@@adrianneba4843 you tapped out right after he said "I don't really understand Kant" to accuse him of thinking he's the only person who understands Kant?
AVAA! The music video to 360 ties very well into your points about perception and moderate success. The video stars Charli and tons of sort of famous women who are known but not famous. They are the exact group of women who are simultaneously desired and disregarded. The best example being Julia Fox who was used as eye candy in Uncut Gems yet is met with outright vitriol anytime she enters the news cycle on social media. Charli even name drops her on 360 by just her first name. Usually something reserved for incredibly famous people. Without context people wouldn’t realize she means Julia Fox and the power of that is the sort of acknowledgement that Charli is operating on a similar level of fame. In a lot of ways Charli is relegated to an occasionally detested largely ignored sideshow from a mainstream perspective. The only difference being the cult success of her music and critical acclaim she has always held. In a way making the point that on a human level she is just like Julia Fox and the often dismissed C tier celebrities she is posing with.
The reference to Julia Fox here is on point. I watched her speak on the Zack Sang Show and the album just clicked even more for me. The way Julia speaks about her public image, the way she advocates for women rights, her stories about her past and the hardships she went through with drug abuse. Being labeled as a 'whore' and other provacative terms despite her also being a very talented person with artistic cadence. The kind of woman that Charlie xcx is shedding light towards.
I wouldn't say it's all about this display of ignored / disdained people you're describing, though you did make an interesting argument. While you may be right about Charli comparing herself with these niche celebrities (cult classics some might say), I think this song and music video pursue satire in a different direction. she is framing borderline popularity and fame as exclusivity, and furthermore as the sort of escapist confidence that comes from viewing yourself with an air of exclusivity. Charli notes quite clearly throughout the album that she is not a commercial staple, but on the other hand flaunts the fact that she is not your generic, overconsumed brand of pop star. The tone used in both of these postures swings drastically between insecurity and brash confidence. in a way, this creates a foil between her own shifting outlooks on identity, popularity, relationships, and career. As the album's opener, 360 illustrates the self-assured facade others may see when encountering her image as an artist or social media figure. Charli intentionally delving into darker more twisted facets of herself behind such a projection is what makes the album as a whole feel relatable and authentic. I wouldn't say she's trying to portray herself and these Twitter darlings (love them btw) as a side show etc. she's using the video's absurdity and unapologetic nature as dryly comedic commentary on identity and image in an obsessive social media culture, where an untouchable persona may free you while also tempting others to wonder who you genuinely are.
I'm loving this discourse on the album, which I love so much. It's a good album and I wasn't into Charli, but she piqued my interest and I listen to the album every day now
AVAA. So beyond hyped on this review. As a music nerd and musician/producer who has a bachelor's in creative writing i really fucking love how ypu take the time to unpack each album you review and turn it into a lecture as well. Seriously don't stop.
@@desuMaKunthe joke is that the fans are js called "gay" instead of any official name because most of them *are* gay. The person above is implying the f-slur is what they'd be called.
@lightningbolt2692 Ally? Maybe we can move into a world where straight allies with gay taste are part of the umbrella term cause I know so many of them and they are wonderful. I dunno what the term would be tho. I also know straight girls with the exact same taste, too... who are we all, technically...?
1:07:36 That's such a good point. Looking down on individuals who have become brats due to their material realities is a reflection of our own societal failures and the class struggle. It is a manifestation of our inability to recognize the systemic issues that lead to such behaviors. She's basically saying it's crucial to acknowledge that the bratty behavior is not solely the result of individual flaws but rather a symptom of the broader societal issues that we have created and perpetuated.
Refreshing to see a YT video like this not chopped up and more stream of consciousness vibe. Just your way of communicating thoughts keeps my attention when I would normally zone out. Also that plate thing was the most professor thing ever lol but fun idea
AVAA - one of your best videos this year. thank you for understanding the value in interpretive discourse of anything and everything. cultural capital is often an overlooked aspect of this discussion. keep up the good work 💚!
Such a great analysis. I can agree with so much of what you are saying. I love the analogy of "she is like britney spears, but if she understood what genre she is in and she is playing with those ideas". I think that perfectly summarized what I love and respect so much of hyperpop, and I love to tangentially use the phrase "Post ironic satire". Since its loving the thing, but still self aware enough to be able to deconstruct it and play on it.
It's also such a British album when we think about class, the brutal class divide of Britain is so visible in taste and social capital. Charli would be called a "chav" if she wasn't famous, and she really plays with visual elements of the "tasteless classless chav" to build a visual manifesto of chav woman pride
I just listened to brat cuz it popped up in album of the year and I loved It and wanted to tell ppl about it, now seeing the fan base, i think ill get bullied
i love your insight of "you hate me but want to be me", it's spot on one thing i love about the cover art is that it reinforces 360's message that internet culture hinges on references within groups that are in on it - the memes & brat-style merch that it spawned are proving the point since they're references within that subculture
AVAA. Did you listen to 'The girl, so confusing version with lorde', prof? That one really got to me 🥺 It's somehow a peak pop culture moment which, with its endearingly blunt vulnerability, also manages to capture something authentic, honest and heartwarming about what being a girl/woman feels like in this age of the internet. I don't know about AOTY yet (although Brat IS #1 for me right now), but this one is going to be my most replayed song of the year, for sure. It makes me want to hug all my girl friends 🥺 Edit : also, the way it clarifies the context of and progresses the story of the original forward to such a satisfying resolution is *chef's kiss*. Listening to the two songs in succession feels like a cathartic therapy session.
AVAA, not gonna spoil the ending "twist" for anyone else here in the comments but it ties together your points beautifully. I had similar reservations going into this album as you had with your initial reaction to "Von Dutch." At every turn in the rollout and marketing for this album, it seemed to be all about the bangers, the party culture, and the reckless abandon with which Charli gave the middle finger to the music industry. It focused on Charli herself to what seemed like the point of outright narcissism and I anticipated a project that would feed into those notions. I would have likely still enjoyed a project like that, but the complete 180 into something so genuine and confessional made this an instant standout release of the 2020's for me. I inadvertently fell into that Kantian discrepancy you mention, and it was a fascinating and educational experience to subsequently be jolted out of it by this incredible album. Thank you for your perspective on this amazing work of art.
AVAA - charli’s philosophy of conviction in what you’re saying and your lyrics being the most important ingredient to good pop music has never rung so true. It doesn’t matter how vapid and surface level the lyrics are, she says each and every one with the CONVICTION that she’s our generations Shakespeare and that’s what makes her great
Agnes Varda Mentioned!!! Cleo from 5 to 7 is such a life affirming film. The day when I watched it for the first time I was at the cusp of ‘the ending’ myself, had an urge to watch a film which is a meditative activity for me before I bid adieu, and by the time that fantastic ending comes, my demented thoughts somehow vanished. This is a left-curve of a comment under an album analysis of an album I love but you finding a certain intertextuality between both of the works, really stumped me. AVAA.
I think what this album does perfectly is that it makes you rethink your prejudices about "tasteless" women and acknowledge their humanity. One's knowledge, or as Prof. Skye said, "cultural capital" does not make the person a better human or a more "evolved human". Darwinism moved from the physical sphere to the cultural sphere, giving us a false sense of reality. Reality is, all humans matter. All humans are worth good life conditions. And maybe, just maybe, through Charlie XCX's new album we can come to let go of our false sense of superiority (ironic considering that is what she does in some songs like 360 to mirror US, and us being her) and rather be empathetic to the conditions that send a girl out to the club to bump cocaine. The horrible life conditions that urge women to dance to these loud anthems to forget about their suffering.
Thank you for the lecture! I always learn so much watching you. Brb rewatching the video cause my brain cant handle all the solid info (this is a huge compliment i cant remember the last time i rewatched a youtube video that wasnt a song or a concert). AVAA!
AVAA! You explained marvellously how we view art and why that's intrinsically tied to class in a way i haven't thought about till now. It also helped me understand, as a Ugandan that doesn't like any of the ubiquitous reggaeton or typical dancehall stuff that i hear on the radio, the subconscious reasoning behind it. Thank you for helping unpack why this album is so brilliant. 💚
AVAA! I love this video specifically because the talk on cultural capital really has me thinking. As someone who is involved in the music world and plays music myself, I've always felt a sort of pressure to keep up with music, to be listening to new and old music, and especially in high school jazz band (I haven't gone and likely won't go to college), to be able to assimilate the skills of those players into my own work. Especially in terms of jazz, there is so much accessible, jazz-influenced music that, for some reason or another, isn't considered jazz. When you look into the genre itself and the rules of the genre, yeah it makes sense why x, y, or z is not really jazz, but I really felt pressured to listen to stuff that was real jazz, which is surprisingly difficult to figure out where to start from, especially as someone who mostly listens to rock/pop/hip-hop. Even then, I'd feel a bit of guilt for putting down some popular fusion record or something like Kind of Blue in my listening log because that's like basic level jazz. I realize now that this concept of cultural capital applies so well to my experience with jazz. Your skill as a musician is first defined by the fraction of your life that you have dedicated to your instrument, then by the other fraction of your life you've dedicated to listening to music (and only music that enriches your skill in your instrument). The only way you can actually do this is to be completely devoted to music (which is not a well-paying field to newbies), and to have access to that much free time (which is only available to people of higher social class) Obviously I wasn't actually held to those standards as a high school student at a semi-public school, but I still felt that pressure, and realized that if I wanted to go somewhere like Berklee, I'd need to hold myself to those standards. I'm not anywhere near lower class, but I really began to realize how elitist the music world was when I started looking at music schools and seeing that it was pretty much an expectation that you would already have a private instructor if you were applying. So much of music as a career is simply access to cultural capital, and if you started too late (like me who was around 14 when I started to get into music) or can't afford the time or lessons, then you're gonna have a much harder time turning music into a career, and you'll have to work much harder and/or get lucky. Overall, I clicked on the video because I'm a subscriber and I bought brat on vinyl the same day I got around to listening to it because it was that good, but I really loved that this video discussed and gave me a term for something I have observed in my own life.
you’d be hard pressed not to find people groomed to be musicians because they were also raised by musicians or were enabled at an early age to develop that skill. I think you’re right about the cultural capital but a lot of the artists i know who are successful, basically had time to build that catalog of knowledge (like English students having to read the classics)
AVAA came from the Pop Out video but I love your connections and understanding of various arts and linking albums back to culture. Shoutout to FD and Foreign Man for having you as a cameo
From the nokia brick phone green color of the album , to the niche internet icons, the deep poetic cuts and heartfelt diary entries... It felt like we were *inside* Charli's phone ; going through her notes and gallery , getting intimate with her algorithm before ending up smashed on the dancefloor with 365. It's SO good . 💚
okay so i’ve got something too! i’m also musician i make like emotional electronic pop. There’s this one phrase im always thinking about in regards to music, “expand your ears” we can all learn to love pretty much every genre and style of music through this one phrase because when you feel uncomfy or dislike towards a particular sound you have the opportunity to say “i’m expanding my ears” allowing you to look for value in places you may not have previously. Charli says on this album “if you love it / if you hate it / i don’t fucking care” art is about the artist at the end of the day, if the artist feels the work they made is valuable then it’s our job to find that value too. recognizing how our perspectives shape the way we view the art we experience is such a powerful way to love more people and more art. if even one person finds the art valuable it makes it valuable bc all types of women in our society (me included) deserve to have art that speaks specifically to them. luv u proffy skye :33
AVAA! Kinda late to the party as I saw a lot of hype around this album which made me push it back, but thoroughly enjoyed it once I did. Thank you for your work! I feel like it adds dimensions to a lot of art I enjoy and makes it that much more enjoyable.
The "tasteless" sentiment really reminds me of Whole Lotta Red and the reception it got right after release. AVAA!!! Already excited for the SOPHIE video
Just wanted to say thank you for this amazing video. The part about taste being intrinsically tied to class helped me understand a lot more about myself. Please keep doing what you're doing, it absolutely makes a difference in the world.
16.50 what I find really interesting is how art gets better the longer you spend digesting it/looking at it. I thought nothing much of the plate when I first saw it, but moving it closer the face looked really haunting, like a sunken expression. not what you got from the plate at all. also ties int to class/having enough time to spend time looking at the expression on plates
Thank you very much for what you do. I'm from Colombia and I've always feel left out here because of estethic taste (people love reaggaeton here, they like hearing the same groove and same chord progression in every song over and over AND OVER again). You're teaching me how to deal with that and I will always be thankful. PS: I'm a musician and I hope someday I have the luck to do something that gets famous enough to be in your channel haha.
I love your videos, they are just super entertaining. And you are very right when you said that not everybody has access to a father that went to Princeton and everything that comes with that. I always leave your videos with new book or movie recommendations. It does feel a bit overwhelming sometimes, it’s like I’m trying to compensate for everything I have missed out on.
32:20 It is a known point (and a controversial one) that the working class would be aided in their liberation by a few burgoiseau/middle class (some exceptional petty bourgeoisie) that through solidarity would attempt to assemble with the workers and bridge the differences between working class and burgoiseau and facilitate the transfer of knowledge to empower them. This is basically an example of that.
some song meanings i haven't seen mentioned anywhere: - "call me Gabbriette you're so inspired" - in 360 she references Gabbriette who was the frontwoman of the punk band Nasty Cherry that Charli put together at one point, idk if they're a thing anymore but Gabbriette is a big model and it girl - everything is romantic - i'm pretty sure this was about a trip to italy charli mentioned on her instagram a lot ("Capri in the distance") - apple - i actually love this song, i think it's about visiting your parents and having a hard time getting along with them, and wanting to just go away back to your own life, charli lives in the US now so she wants to drive to the airport - the instrumental of so i is intentionally similar to the song it's okay to cry by sophie, if you listen to them one after the other it's like an answer both in the lyrics and the instrumentals avaa
Watched the whole thing and then rewatched it again. Thank you so much for the intro on class and popular art. It’s something ai’ve been trying to put into words for a while and this was a really fun way to look at it. Also #justiceforapple
YES the 360 and 365 I’ve been trying to think out that theme and connection and you really put what I was trying to put into words together with the album being in the mirror especially with the 360 music video where there’s all these it girls at the table and then they just focus and turn to the waiter and unironically says she can be a hot girl once again like breaking that there class exclusivity
omg being raised by a kantian sounds tough. you have my sympathies. This album is brutally honest. The upper classes can never be truly honest, they need a perpetual veil of pretense.
AVAA - This is maybe your best video since the bcnr interview. Seriously stellar work. Song/album of the summer special at the end of the summer? (My current album of the summer is that nia archives debut (please review it) but this is a close second) Ps. All the talk of kendrick vince and sophie has me listening to 'yeah right' alot recently and i was wondering if you were even aware of that track since i dont think you reviewed big fish theory. (A vince song produced by sophie feat. Kendrick). Maybe top 5 rap song of last decade for me.
As someone who's really into music and has only been recently getting more into studying philosophy, I'm very appreciative that you articulated the connection between these concepts in a fantastic manner. I shall now read some Bourdieu
AVAA. This always feels like a free lecture on contemporary music and honestly thank you for your public service. We need deeper dialogue around contemporary music that isn’t in blog form (who has time for that in the death throes of boomer capitalism)
I just wanted to add some notes on my reactions to this video. Firstly, I also got don’t hug me I’m scared vibes from “I think about it”. It was just interesting to see someone who was reminded of the same somewhat niche reference there. I also absolutely loved what you did with plate. How you finessed it into the analysis and how you showed it on screen. I think it was a very effective way to get across the point Charli is trying to make. Lastly, I have been subscribed to you for a while but this video has turned me into a huge fan! From the ingenious lecture to the dead pan jokes and the cultural stories! ❤️
This review feels like it’s in conversation with the 2006-07-14 episode of “The Show” with Ze Frank. It was his song about ugly MySpace pages to go along with his ugly MySpace contest. “For a very long time, taste and artistic training have been things that only a small number of people have been able to develop”. I was only able to find it on the internet archive (Ze has uploaded many eps to TH-cam but not this one apparently). Well worth seeking out! AAVAA
Id highly reccommend hearing AG cook's song Without, which is his tribute to sophie. It feels in conversation with Charli's in how they reference specific sophie songs. I personally thing AG cook's is especially powerful as it's more about that feeling of their voice slipping away from you when someone you love dies.
The thing that really made me realise the same thing about taste (like bourdieu) was “my year of rest and relaxation” by otessa moshfegh. The book isn’t really about taste per se but it illustrates those differences quite well at times. The plate is really fun though!
AVAA! Loved your analysis on taste and class, especially the PSA you did on the value of teaching middle/working class kids culture and art. 🫡 Brat is probably one of my favorite pop albums this year. It's so fun and Charli really made a statement. Also learning more about the plate in the background in the end was !!! crazy I appreciate the analysis professor
AVAA!!! I love you Prof Skye, I watch almost every video you put out and I feel like the best moment’s I had in college. Love learning and listening, and no one on TH-cam makes it as good as you I really really really appreciate you and this whole channel
AVAA! When you spoke about cocaine and looking in the mirror, it made me think about how a mirror is typically associated with cocaine, and what we often see used to do coke off of. Thank you for your fantastic analysis. Being in my late 30s and enjoying music as much as I still do has never felt so good. Bumping that 🪞👀👃❄️💅
AVAA The mirror theme is a brilliant insight. I think it's really evident in "Girl, so confusing", where she's kind of standing face to face with another girl that she supposedly ressembles, but that she doesn't totally relate to. In "I think about it all the time", she describes the friend and her partner who just had a baby, and she seems to be looking at them as though they're a reflection of a possible future in her own life. There seem to be many moments where the image of another person is presented, and by reflecting on the contrast between that person and herself, Charli is able uncover things about herself.
This video was so so good! I’m an accounting major in college and I’m a massive Charli XCX fan. I love that you share your knowledge and experience while explaining your take on this album! Just subscribed!
I love your long intros that end with the smooth transition into “thank you for auditing” … Also, I like to take lecture notes (I study music) as I’m watching. thanks a lot Skye! AVAA
AVAA! I loved the video and the way you analysed the songs! I think a great cultural reference would be Susan Sontag and Notes on Camp when you talk about the ironic and trashy aesthetic of the album.
Another great video Prof. Just wanted to say that I'm impressed by your ability to cross-check and compare documented sources in order to support your speach. As a french palaeontologist, social lectures weren't my prority when it came to the expansion of my litterary capital. But I picked up more and more books, i.e Bourdieu's "Le bal des célibataires" and "Science de la science et réflexivité" (linked directly with my social origin and my current work field) which helped me quite a bit in my understanding of my condition. I always thought about the "transclasse" litterature ("Les héritiers" and "La distinction") when I listen to Charli, from Nike Airs/poppers from 24/24 shops to the Met Gala essentially. Thank you for putting it in a concise way.
avaa! i really love your videos. i'm studying bioengineering and i've never gotten a lecture about art, i love music and reading so it's very satisfying to me when i understand the connections between the two when made. your videos give me the same satisfaction, i wish i could take your classes but im very grateful that you film and upload these videos ❤
I love it how instead of having on-screen graphics, you pick up the laptop, and twist it around to show a picture of brats dolls
That's very brat If I say so myself
Man is true to his word of never editing his videos.
it’s SO brat 👏
Bros fluent in the most interesting and thought-provoking Yapanese ever
. etc “xcp analyst” . as u said a vry fluent 1 in sect of music^
shut up man
8 mins into this meandering digressive rambling i think imma check out. Bro thinks he's the only one who's read Kant lol
@@adrianneba4843 you tapped out right after he said "I don't really understand Kant" to accuse him of thinking he's the only person who understands Kant?
brat is shiiiiit
I think Charli would LOVE to watch this video
Girl
@@atillaonder1527 so confusing
you’re so julia
She’s the #1 reference🎉
she ate i fear
Professor you got me with the plate.... you mothered with this video
4:25 he said "you think you just fell out of a coconut tree?"
😭
You exist in the context 🤓
a person slipped up on words. get em, boys!
@@blarghblargh what
i don't think you understand the reference@@blarghblargh
Von dutch was inspired by the hat but charli said that she doesn’t wear hats because they don’t look good on her lol
she’s so me i hate how hats look on me
Except she did on the Speed Drive MV
@@soaribb32 literally
"So I" is one of the most authentic, moving tributes i've ever heard from any artist. Charli really honored SOPHIE as a person beautifully. ❤
It always hits me hard even though I only just learned about Charli and SOPHIE through the Brat album rollout
AVAA! The music video to 360 ties very well into your points about perception and moderate success. The video stars Charli and tons of sort of famous women who are known but not famous. They are the exact group of women who are simultaneously desired and disregarded. The best example being Julia Fox who was used as eye candy in Uncut Gems yet is met with outright vitriol anytime she enters the news cycle on social media. Charli even name drops her on 360 by just her first name. Usually something reserved for incredibly famous people. Without context people wouldn’t realize she means Julia Fox and the power of that is the sort of acknowledgement that Charli is operating on a similar level of fame. In a lot of ways Charli is relegated to an occasionally detested largely ignored sideshow from a mainstream perspective. The only difference being the cult success of her music and critical acclaim she has always held. In a way making the point that on a human level she is just like Julia Fox and the often dismissed C tier celebrities she is posing with.
The reference to Julia Fox here is on point. I watched her speak on the Zack Sang Show and the album just clicked even more for me. The way Julia speaks about her public image, the way she advocates for women rights, her stories about her past and the hardships she went through with drug abuse. Being labeled as a 'whore' and other provacative terms despite her also being a very talented person with artistic cadence. The kind of woman that Charlie xcx is shedding light towards.
@@aquagursky9565thanks for recommending that show, I’ll be listening to it now!
@@desuMaKun Enjoy!!
I wouldn't say it's all about this display of ignored / disdained people you're describing, though you did make an interesting argument. While you may be right about Charli comparing herself with these niche celebrities (cult classics some might say), I think this song and music video pursue satire in a different direction. she is framing borderline popularity and fame as exclusivity, and furthermore as the sort of escapist confidence that comes from viewing yourself with an air of exclusivity. Charli notes quite clearly throughout the album that she is not a commercial staple, but on the other hand flaunts the fact that she is not your generic, overconsumed brand of pop star. The tone used in both of these postures swings drastically between insecurity and brash confidence. in a way, this creates a foil between her own shifting outlooks on identity, popularity, relationships, and career. As the album's opener, 360 illustrates the self-assured facade others may see when encountering her image as an artist or social media figure. Charli intentionally delving into darker more twisted facets of herself behind such a projection is what makes the album as a whole feel relatable and authentic. I wouldn't say she's trying to portray herself and these Twitter darlings (love them btw) as a side show etc. she's using the video's absurdity and unapologetic nature as dryly comedic commentary on identity and image in an obsessive social media culture, where an untouchable persona may free you while also tempting others to wonder who you genuinely are.
I'm loving this discourse on the album, which I love so much. It's a good album and I wasn't into Charli, but she piqued my interest and I listen to the album every day now
37:35 "I am trash and I am art" is the most serious sentence I've ever heard
AVAA. So beyond hyped on this review. As a music nerd and musician/producer who has a bachelor's in creative writing i really fucking love how ypu take the time to unpack each album you review and turn it into a lecture as well. Seriously don't stop.
the male fans of Carly Rae and Charli are called gays 😭
Hell yeah feeling hella gay listening to Charli while having sex with a female.
yeah i was gonna say i’d comment what they’re called but i can’t use that word on youtube
@@fourtreemouthshow come you can’t use it?
@@desuMaKunthe joke is that the fans are js called "gay" instead of any official name because most of them *are* gay. The person above is implying the f-slur is what they'd be called.
@lightningbolt2692 Ally? Maybe we can move into a world where straight allies with gay taste are part of the umbrella term cause I know so many of them and they are wonderful. I dunno what the term would be tho. I also know straight girls with the exact same taste, too... who are we all, technically...?
1:07:36 That's such a good point. Looking down on individuals who have become brats due to their material realities is a reflection of our own societal failures and the class struggle. It is a manifestation of our inability to recognize the systemic issues that lead to such behaviors. She's basically saying it's crucial to acknowledge that the bratty behavior is not solely the result of individual flaws but rather a symptom of the broader societal issues that we have created and perpetuated.
I am absolutely dying at you rolling around town singing "my FACE is the FRONT of SHOP" while your kids are all "DAAAD PLEASE STOP"
When u held up that picture of the Bratz dolls that's when I knew u understood this album to a T 😂😂
The “couldn’t even be her if I tried” line is itself a knife
Refreshing to see a YT video like this not chopped up and more stream of consciousness vibe. Just your way of communicating thoughts keeps my attention when I would normally zone out. Also that plate thing was the most professor thing ever lol but fun idea
AVAA - one of your best videos this year. thank you for understanding the value in interpretive discourse of anything and everything. cultural capital is often an overlooked aspect of this discussion. keep up the good work 💚!
Such a great analysis. I can agree with so much of what you are saying. I love the analogy of "she is like britney spears, but if she understood what genre she is in and she is playing with those ideas". I think that perfectly summarized what I love and respect so much of hyperpop, and I love to tangentially use the phrase "Post ironic satire". Since its loving the thing, but still self aware enough to be able to deconstruct it and play on it.
Pastiche is a fav word of mine, describes post irony well
It's also such a British album when we think about class, the brutal class divide of Britain is so visible in taste and social capital. Charli would be called a "chav" if she wasn't famous, and she really plays with visual elements of the "tasteless classless chav" to build a visual manifesto of chav woman pride
I’d love to agree but Charlie went to a £12,000 a year private school
@@Andioop69420 you can definitely still be a chav with a rich daddy. just be classless lol
@@Andioop69420she’s also half Indian and imo she hasn’t been white passing in the post Sucker era when she stopped wearing so much foundation
@@Anna13Tonkspeople with money that play to be lower class isn't being classless, it's just pretending 😂 i love Charli tho
charli is not a chav lmao she is a private school girl
AVAA male charli fans are either lgbtq, suspected lgbtq or fantano fans. Or contrarians. Or all of the above. This is ultimate pride month album.
I just listened to brat cuz it popped up in album of the year and I loved It and wanted to tell ppl about it, now seeing the fan base, i think ill get bullied
@@-Cocoa- lol it's fine. Share the love!
D. All of the above.
@@-Cocoa-why would u get bullied?
@@-Cocoa- same lmao, tho I have been listening to Charli for a while
i love your insight of "you hate me but want to be me", it's spot on
one thing i love about the cover art is that it reinforces 360's message that internet culture hinges on references within groups that are in on it - the memes & brat-style merch that it spawned are proving the point since they're references within that subculture
AVAA. Did you listen to 'The girl, so confusing version with lorde', prof? That one really got to me 🥺 It's somehow a peak pop culture moment which, with its endearingly blunt vulnerability, also manages to capture something authentic, honest and heartwarming about what being a girl/woman feels like in this age of the internet.
I don't know about AOTY yet (although Brat IS #1 for me right now), but this one is going to be my most replayed song of the year, for sure. It makes me want to hug all my girl friends 🥺
Edit : also, the way it clarifies the context of and progresses the story of the original forward to such a satisfying resolution is *chef's kiss*. Listening to the two songs in succession feels like a cathartic therapy session.
AVAA, not gonna spoil the ending "twist" for anyone else here in the comments but it ties together your points beautifully.
I had similar reservations going into this album as you had with your initial reaction to "Von Dutch." At every turn in the rollout and marketing for this album, it seemed to be all about the bangers, the party culture, and the reckless abandon with which Charli gave the middle finger to the music industry. It focused on Charli herself to what seemed like the point of outright narcissism and I anticipated a project that would feed into those notions. I would have likely still enjoyed a project like that, but the complete 180 into something so genuine and confessional made this an instant standout release of the 2020's for me. I inadvertently fell into that Kantian discrepancy you mention, and it was a fascinating and educational experience to subsequently be jolted out of it by this incredible album.
Thank you for your perspective on this amazing work of art.
AVAA - charli’s philosophy of conviction in what you’re saying and your lyrics being the most important ingredient to good pop music has never rung so true. It doesn’t matter how vapid and surface level the lyrics are, she says each and every one with the CONVICTION that she’s our generations Shakespeare and that’s what makes her great
Agnes Varda Mentioned!!! Cleo from 5 to 7 is such a life affirming film. The day when I watched it for the first time I was at the cusp of ‘the ending’ myself, had an urge to watch a film which is a meditative activity for me before I bid adieu, and by the time that fantastic ending comes, my demented thoughts somehow vanished. This is a left-curve of a comment under an album analysis of an album I love but you finding a certain intertextuality between both of the works, really stumped me. AVAA.
12:56 "cultural capital is intrinsically linked to institutional capital"
he cooked damn
🔥🔥🔥🔥
fire
I think what this album does perfectly is that it makes you rethink your prejudices about "tasteless" women and acknowledge their humanity. One's knowledge, or as Prof. Skye said, "cultural capital" does not make the person a better human or a more "evolved human". Darwinism moved from the physical sphere to the cultural sphere, giving us a false sense of reality. Reality is, all humans matter. All humans are worth good life conditions. And maybe, just maybe, through Charlie XCX's new album we can come to let go of our false sense of superiority (ironic considering that is what she does in some songs like 360 to mirror US, and us being her) and rather be empathetic to the conditions that send a girl out to the club to bump cocaine. The horrible life conditions that urge women to dance to these loud anthems to forget about their suffering.
I love how Skye turns every review into an academic thesis.
Thank you for the lecture! I always learn so much watching you. Brb rewatching the video cause my brain cant handle all the solid info (this is a huge compliment i cant remember the last time i rewatched a youtube video that wasnt a song or a concert). AVAA!
Damn, just found this channel bc of Charli, dude, this is a great video, you won a subscriber. Please do this with more albums
this is such a rich and excellent analysis, Bourdieu's Distinction really lends itself well as a lens through which to look at Brat
AAVA this made me reexamine my love of hyperpop and Brat. Amazing insight. This made me think about my complicated feelings towards country music
AVAA! You explained marvellously how we view art and why that's intrinsically tied to class in a way i haven't thought about till now. It also helped me understand, as a Ugandan that doesn't like any of the ubiquitous reggaeton or typical dancehall stuff that i hear on the radio, the subconscious reasoning behind it. Thank you for helping unpack why this album is so brilliant. 💚
Just found you, wow, mind blown at the deepness, completely agree
AVAA! I love this video specifically because the talk on cultural capital really has me thinking. As someone who is involved in the music world and plays music myself, I've always felt a sort of pressure to keep up with music, to be listening to new and old music, and especially in high school jazz band (I haven't gone and likely won't go to college), to be able to assimilate the skills of those players into my own work. Especially in terms of jazz, there is so much accessible, jazz-influenced music that, for some reason or another, isn't considered jazz. When you look into the genre itself and the rules of the genre, yeah it makes sense why x, y, or z is not really jazz, but I really felt pressured to listen to stuff that was real jazz, which is surprisingly difficult to figure out where to start from, especially as someone who mostly listens to rock/pop/hip-hop. Even then, I'd feel a bit of guilt for putting down some popular fusion record or something like Kind of Blue in my listening log because that's like basic level jazz.
I realize now that this concept of cultural capital applies so well to my experience with jazz. Your skill as a musician is first defined by the fraction of your life that you have dedicated to your instrument, then by the other fraction of your life you've dedicated to listening to music (and only music that enriches your skill in your instrument). The only way you can actually do this is to be completely devoted to music (which is not a well-paying field to newbies), and to have access to that much free time (which is only available to people of higher social class) Obviously I wasn't actually held to those standards as a high school student at a semi-public school, but I still felt that pressure, and realized that if I wanted to go somewhere like Berklee, I'd need to hold myself to those standards. I'm not anywhere near lower class, but I really began to realize how elitist the music world was when I started looking at music schools and seeing that it was pretty much an expectation that you would already have a private instructor if you were applying. So much of music as a career is simply access to cultural capital, and if you started too late (like me who was around 14 when I started to get into music) or can't afford the time or lessons, then you're gonna have a much harder time turning music into a career, and you'll have to work much harder and/or get lucky.
Overall, I clicked on the video because I'm a subscriber and I bought brat on vinyl the same day I got around to listening to it because it was that good, but I really loved that this video discussed and gave me a term for something I have observed in my own life.
you’d be hard pressed not to find people groomed to be musicians because they were also raised by musicians or were enabled at an early age to develop that skill. I think you’re right about the cultural capital but a lot of the artists i know who are successful, basically had time to build that catalog of knowledge (like English students having to read the classics)
AVAA came from the Pop Out video but I love your connections and understanding of various arts and linking albums back to culture. Shoutout to FD and Foreign Man for having you as a cameo
From the nokia brick phone green color of the album , to the niche internet icons, the deep poetic cuts and heartfelt diary entries... It felt like we were *inside* Charli's phone ; going through her notes and gallery , getting intimate with her algorithm before ending up smashed on the dancefloor with 365. It's SO good . 💚
okay so i’ve got something too! i’m also musician i make like emotional electronic pop. There’s this one phrase im always thinking about in regards to music, “expand your ears” we can all learn to love pretty much every genre and style of music through this one phrase because when you feel uncomfy or dislike towards a particular sound you have the opportunity to say “i’m expanding my ears” allowing you to look for value in places you may not have previously. Charli says on this album “if you love it / if you hate it / i don’t fucking care” art is about the artist at the end of the day, if the artist feels the work they made is valuable then it’s our job to find that value too. recognizing how our perspectives shape the way we view the art we experience is such a powerful way to love more people and more art. if even one person finds the art valuable it makes it valuable bc all types of women in our society (me included) deserve to have art that speaks specifically to them. luv u proffy skye :33
AVAA! Kinda late to the party as I saw a lot of hype around this album which made me push it back, but thoroughly enjoyed it once I did. Thank you for your work! I feel like it adds dimensions to a lot of art I enjoy and makes it that much more enjoyable.
AVAA!!! 19 y/o boy learning so so much from you. Thank You, TY.
3:05 VSauce music starts playing
lmoa yes
always love your analyses
avaa! my first time seeing your stuff and i really dig it! really feels like a lecture i would have in art school!!
prof all your reviews are so so well constructed, it's crazy.
this was incredible thanks
Much to consider on my next listen! Thank you for this excellent analysis!
Honestly such a top notch lecture! I love love love the album and I find myself being so on board with your view on it.
The "tasteless" sentiment really reminds me of Whole Lotta Red and the reception it got right after release. AVAA!!! Already excited for the SOPHIE video
Just wanted to say thank you for this amazing video. The part about taste being intrinsically tied to class helped me understand a lot more about myself. Please keep doing what you're doing, it absolutely makes a difference in the world.
One of ur best videos yet, thank you!
Ooh I've been waiting for this review from you!
16.50 what I find really interesting is how art gets better the longer you spend digesting it/looking at it. I thought nothing much of the plate when I first saw it, but moving it closer the face looked really haunting, like a sunken expression. not what you got from the plate at all. also ties int to class/having enough time to spend time looking at the expression on plates
Thank you very much for what you do. I'm from Colombia and I've always feel left out here because of estethic taste (people love reaggaeton here, they like hearing the same groove and same chord progression in every song over and over AND OVER again). You're teaching me how to deal with that and I will always be thankful.
PS: I'm a musician and I hope someday I have the luck to do something that gets famous enough to be in your channel haha.
Cool analysis and in depth commentary
I love your videos, they are just super entertaining. And you are very right when you said that not everybody has access to a father that went to Princeton and everything that comes with that. I always leave your videos with new book or movie recommendations. It does feel a bit overwhelming sometimes, it’s like I’m trying to compensate for everything I have missed out on.
32:20 It is a known point (and a controversial one) that the working class would be aided in their liberation by a few burgoiseau/middle class (some exceptional petty bourgeoisie) that through solidarity would attempt to assemble with the workers and bridge the differences between working class and burgoiseau and facilitate the transfer of knowledge to empower them. This is basically an example of that.
some song meanings i haven't seen mentioned anywhere:
- "call me Gabbriette you're so inspired" - in 360 she references Gabbriette who was the frontwoman of the punk band Nasty Cherry that Charli put together at one point, idk if they're a thing anymore but Gabbriette is a big model and it girl
- everything is romantic - i'm pretty sure this was about a trip to italy charli mentioned on her instagram a lot ("Capri in the distance")
- apple - i actually love this song, i think it's about visiting your parents and having a hard time getting along with them, and wanting to just go away back to your own life, charli lives in the US now so she wants to drive to the airport
- the instrumental of so i is intentionally similar to the song it's okay to cry by sophie, if you listen to them one after the other it's like an answer both in the lyrics and the instrumentals
avaa
Watched the whole thing and then rewatched it again. Thank you so much for the intro on class and popular art. It’s something ai’ve been trying to put into words for a while and this was a really fun way to look at it.
Also #justiceforapple
I think that’s a great description
AVAA! i can't thank you enough, best professor ever, you have no idea how much you reconteztualize the whole world & it's cultures for me.
great video! this whole album felt like i was listening to an audiobook of charli's diary
YES the 360 and 365 I’ve been trying to think out that theme and connection and you really put what I was trying to put into words together with the album being in the mirror especially with the 360 music video where there’s all these it girls at the table and then they just focus and turn to the waiter and unironically says she can be a hot girl once again like breaking that there class exclusivity
omg being raised by a kantian sounds tough. you have my sympathies. This album is brutally honest. The upper classes can never be truly honest, they need a perpetual veil of pretense.
. l°l etc- “@12:56’ aswll-
AVAA - This is maybe your best video since the bcnr interview. Seriously stellar work.
Song/album of the summer special at the end of the summer? (My current album of the summer is that nia archives debut (please review it) but this is a close second)
Ps. All the talk of kendrick vince and sophie has me listening to 'yeah right' alot recently and i was wondering if you were even aware of that track since i dont think you reviewed big fish theory. (A vince song produced by sophie feat. Kendrick). Maybe top 5 rap song of last decade for me.
As someone who's really into music and has only been recently getting more into studying philosophy, I'm very appreciative that you articulated the connection between these concepts in a fantastic manner. I shall now read some Bourdieu
loved every minute of this
LOVE your reading on the album AVAA!
AVAA. This always feels like a free lecture on contemporary music and honestly thank you for your public service. We need deeper dialogue around contemporary music that isn’t in blog form (who has time for that in the death throes of boomer capitalism)
I just wanted to add some notes on my reactions to this video. Firstly, I also got don’t hug me I’m scared vibes from “I think about it”. It was just interesting to see someone who was reminded of the same somewhat niche reference there. I also absolutely loved what you did with plate. How you finessed it into the analysis and how you showed it on screen. I think it was a very effective way to get across the point Charli is trying to make. Lastly, I have been subscribed to you for a while but this video has turned me into a huge fan! From the ingenious lecture to the dead pan jokes and the cultural stories! ❤️
Charli's said in an interview her goal is to make what The Streets makes! Spot on
Also worth mentioning the 360 music video, very much ties in!
You were in your bag with this review
AVAA, the random Bliss Foster mention made me do a double take laugh my ass off. Thank you professor for your insight on an amazing album.
AVAA, there was a lot to unpack in this video. Thankyou for continuing to make these and for doing them so candidly
AVAA
Been obsessed with this album since it got out. Love your deep analysis of it, my first video of you but definitely not the last!
AVAA! You’ve been on top of your game with your introductions lately, riveting stuff.
This is my fav music review so far, thank you for sharing!
AVAA i love the calmness of your voice
okay I'm huge charli stan an angel one would say and I love this video thank u very much
This review feels like it’s in conversation with the 2006-07-14 episode of “The Show” with Ze Frank. It was his song about ugly MySpace pages to go along with his ugly MySpace contest. “For a very long time, taste and artistic training have been things that only a small number of people have been able to develop”. I was only able to find it on the internet archive (Ze has uploaded many eps to TH-cam but not this one apparently). Well worth seeking out! AAVAA
The plate reveal blew my mind! Another great analyses Professor. AVAA
Id highly reccommend hearing AG cook's song Without, which is his tribute to sophie. It feels in conversation with Charli's in how they reference specific sophie songs. I personally thing AG cook's is especially powerful as it's more about that feeling of their voice slipping away from you when someone you love dies.
AVAA first video of yours and it’s so fun hearing your ramblings
The thing that really made me realise the same thing about taste (like bourdieu) was “my year of rest and relaxation” by otessa moshfegh. The book isn’t really about taste per se but it illustrates those differences quite well at times. The plate is really fun though!
The Picasso plate reveal genuinely was a jaw drop moment. Phenomenal video.
that was some incredible storytelling haha
AVAA! Loved your analysis on taste and class, especially the PSA you did on the value of teaching middle/working class kids culture and art. 🫡
Brat is probably one of my favorite pop albums this year. It's so fun and Charli really made a statement.
Also learning more about the plate in the background in the end was !!! crazy
I appreciate the analysis professor
This might be my favourite video of yours, yet. Thank you
AVAA!!!
I love you Prof Skye, I watch almost every video you put out and I feel like the best moment’s I had in college. Love learning and listening, and no one on TH-cam makes it as good as you
I really really really appreciate you and this whole channel
The fans of CRJ and charli and women of the sort are called the gays hahaha
LMAO STOP
it's true
Honestly. I was gonna say… we’re the f-slurs babe lol
Home essentials or british cigarettes
Exactly, how come he didn't have the sense to come to that conclusion?
AVAA! When you spoke about cocaine and looking in the mirror, it made me think about how a mirror is typically associated with cocaine, and what we often see used to do coke off of. Thank you for your fantastic analysis. Being in my late 30s and enjoying music as much as I still do has never felt so good. Bumping that 🪞👀👃❄️💅
42:59 charli XCX is middle class and her fan base generally i would say sway more in the direction of middle class, not lower class.
really good video. this is the first video of yours i have watched so far. gotta go through the catalog now
Love to hear it, welcome
AVAA
The mirror theme is a brilliant insight.
I think it's really evident in "Girl, so confusing", where she's kind of standing face to face with another girl that she supposedly ressembles, but that she doesn't totally relate to.
In "I think about it all the time", she describes the friend and her partner who just had a baby, and she seems to be looking at them as though they're a reflection of a possible future in her own life.
There seem to be many moments where the image of another person is presented, and by reflecting on the contrast between that person and herself, Charli is able uncover things about herself.
Neil Young referenced ! Was grateful to have seen Neil crush it live a few weeks ago. Never thought Id be able to see him.
What a great explanation of nostalgia and memories. AVAA. Also love the album review 😂
This video was so so good! I’m an accounting major in college and I’m a massive Charli XCX fan. I love that you share your knowledge and experience while explaining your take on this album! Just subscribed!
I love your long intros that end with the smooth transition into “thank you for auditing” …
Also, I like to take lecture notes (I study music) as I’m watching.
thanks a lot Skye! AVAA
Love the active watching! Wish my students did the same unprompted
Either many TH-cam videos I now watch are quieter OR TH-cam has lowered video volume and boosted advertisements volume.
1:02:00 would really really love that SOPHIE retrospective.
AVAA! I loved the video and the way you analysed the songs! I think a great cultural reference would be Susan Sontag and Notes on Camp when you talk about the ironic and trashy aesthetic of the album.
Another great video Prof. Just wanted to say that I'm impressed by your ability to cross-check and compare documented sources in order to support your speach. As a french palaeontologist, social lectures weren't my prority when it came to the expansion of my litterary capital. But I picked up more and more books, i.e Bourdieu's "Le bal des célibataires" and "Science de la science et réflexivité" (linked directly with my social origin and my current work field) which helped me quite a bit in my understanding of my condition.
I always thought about the "transclasse" litterature ("Les héritiers" and "La distinction") when I listen to Charli, from Nike Airs/poppers from 24/24 shops to the Met Gala essentially. Thank you for putting it in a concise way.
avaa! i really love your videos. i'm studying bioengineering and i've never gotten a lecture about art, i love music and reading so it's very satisfying to me when i understand the connections between the two when made. your videos give me the same satisfaction, i wish i could take your classes but im very grateful that you film and upload these videos ❤