From Brat to the Eras Tour, how ‘pop girlies’ defined culture and fashion in 2024 (2025)

SINGAPORE – In February, British singer-songwriter Charli XCX took to her Instagram account to announce that her sixth studio album would be released in the summer.

The image she used was a square coloured in an off-putting shade of neon yellow-green, with the word “brat” in a sans serif, lower-case and seemingly low-resolution font stamped across it.

Fans and pundits were excited about new music from the 32-year-old artiste, whose real name is Charlotte Aitchison, but many were bemused by the accompanying image, ostensibly the album’s cover.

Local radio deejay Joshua Simon, who has been a fan since Charli XCX’s debut album True Romance (2013), remembers how he was in disbelief.“I thought it was a joke or a marketing gimmick,” recalls Simon, who hosts the evening drive-time show on radio station Kiss92.

But after the album Brat dropped in June, it became clear that that cover was a visual representation of the music, and the ethos it seemed to espouse.

Simon says: “Charli always seemed to have this dissonance within herself, about whether she’s meant to be a pop star or someone who is more aligned with rave culture. But with Brat, we see her saying, ‘Forget it. I’m just going to do what I feel comfortable with.’”

For Charli XCX, that meant being messy, forthright and nonchalant about the idea of societal norms. As she explained during an interview with the BBC: “(Brat) can go the way of quiet luxury, but it can also be trashy… a strappy white top with no bra, that’s kind of all you need.”

Simon adds: “Especially in Asia, there has been so much influence from K-pop, where everything is highly manufactured and polished. People were just attracted to the idea of being a bit unkempt and chaotic, as embodied by ‘brat’. That’s why we’re seeing people embracing oversized clothes, mismatched prints – maybe letting a pimple show once in a while.”

“Brat” quickly caught on in the cultural zeitgeist, giving birth to “brat summer”: a season when people could embrace being a little unpolished and unbothered – for instance, going out in a miniskirt, high boots and unwashed hair.

In September, multinational fashion retailer H&M announced a capsule collection with Charli XCX, officially signalling her role in mainstream popular culture as a fashion inspiration.

But even before brat summer took over TikTok and other realms of popular culture, another “pop girlie” was influencing clothing choices in Singapore and globally: Taylor Swift.

At least two different items worn by the 35-year-old American superstar sent the internet masses into a frenzy.

The first was a short, lilac tiered skort from activewear label Popflex in a video posted to her YouTube account in April.

The second was glitter freckles from indie beauty brand Fazit Beauty that Swift sported during an American football game in October in support of her boyfriend Travis Kelce, who plays for the Kansas City Chiefs.

Popflex’s founder Cassey Ho said 16,000 skorts were pre-ordered after Swift was seen wearing it. One of Fazit Beauty’s co-founders said sales of the make-up patches went up “2,500 per cent in 13 hours”.

Swift’s sartorial choices are of such interest that Macmillan Publishers, one of the “big five” English book publishers, put out Taylor Swift Style: Fashion Through The Eras in October. Its author is American fashion blogger Sarah Chapelle, who has documented each outfit Swift has been seen in – both onstage and off – since late 2011.

In an interview with Billboard magazine, Chapelle said that Swift’s style is an extension of the way she tells stories through pop music. “It’s the visual half that iconifies her eras, and it creates these memorable moments that stick out in your brain. I think she’s always, in some form, used fashion as a way of carving out identity and saying something about herself.”

Taking a cue from the importance that Swift places on her own personal style, fans went all out to dress up in myriad ways for her record-breaking Eras Tour concerts, including the six that took place in Singapore in March.

Some Swifties replicated the couture costumes that the singer wore onstage – such as the colourful rhinestone bodysuits made for her by Italian luxury brand Versace in homage to the singer’s rainbow-filled Lover era – while others crafted outfits tailored to their own styles, but nevertheless referencing the colour schemes and motifs of one or more of Swift’s albums.

Mr Aaron Kok, fashion editor of Harper’s Bazaar Singapore magazine, says: “One local shoe retailer told me that a good amount of its inventory sold out during that week that Taylor performed in Singapore. People were actively going to the boutiques to buy shoes they thought she might wear or that might match their concert outfit.”

What was even more notable, he adds, is that this concept of the “concert fit” did not end once The Eras Tour left town. It continued with the other pop girlies who stopped by for their own shows.

“With (American singer) Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts tour concerts in early October, there was a very clear look among the attendees: miniskirts, tartan, purple and just an overall grunge princess feel. Meanwhile, fishnet stockings and sequins were the order of the day at (British-Albanian singer) Dua Lipa’s November gigs, which kicked off her Radical Optimism world tour.”

Likewise, concertgoers turned out in flowing dresses and white ribbons for 25-year-old Icelandic singer Laufey’s concert in September, and in sports jerseys for 21-year-old Canadian singer-dancer Tate McRae’s gig in October.

Philippines-bornstreet fashion photographer Sky Alfonso, who runs the popular Orchard Road Fashion account on Instagram and TikTok (@orchardroadfashion on both platforms) that has a combined follower count of more than 260,000, has observed “a huge jump” in fashion inspired by the aesthetic of pop girlies such as Swift and Lipa, 29, especially among teens and young adults in Singapore.

“These fans want to show their love for these artistes and their style, and they look to their idols’ outfits for inspiration and to find their next style trend,” he says.

In 2024, he ventured out of Orchard Road and hit up Singapore Sports Hub to document concertgoers’ fashion during shows by Swift, Lipa and Rodrigo, 21.

“Singapore’s tropical weather makes it difficult for people to dress freely on ‘regular days’. As such, concerts are a good time and place for them to express their style and not be judged for it. In fact, we’ve been seeing increasingly interesting fits at every concert, ranging from colourful and metallic outfits and high boots to layers and bold make-up,” he says.

The idea of specific pop concerts as “style events” in the vein of a wedding or school prom is not likely to go away any time soon, adds Mr Kok.

“It’s an almost unspoken dress code now. But I don’t think it applies to every concert. I mean, we didn’t see people donning red hair wigs for (British singer-songwriter) Ed Sheeran’s concert in February,” he notes wryly.

The common denominator in 2024, at least for Western musical acts performing in Singapore, has been the female pop star – showing how this genre of musician has defined 2024’s cultural landscape not just with their music, but with their distinct looks.

Swift was the top-streamed artiste across Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music, and her 2024 album The Tortured Poets Department came up tops on all three services as well. Meanwhile, Sabrina Carpenter’s Espresso was the most-streamed song globally on Spotify.

Both Swift and Carpenter are also nominated for multiple Grammy Awards in 2025, alongside Chappell Roan, Charli XCX and female pop titans Beyonce and Billie Eilish.

Singaporean singer and radio deejay Daphne Khoo says: “It creates a strong brand, and it’s a way for fans to feel closer to their favourite pop artistes by matching their styles. That said, the strength of their music is still the most important way these artistes stand out.”

She highlights American singers Carpenter, 25, and Roan, 26, who stood out in 2024 for their strong musical identities paired with signature styles.

The petite Carpenter made waves for her catchy and slightly risque lyrics – matched with tall platform boots, short babydoll dresses, big blonde curls and a knowing wink and nod.

A lipstick kiss mark has also become her new trademark motif, featuring on her tour costumes, on her shoulder blade in the cover of her 2024 album Short N’ Sweet, and on her official merchandise.

Mr Kok says: “Sexuality has become Sabrina’s brand in a way that we have not seen with female pop stars for a while. She has embraced a retro 1960s bombshell vibe to go alongside her music.”

Roan, on the other hand, imbues her music with a sense of dramatic theatricality that is echoed in her onstage costumes, which are inspired by the elaborate get-ups popular in the drag scene.

“It’s more difficult to pinpoint her fashion because she has very different looks. But each show has a very distinct visual concept, and Chappell had made sure to give themes and mood boards for each concert – for instance, ‘pink pony club’ – so that fans can join her,” says Mr Kok.

Roan is also an interesting case study in how pop music, fashion and the broader culture intersected in 2024.

Soon after outgoing American Vice-President Kamala Harris announced that her running mate for the United States presidential election would be Minnesota governor Tim Walz in August, her campaign started selling camo caps embroidered with the slogan “Harris Walz” on its online merchandise store.

As Mr Kok points out, this was actually a duplicate of camo caps that Roan had been selling as merchandise on her own website, down to the orange-yellow embroidery thread on the slogan. Roan’s caps say “Midwest Princess”, a reference to her debut album, The Rise And Fall Of A Midwest Princess (2023).

And let’s not forget how the Harris campaign quickly embraced Charli XCX’s July endorsement post on X, where she proclaimed: “Kamala IS brat.”

The banner on Ms Harris’ X account was changed to “kamala hq” in simple black font against a lime-green background – a clear reference to Brat’s album cover.

“It shows how even in politics, there’s an understanding of how apparel can tie into the image you want to project to the public, and how you can use the visual language of fashion to tap a specific audience demographic – in this case, the Gen Z audience that these artistes have accumulated over the course of this year,” he says.

Anatomy of a pop girlie’s style

Chappell Roan

• Often inspired by drag, a form of performance art centred on exaggerated gender expression
• Theatrical and flamboyant – think Gen Z’s Lady Gaga. She once dressed as the Statue of Liberty, green skin and all
• Clowncore-inspired make-up such as white foundation, vivid blue eye shadow and pink blush spots
• Her signature red curls are usually free and wild, and sometimes accented with tiaras, headbands or custom headpieces
• Wears Wiederhoeft, Gunnar Deatherage, Betsey Johnson

Laufey

• Feminine and whimsical
• Long vintage dresses in satin or chiffon, frothy layers, puffy sleeves, pastel colours
• Wears Molly Goddard, Rodarte, Chloe

Charli XCX

• A study in duality: gritty but pretty, glamorous but filthy
• Brat green (Pantone 3570C) optional
• Wears Luar, Saint Laurent, Rafaela Pestritu

Olivia Rodrigo

• Moody grunge with a liberal dusting of purple, black and sparkles
• Signature pieces include vintage tees, miniskirts, black Doc Marten boots
• Wears Reformation, Coach, Phantasy

Sabrina Carpenter

• Ultra-feminine, fun and flirtatious
• Chunky platform heels are a must, and usually paired with micro-skirts/dresses to show lots of thigh
• Wears Frolov, Ludovic de Saint Sernin

Tate McRae

• Sporty glam with a Y2K twist
• Hockey jerseys, bedazzled bustiers, hot pants and furry knee-high boots
• Wears Adidas, Eastie

Taylor Swift

• Quiet luxury, expensive garments worn in an approachable way
• Onstage, her style complements the story being told within songs or albums. Offstage, she has recently favoured plaid patterns, bustiers, thigh-high boots and miniskirts. She is frequently seen at her boyfriend Travis Kelce’s American football games wearing his team’s colour, red.
• Wears Vivienne Westwood, Versace, Stella McCartney

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