Charli XCX’s brand has become synonymous with neon green. The “Talk Talk” singer’s minimalist Brat album cover took off like wildfire. Since the project’s release, it has been replicated all over the place including the set of a Saturday Night Live sketch.
Even Charli has carried the design into other messaging (the Brat And It’s Completely Different But Also Still Brat promotional billboards for example). But the cover wasn’t dreamed up as an elaborate concept for virality. Today (October 8), Charli XCX told Zane Lowe during an intimate sit down that it was all just to save money from the body of work’s overall budget.
When asked about the creative vision for the now pop culture phenomena of the album’s neon green background with slightly blurred, low cased text, Charli XCX thanked fans for their reception to it. But when on to discuss its origins.
“I was home,” she said. “The actual first idea of doing a text cover came from wanting to save money. Because I was like, this album is not going to appeal to a lot of people. I think I thought maybe I’d do a press shoot and then save on the album cover and maybe it’s like cool. Seriously. But I’ve also been on every cover of mine apart from ‘Vroom Vroom.’ So it punctuates that pattern in quite a nice way. Also, handy because it’s going to be a lower spend.”
However, not everyone was on board for the design choice. Charli XCX’s manager, creative director, even friends told her to rethink it. “Then everyone was like, that’s the stupidest idea ever,” she said.
Good thing Charli XCX stuck to her guns because it has paid off very well for her bottom line.
Watch Charli XCX’s full interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music above.
Brat And It’s Completely Different But Also Still Brat is out 10/11 via Atlantic. Find more information here.