Charli XCX played her first ‘Brat’ US show at Brooklyn Paramount (videos, review, setlist)

Charli XCX released her super acclaimed new album Brat on Friday (6/7), did a “PARTYGIRL” DJ/dance set in London that same day, released an extended version of the album with three more songs on Monday, and played her first proper Brat live show at NYC’s gorgeous, recently-reopened Brooklyn Paramount on Tuesday night (6/11).

The show was originally scheduled to take place at the Knockdown Center in Queens, a cavernous warehouse with a reputation for dance music that would’ve been perfect for Charli’s clubby new album, but she said she had to move it because ”the show I want to put on has evolved significantly from what we originally booked.” We may never know what the original show would’ve looked like, but this Brooklyn Paramount show was perfect for Brat, which she played every song from plus two of the three bonus tracks. It was far more intimate than the arena shows she’ll be playing on her co-headlining tour with Troye Sivan this fall, and it was very bare bones for a pop singer’s standards. After an introductory Easyfun and Shygirl remix of “365,” Charli began the night in proper with Brat opener “360,” backed by nothing except a huge banner with the Brat album art and the beats playing over the PA. That’s also all she needed to get the entire crowd screaming and singing every word right off the bat, and that energy never once died during her set.

Charli ripped the Brat banner down after the first song and let her mesmerizing light show take over. The only other set changes came when she put up a plain blue banner for “Girl, So Confusing,” a “PARTY” banner for the second half of the set, and when she descended from the ceiling during the encore. No backing musicians in sight, no dancers, no elaborate props, just Charli leading the crowd with one banger after the next and keeping the whole place moving. Her set incorporated plenty of the rave elements that her new album calls for, and her voice sounded amazing, especially during the moments when she held out some notes that showed off her prowess. The new album hasn’t even been out for a week yet, and every song felt like a hit and had the crowd singing—even the deepest cuts and the ballads. Brat feels like a leveling-up moment for someone who was already a beloved star, and that came through even more in person than it does from all the online chatter that the album’s been stirring up.

Charli worked in a few choice older cuts, including “1999,” “Party 4 U,” “Vroom Vroom,” “Track 10,” “Unlock It,” and her set-closing rendition of “I Love It”—the Icona Pop song that she co-wrote and features on—and it was a treat to hear some (club) classics but also kind of remarkable that she never had to rely on them. The crowd came to lose their minds to the brand new Brat songs and that’s exactly what happened. People toss around “new era” as a synonym for “new album cycle” a little too much these days, but this truly is a new era for Charli XCX.

The show was opened by indie sleaze revivalists The Dare (who also produced Charli’s “Guess”). Check out videos of several songs and the setlist below. Next up for Charli are Chicago (6/12) and Los Angeles (6/15) shows, and her tour with Troye Sivan and Shygirl brings her back to NYC for a show at MSG on September 23.

Charli XCX @ Brooklyn Paramount – 6/11/24 Setlist (via)
365 (EASYFUN and Shygirl Remix)
360
Spring Breakers
Rewind
Track 10
So I
Everything is romantic
Girl, so confusing
Club classics
Unlock It
Talk talk
B2b
I might say something stupid
I think about it all the time
Apple
Mean girls
Von dutch
Sympathy is a knife
1999
Speed Drive
Guess
Von Dutch (Remix With Addison Rae)
365

Encore:
Party 4 U
Vroom Vroom
I Love It (Icona Pop with Charli XCX song)