Charli XCX stopped chasing success when writing ‘Brat'—now it's her highest-selling album

In case you haven't heard, it's a brat girl summer.

Inspired by singer Charli XCX's seventh studio album "Brat," which came out last month, large swaths of social media users — primarily Gen Zers — are celebrating the carefree, rebellious lifestyle depicted throughout the record.

The trend gained more attention on Sunday after Charli XCX posted "Kamala IS brat" to social media platform X, referencing U.S. vice president Kamala Harris' attitude, age and energy as she campaigns to become the country's first-ever woman president.

For Charli XCX, whose given name is Charlotte Aitchison, the brat takeover is unexpected — the album was risky, and could've flopped. "Brat" marked a significant creative departure from her preceding record "Crash," which was the most successful album of her career at the time.

"Crash" debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 in 2022, and creating similar music would've been a safe route to continued success. But Charli XCX didn't enjoy the songs: The record represented the "vanilla palatable flatness" that pop music embodied at the time, she told The Face in February.

"I wasn't born to do radio one liners," said Charlie XCX, who's been releasing music since age 19. "That's not who I am at all."

Instead, she pursued a project she felt personally passionate about. "['Brat' is] very confrontational and aggressive, and the lyrics are sort of life texts that I would send to my friends," the 31-year-old told Resident Advisor earlier this month. "I see it as being quite brutalist."

It promptly debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, and is now her highest-selling U.S. album ever.

Highly successful people take calculated risks

The uninspiring thought of writing more made-for-radio music prompted Charli XCX to take a risk both career-defining and thoughtful.

"Brat" was in the works for more than a year before her record label Atlantic Records started marketing it, Atlantic vice president of marketing Marisa Aron told Billboard last month. "She not only created the most culturally important pop and dance album of the year but also delivered a masterclass in artistic direction and marketing strategy," Aron said.

Indeed, smart risk-takers take the time to plan and prepare before jumping into action, according to self-made millionaire John Crowley. They avoid setting lofty, broad goals, opting instead for clear, tangible goals that lead them to their passion or purpose.

″[They] realize that they've got to define their mission. What do they want to do?" Crowley, the executive chairman of biotechnology company Amicus Therapeutics, told Make It last year. "Where is the urgent need?"

Even when the result isn't favorable, risk-taking can make you a desirable employee: People who do it are more likely to be promoted and sent to leadership trainings for high-potential employees, found a 2020 study from Kent State University.

Lots of highly successful people talk similarly about risk-taking, from Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos: Calculated risks, where you've gathered enough data and research to support your plan of action, are the ones most worth taking.

"Sometimes, you can take big risks," Peter Beck, founder and CEO of the $2.66 billion aerospace company Rocket Lab, told Make It last year. "Sometimes, you need to be very safe and methodical about how to back out of situations. Control the things you can control and acknowledge the things you can't control."

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