This week, Charli XCX made her third appearance as a host on Saturday Night Live, doubling as the musical guest. With her recent album Brat being huge this summer, the pop star was announced to be in the November slot of SNL. In one promo leading up to the show, she shared a playful moment with cast member Marcello Hernández, debating whether his outfit was “brat,” a term she popularized after her sixth studio album, Brat.
Although Charli XCX has completed almost a decade of being in the limelight, this is the first time that she has taken center stage through the award circuit as well as promotional appearances. A lot of fans do not know that before Charli debuted her first album, she had worked with renowned names like Selena Gomez, Shawn Mendes, Camilla Cabello and more.
Her music career began in 2008 when she started sharing songs on Myspace, which led to live performances at warehouse raves. By 2010, she signed with Asylum Records and later released her debut album, True Romance (2013).
Charli’s big break came with Icona Pop’s hit I Love It in 2012, followed by the Grammy-nominated Fancy with Iggy Azalea in 2014. Her solo hits include Boom Clap and Break the Rules, and she has collaborated with top artists like Selena Gomez on Same Old Love, Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello on Señorita, Blondie on Tonight, and Billie Eilish on hit song Guess.
This weekend, during her SNL opener, Charli explained the meaning of “brat,” using Martha Stewart’s recent feud with a journalist as an example. Stewart had mistakenly claimed a journalist who covered her legal case was dead, prompting the journalist to respond, “I’m alive, b****.” Charli described this as the ultimate “brat” behavior, setting the tone for her quirky and bold style of comedy.
Charli’s Brat Summer has become a big part of pop culture, thanks to her latest album. She explained in a TikTok video that “brat” is about being honest, messy, and embracing chaos, which fits her style perfectly.
This isn’t the first time SNL has tapped into Charli’s “brat” persona. Earlier this season, Bowen Yang hilariously impersonated her in a sketch called The Talk Talk Show With Charli XCX. Charli later praised Yang’s portrayal, calling it “cool” and admiring the wig used for the impression.
While this will be Charli’s first time hosting, she has appeared on SNL before as a musical guest in 2014 and 2022.
