Charli XCX has insisted that she is not a “political artist”.
In June, the British hitmaker released her sixth studio album Brat, which quickly went viral and spawned the phrase “brat summer”.
The following month, Charli took to X to show her support for Kamala Harris ahead of the 2024 U.S. presidential election, writing, “Kamala IS brat”.
The tweet immediately went viral on social media and was picked up by Kamala’s campaign team, prompting CNN to attempt to explain the meaning of “brat” live on air.
In a new interview with New York Magazine’s Vulture, the 32-year-old said that while she knew what she was doing when she posted the tweet, she didn’t expect the reaction it received.
“To be on the right side of democracy, the right side of women’s rights, is hugely important to me,” she said. “I’m happy to help to prevent democracy from failing forever.”
“I obviously knew what I was doing,” the singer continued, adding that she didn’t think the tweet would gain as much traction as it did. “Did I think me talking about being a messy b**ch and, like, partying and needing a Bic lighter and a pack of Marlboro Lights would end up on CNN? No.”
The 365 hitmaker went on to insist she has never had any interest in becoming a “political artist”.
“I’m not Bob Dylan, and I’ve never pretended to be. My music is not political,” she explained. “Everything I do in my life feeds back into my art. Everything I say, wear, think, enjoy – it all funnels back into my art. Politics doesn’t feed my art.”
