Slime green word salad. Viral TikTok dances. McLain’s brat-cha. 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 before flannels and pumpkin spice lattes take over in a few months.
Released on June 7, British singer Charli XCX’s album “brat” 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 three spots to live out your very own “brat summer” in the city.
Curfew Bar | Downtown | Self-described as “quirky,” the lounge and speakeasy has a disco ball-laden dance floor nestled under The Tower. Start your night early with happy hour + then grab your besties, slip into a private booth, and sip signature cocktails while you roast your own s’mores over a table-top campfire.
Flipturn Vintage and Thrift | Foundry District | Part of “brat summer” is dressing the part. Think: sporty sunglasses (even inside), cropped graphic tees, Von Dutch hats, and neon green threads. Lucky for you, FTW has a smorgasbord of thrift shops and rummage sales to shop.
Demases Farm | Boyd | Reinact the viral “Apple” TikTok dance while you’re picking actual fruit and veggies. Plus, check out other U-pick farms around the area that are perfect for brats who prefer an earlier bedtime.
Need us to put another pop culture phenomenon in Cowtown terms? Drop us a line and we’ll share our findings in a future newsletter. Bye, bye, brats.
