On Sunday, Feb. 2, the 67th annual Grammy’s commenced. There were shocks like Kanye getting kicked out and questionable choices like Kendrick Lamar winning Record of the Year. One of the biggest upsets was the Album of Year going to Beyoncé’s country album, Cowboy Carter. She went up against artists like Chappell Roan, Taylor Swift, Post Malone, Kendrick Lamar, Sabrina Carpenter, and my focus: Charli XCX.
So why do I think she should have won? Here are a few reasons:
- Her album, Brat, created a cultural renaissance in the way we view music. She brought back the classic 2000s house party music and the culture that goes with it. Clothing stores started to bring back the classic shirts with sparkles and the low-rise jeans. Music started leaning towards house music and the classic songs that are all about staying out late.
- Charli XCX introduced us to new artists like The Dare, which introduced a new spin to how we see music being produced. He helped produce her album and was with her during her Boiler Room sets. Her other collaboration songs with Troye Sivan and Lorde also gained a lot of traction. She even created a full second album with all her songs featuring a collab on it.
- Brat became a movement. ‘Brat summer’, ‘Brat green’, etc. all became synonymous with her album. She etched her come-back album into pop culture history. Even her SWEAT tour became a culture phenomenon about how it brought back the fun in tours. Everyone can remember when the Apple dance was a trend and wore Brat shirts. Brat let society appreciate what it means to truly be young and enjoy the party-life.
Her album’s pop-culture and overall societal influence should be incorporated into the discussion of the award. Album of the Year defines what 2025 was and who was influential to music listeners. This year produced new waves of pop stars and different genres of music. It is difficult to define a year to one album. With social media, music can reach a wider audience and affect the way we see the albums that are produced.
Even with that, I can say without a doubt that Brat paved the way for a new wave of thinking, dressing, and attitude towards life. Charli XCX revived an old genre, but in the same way created her own. Her album, Brat, should have won Album of the Year at the 2025 Grammys.