Is Kamala Harris 'Brat' — And What Does That Mean?
When Joe Biden announced his support for Kamala Harris ahead of this year's US election, there were lots of comments on social media.
One comment that got a lot of attention was this one from British singer Charli XCX.
She wrote on X: "kamala IS brat."
To many of us, this might look like a rude message — the word "brat" is usually used to talk about a badly behaved child. But this wasn't rude at all — it was the opposite.
If you're not someone who's already having a "brat summer," this needs some explanation!
It began at the start of June when Charli XCX released her new album, called Brat. It was extremely successful. In fact, it was streamed more than 75 million times in its first week.
But for Charli, "brat" means something a little different, as she explained on TikTok:
"You are just that girl who is a little messy and maybe says dumb things sometimes, who feels herself but then also maybe has a breakdown but parties through it. It is honest, blunt and a little bit volatile. That's brat."
It's all those things, but it's also something to be proud of — at least, that's the way Charli and her fans see it!
So what makes Kamala Harris "brat"?
No one's suggesting the American vice president "says dumb things" and parties all night. But it's definitely a compliment, says Katherine Haenschen, an expert in digital communications.
She told the BBC that "brat" refers to multifaceted women who "can kind of choose their own path, and they can kind of set their own agenda."
Harris and her team have been happy to embrace the term, changing their X profile to use the same shade of green and the same font as on Charli XCX's album cover.
And experts say Charli's tweet may have helped draw young people's attention to the election as they enjoy their "brat summers."
Charli XCX and her Brat album cover.
