Jake Tapper’s teenage daughter, Alice Paul Tapper, found herself in a familiar position that many Gen Zers experienced this summer—having to explain the term “brat” to her parents. The CNN anchor and his 17-year-old daughter made an appearance on Late Night With Seth Meyers on October 11, where Alice recounted how she introduced her father to the “Kamala is brat” trend. This unusual endorsement for Vice President Kamala Harris came from British pop star Charli XCX, who connected her sixth album “brat” to the political scene, leading to a viral online moment.
During the interview with Seth Meyers, Alice shared how she noticed the buzz surrounding “brat summer” among her friends, who were captivated by Charli XCX’s album. “Everyone was freaking out online, and my friends were just listening to brat all summer. So, I thought it was so funny that she got politics involved with the album. I was obsessed with it for the whole summer,” Alice explained. It was her fascination with this cultural fusion that prompted her to bring the phenomenon to her father’s attention.
Jake Tapper, reflecting on the incident, mentioned how his daughter had pointed out Kamala HQ’s social media change to match Charli XCX’s album cover, leading him to cover the topic on CNN. Alice humorously remarked that once her dad got involved, it became less enjoyable for her, jokingly questioning why he was delving into her world. When asked if Jake had successfully embodied being “brat,” Alice left the decision to Charli XCX.
The unexpected attention from Charli XCX’s tweet, endorsing Harris, sparked a conversation regarding politics and pop culture. Charli XCX clarified that her intention was to spread positivity and light-heartedness rather than a political stance. Expressing her commitment to democracy and women’s rights, the artist emphasized the importance of being on the right side of history, even if her initial tweet led to unforeseen publicity.
As the summer drew to a close, Charli XCX bid farewell to “brat summer” on September 2, signalling the end of an era that intertwined music, politics, and social media. Despite its brief yet impactful presence, the “brat summer” trend captured the attention of many, leaving a unique mark on the cultural landscape.
This convergence of music and politics, as explored through the lens of “brat summer,” exemplifies how social phenomena can transcend entertainment to prompt discussions on broader societal issues. The inadvertent collaboration between pop culture and the political sphere serves as a reminder of the interconnected nature of contemporary media and its influence on public discourse.