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What’s a ‘brat summer’ and how do I have one?

Thanks to Charli xcx’s hit pop album, we’re here to decode why “brat” is all over the airwaves, internet, and right outside your front door.

INDY_brat Indy_AUG2024

Slime is so back in style.

Graphic by INDYtoday team

Slime green word salad. Viral TikTok dances. Your Gen Z + millennial relatives calling you “so brat.” It’s been a “brat summer” whether you knew it or not, so we’re here to explain what it means and how to get in on the fun.

British singer Charli xcx’s album “brat” was released on June 7 and debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard charts. Its 15 tracks examine existential topics like womanhood, family, and insecurity — all with an electric veneer of dance-pop partying. In essence, to be a “brat” is to be yourself, flaws and all, while still having fun.

Now that you’re caught up on the lingo, here are four ways to live out your very own “brat summer” in the Circle City.

Brat Summer Party | Friday, Aug. 30 | 8 p.m. | The Vogue | $10-$25 | Everything is romantic at this “brat summer” party — come dance to club classics for a night you’ll want to rewind again and again, 365 days a year.

SKOSH | How can you have a “brat summer” without sipping on a bright green matcha? It’s time to wake up your inner “Julia” (a reference to pop culture icon Julia Fox) at this funky vintage shop where everything you see is for sale.

Salamat Cookies | Brats love a sweet treat, right? Once you have a green Pandan Macapuno Blondie by Salamat Cookies, you’ll “think about it all the time.” You can find them at farmers market stands or Baby Got Brunch Saturday, Aug. 10 at Victory Field.

Tuttle Orchard | Reenact the viral “Apple” TikTok dance while you’re picking actual fruit at this all-ages orchard starting Friday, Aug. 30. Look for “Lodi” (aka The Applesauce Queen) green apples for picking or in the Farm Store.

@atlanticrecords

Obsessed with @Charli XCX, @Troye Sivan & @terrencefoconnor doing the apple dance 🍏 DC: @Kelley Heyer #charlixcx #brat

♬ Apple - Charli xcx

Need us to put another pop culture phenomenon in Indy terms? Drop us a line and we’ll share our findings in a future newsletter. Thanks for being a babe — bye brats.

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