Highlights
- Brat era pushed Charli xcx from niche pop star to mainstream visibility
- New mockumentary The Moment reflects the pressure of sudden attention
- Singer says some fans connected with her music, others only with parts of her image
From cult favourite to constant scrutiny
Charli xcx’s Brat era didn’t just change her career — it changed who was watching. After years as a cult favourite, the British artist found herself thrust into a far wider spotlight following the success of her 2024 album, bringing with it a new audience she says didn’t always understand her.
That uneasy shift sits at the heart of The Moment, Charli’s mockumentary-style film that premiered on January 30. Directed by Aidan Zamiri, the project exaggerates the chaos of the Brat period, drawing directly from the singer’s own experience of rapid fame.
Speaking to Billboard in a video interview posted on February 2, Charli described the transition as both affirming and unsettling. “I’d been this relatively niche artist, and then had suddenly been opened up to this huge new audience,” she said. “Some of whom really connected with me, some of whom only connected with aspects of me, some of whom liked me, but didn’t really get me.”
A career-defining album
Released in June 2024, Brat marked a commercial high point for Charli xcx. The album reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200 — her strongest chart performance to date — and went on to earn her her first three Grammy Awards.
The momentum continued with a remix album packed with high-profile collaborators later that year, followed by the Brat Tour, which ran until August 2025. As the audience grew, so did the scrutiny — a reality Charli says made her acutely aware of how difficult sudden visibility can be.
“How much you’re under scrutiny, in the spotlight, being listened to, watched, is a really interesting thing,” she added. “It made me so aware of how hard that transition can be.”
Closing the door on Brat
Despite its success, Charli has been clear that the Brat chapter is over. She has since shifted her focus towards acting and soundtrack work, including an upcoming Wuthering Heights companion album for Emerald Fennell’s forthcoming adaptation of the Charlotte Brontë novel.
Reflecting on her decision to move on, Charli told Billboard: “Nothing lasts forever — and no one lasts forever. I think I’ve always known that. It’s cooler to just leave it all behind.”
Recreating the chaos on screen
That sense of closure didn’t stop Charli from fully embracing the energy of the era while filming The Moment. Shot over 29 days, the production leaned heavily into late nights and club culture to capture the mood.
“Every single weekend, we would just go out and party,” she said. “Sometimes Aidan would just blast The Prodigy whilst they were setting up a shot.”
The result is a self-aware snapshot of a defining moment — one that reflects both the thrill and the discomfort of becoming widely seen.
