women’s rights. And it especially means freedom for all people and oppressed. It especially means freedom for all oppressed people in occupied territories.” Roan said while performing at this year’s Governors Ball.
Roan has also been very vocal toward privacy rights for celebrities. She often speaks about the issues she has faced after rising to fame so quickly, and how celebrities are due the same respect that every other human being is. While she was the VMA’s Roan had an altercation with a photographer, who had yelled at her to shut up in which Roan yelled the same back.
“It’s hard for artists to speak up because they’re so scared of their fans hating them… I’m not taking this for the rest of my career. I’ve been famous for like one month, this is not how it’s going to go, girl”. Roan said, in an interview after the altercation.
Afterward, Roan performed her first live award show performance, and accepted her first VMA for Best New Artist. Roan is very vocal when it comes to the rights of LGBTQ+ youth, and in her acceptance speech she gave a heartfelt message in their honor.
“for all the queer kids in the Midwest watching right now, I see you, I understand you, because I’m one of you. And don’t ever let anyone tell you that you can’t be exactly who you want to be.” Roan stated.
Roan spreads her message of inclusivity and love to the public through her music, outfits and everything that makes her, her. She is fighting to keep true to herself in the music industry which is always asking celebrities to give more and more of themselves, regardless of personal security. But she isn’t fighting alone. As more and more artists go viral and rise to fame on social media, the demands made of celebrities are quick and many. Sabrina Carpenter learned this summer how important it is for artists to establish boundaries to keep safe, while still managing to express themselves to their fans through music. In early April, Carpenter released “Espresso” which went viral in a matter of weeks and was easily deemed the song of the summer for its amazing visuals and catchy beat. By mid summer, every party, restaurant and store just couldn’t stop playing Espresso on repeat. With her beach waves and girl next door personality, Carpenter created an entire summer vibe,utilizing a soft pastel palette that makes her easily recognizable. Her music videos helped increase her popularity with exquisite set design and intricate story telling. She even wove together her songs “Espresso” and “Please, Please, Please” to create a flawless storyline that keeps up intrigue and suspense. Most recently, the music video for the song “Taste” on her album “Short n’ Sweet”, gained attention for its large theatrics and big name actors and actresses. Carpenter is able to create a singular mood and feeling that has helped her build a brand and onstage persona. With the attention Carpenter has gained this summer, she has had the opportunity to speak up about individuality outside of a relationship. She creates themes around being true to yourself within a relationship and making sure you feel secure where you are in order to empower women to find their power within the world, hoping to spread a message that women should take their time to choose partners that are worthy of them and serve to highlight their best, rather than hide it.
This summer was all about pop stars who were willing to use their voice to speak up for other women, the struggling, the oppressed and more. These three women have made an immense impact on the music industry in the last year, empowering all of their fans to stay true to themselves, enjoy music and live life the way they wish. We can only hope they will continue on in this direction of fun and exciting music, and that more artists will emerge with this point of view in mind.
