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No matter where they live, the beginning of a new school year is an opportunity for kids to show the world who they are and what they think looks cool right now. But how much does where you live play into personal style? To see if we could spot any …
Two members of the Euronews Culture team share their takes. One isn’t a fan of remix albums; the other ascertains whether Charli XCX’s new remix album is worth it and not just another cash grab.
Brat summer is over, but the hedonistic lime green pleasures behind Charli XCX’s culture-shifting album persist…
Today is the release of ‘Brat And It’s Completely Different But Also Still Brat’, a remix double album that sees the British pop star revisit her 2024 release with a panoply of A-listers like Billie Eilish, Bon Iver, Lorde, Troye Sivan, Robyn, and many more.
Much in the same way I rolled my eyes when a deluxe edition previously dropped, titled ‘Brat And It’s The Same But There’s Three More Songs So It’s Not’, the idea of a third iteration made me cringe so hard I momentarily had abs.
There’s already been a re-release, which plays into one of the things I hate the most about zeitgeist-capturing LPs: it sees greedy record labels jump the shark and pummel fans with more editions to get consumers parting with more of their hard-earned cash because they really want those three extra songs that should’ve made the initial cut of the album in the sodding first place.
As much as I loved the club vibe of ‘Brat 1.0’ (as I’ve now had to rechristen it considering the growing amount of versions released) and was impressed at how it suddenly became a cultural cornerstone which managed to encompass a collective vibe shift, I couldn’t help but get judgy for this new and excessive marketing nonsense. It feels insincere and shamelessly tactical.
Plus, I’ve always been wary of remix albums. Not that I necessarily adhere to the strict yet romantic rule that the original mix is the best one. See: Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ ‘Heads Will Roll (A-Trak Remix)’ for proof that an original cut can be surpassed. However, for me, full remix LPs feel like commercial opportunistism rather than artistic endeavours, a profit-oriented calculation that retools great songs into pale imitations which alter the emotional impact of the music.
Granted, there are exceptions to every rule, anomalies which actually have artistic merit and make it fun to hear a new take on the album. I can count them on the fingers of one hand.
Massive Attack vs Mad Professor’s ‘No Protection’; The B-52’s ‘Party Mix!’; Philip Glass’ ‘Rework’; Aphex Twin’s cheekily titled and point-proving ‘26 Mixes for Cash’; and Björk’s ‘Telegram’ (to a point)… All these bucked the trend. And before anyone starts having a go, Madlib’s ‘Shades of Blue’, Danger Mouse’s ‘The Grey Album’ and Jay-Z/Linkin Park’s ‘Collison Course’ don’t count. The first two saw one artist remix another’s work, while the third was a collaborative EP that absolutely slaps.
These examples aside, I’m happy to lump all the other remix albums in the hastily cobbled together / capitalistic gimmick category.
This brings us back to Charli XCX. I assure you that I’m keeping an open mind. I already really enjoy the new ‘Guess’ featuring Billie Eilish. Perhaps I’ll have to start using both hands to count the remix albums that are worthy additions to artists’ discographies, and this will be the victory lap Charli deserves following her commercial and cultural juggernaut?
I hope that’s the case and not the cynical cash grab I’m fearing. I’m off to listen to it now. I leave you in the safe hands of my colleague Jonny, who’s been giving ‘Brat And It’s Completely Different But Also Still Brat’ a few spins and shares his take.
Grumpy David, out.
And Jonny in!
When I wrote the review for Charli XCX’s ‘Brat’ way back in June, there was a moment – felt by many music journalists – that I felt certain about the album’s imminent cultural influence. It was the perfect combination of the zeitgeist with genuinely engaging party anthems. ‘Brat’ was always going to be the album of the summer. It’s been the album of my summer for sure. My lungs can attest to that. At Manchester Pride this year, a friend and I kept a tally on who got played more, XCX or Chappell Roan, the other artist du jour.
Interestingly though, in all the many clubs I’ve heard ‘Brat’ songs played in, they are rarely altered. DJs wholesale recognised the immediacy of tracks like ‘365’ and ‘Von Dutch’ for their dance floor capability. They didn’t need minimal house remixes, they were ready made for pleasure.
By that logic, a remix album by Charli XCX herself doesn’t seem all that necessary. When album of the year lists come around, I know already I’ll be making my case for ‘Brat’ at the top spot. This leaves one question. Does ‘Brat And It’s Completely Different But Also Still Brat’ represent a genuine evolution and growth on the original, or is it a cynical cash grab?
In many ways, it’s neither.
Rarely have the beats been changed to make them more propulsive. XCX leans more on just adding reverb to wash out the tracks than combining them with the techno beats the rave-inspired album brilliantly utilised. ‘Von Dutch’, the album’s most aggressive single is remixed by long-time production collaborator A.G. Cook with additional vocals by saccharine TikTok popstar Addisone Rae. The effect neutralised any of the venom from the original.
That’s not what XCX is going for though. This isn’t a remix album in the traditional sense. It’s an opportunity to collaborate with artists to create a new spin on these songs. Myriad artists feature here, from obvious choices like Lorde and Troye Sivan, to huge pop names like Ariana Grande and Billie Eilish, to the genuinely surprising such as Julian Cassablancas and Robyn.
The songs fall into one of three categories: club-focused remixes, alternative versions brandishing the feature, and stripped back retoolings.
On ‘Club Classics’, she interpolates the original version of ‘365’, an ironic shoutout to her own credentials while simultaneously removing the song’s verve for an overbearing beat. It’s the closest to a traditional remix, which is refreshing, but simply doesn’t make for anything massively notable.
A better example of the remix style is ‘Talk Talk’. Troye Sivan, who XCX is currently touring on shared bills with, features. Sivan’s queer pop perfectly fuses with XCX’s ‘Brat’ aesthetic and this song feels like a genuine duet between their two styles to make one of the original album’s weaker tracks a strength.
‘Brat And It’s Completely Different But Also Still Brat’ borders on dull when on tracks that serve only to show off the status of who XCX can get in the studio. Ariana Grande adds nothing to ‘Sympathy Is A Knife’, as her verse discusses punishment through the limited lens of vanity while the track’s new higher energy detracts from its once truly biting lyrics.
On the other hand, tracks like ‘Everything Is Romantic’ doesn’t necessarily need Caroline Polachek’s inclusion, but her addition with cheeky lines like “Free bleeding in the autumn rain” winking at the original and Polachek’s iconic warble manage to elevate it to a new height.
As a fan of the quieter tracks on ‘Brat’ some of the most refreshing moments are when XCX doubles down on shying away from traditional remixes. ‘I Might Say Something’ was always a reflective slow burn, but that’s been taken to the max with Jon Hopkins’s neo-classical minimalist approach. The 1975’s Matty Healy bringing a verse that has his trademark toilet humour / earnestness fits into the dayglo hangover feeling as the pair ponder their anxieties. If nothing else, XCX has achieved the impossible and made Healy not insufferable.
It’s only at the end of the album that we get the sort of EDM inflections that a traditional remix album desires. The Shygirl inclusion doesn’t actually improve ‘365’ and leaves the o
riginal’s closer a little less bold despite its deeper bass. It’s not the finale anymore though. Now it’s bonus track ‘Guess’ with Billie Eilish in tow. Eilish adds a salubrious tone to the track that benefits the deep throb of the new bassline to end the album with a sense of gravitas. As Eilish seductively responds to XCX’s vocals, you’re brought into a world of glorious sapphic decadence.
If only the whole album were this good.
‘Brat And It’s Completely Different But Also Still Brat’ is out now.
Dua Lipa has gone viral with a beverage concoction that has divided the internet. But everyone has their own weird food combinations that shouldn’t work (but do). Here are some tips for you to step outside your culinary comfort zones.
This week, one of our favourite pop stars here at Euronews Culture shared a divisive drink combination.
Indeed, Dua Lipa split the internet with her now-viral TikTok post showing the ‘Levitating’ and ‘Houdini’ singer pouring a can of Diet Coke into a glass. Nothing strange about that. But then she added pickle juice and some jalapeño sauce to the mix. And yes, a few pickles and jalapeño slices did tip into the beverage.
She seemed to think it was delicious. British chef Gordon Ramsay even tried it in response to the clip, and he wasn’t levitating…
Much like her olive oil-and-ice cream tip earlier this year, we tried this new combo and… Well, it’s surprisingly good. It’s two-for-two for Lipa. As far as we’re concerned, she is fast becoming our culinary sensei.
While we wait for her to drop another unusual combination, we got thinking about our very own strange pairings, and thought we’d share our favourite food mashups. Just keep an open mind, and hopefully these will inspire you to step outside your culinary comfort zones.
And don’t call the authorities (or Gordon) – we’re fine, we promise.
Peanut butter & pickles
Peanut butter is the great love of my life. Together through thick and thin, crunchy and smooth, I’m convinced there’s no food or life circumstance it won’t make better.
Take, for instance, pickles. Pickles are delicious too. They’re salty and sour, tubby little things bursting with boisterous brine that temporarily satiates every human particle of yearning. Some people will relish in telling you this is wrong, but they’re the ones who are wrong – and clearly living on a lower, less joyous plane of existence.
However, no great snack comes without consequence. If you, too, have issues with self-control, you might well find yourself at the end of a gherkin jar with sandpapered taste buds and stinging lips. This is where the peanut butter comes in – as a sort of armour for acidicness.
Spread it onto the pickle like icing – don’t be precious, just really let yourself go if the mood takes – et voilà! You’ve got yourself a creamy barrier that offsets any sharpness with butteryness. Always go for crunchy peanut butter (obviously) for added texture, and have a hand towel nearby (it’s a bit messy). If you’re feeling lazy and don’t mind getting pickle juice in the peanut butter container, go right ahead and dunk the pickles straight in there.
Please note that this snack combination does sometimes come with moments of troubling self-reflection, but if, as the saying goes, “love means never having to say you’re sorry” then nope, I’m not sorry for choosing to live like this. Dill with it. AB
Goat’s cheese & Nutella
Sweet and savory is a thing, and let’s not pretend it’s not a glorious pairing for the ages. One which I’ve discovered works wonders is cheese and chocolate – specifically goat’s cheese and Nutella. Or whichever chocolate paste you favour, but it has to be said that Nutella works best.
Before you run for the hills or suspect they’ve let me out of my straitjacket for the day, hear me out. The distinct flavour of goat’s cheese marries well with the hazelnut goodness of one of Italy’s finest exports.
Yes, Nutella is manufactured by Piedmont’s Ferrero. Now you know.
Don’t be too decadent with the amounts you add – this isn’t Amber’s peanut butter and pickle recipe (which I’m definitely trying out tonight). Just some light dollops will do. However, once you do lovingly affix the paste to the cheese and top it with some pistachios if you’re feeling extra fancy, and mama mia, che delizioso!
And when you think about it, cheese is regularly enjoyed with jams and chutneys. So, is it that surprising another sweet paste works wonders?
Nutella also works a treat with Manchego cheese, cancelling out some of the saltiness and leaving you with an orgasmic snack that works particularly well if you’re in the mood for a grilled cheese… It may sound odd but it actually makes all the cheesy sense in the world. And if you’re not opposed to the idea, feel free to try out another one of my madcap Nutella / chocolate tricks: leave out the garlic from your hummus and add some Nutella and a swig of maple syrup. Beat all of that up like it owes you money, and go to town on that dip. Trust me – it’ll blow your socks off. DM
Mayonnaise & Nutella
Memory rarely comes as it’s presented in art. There are few crystal clear flashbacks dialogue recalled with perfect clarity. Nor is it vague moments covered in haze. Most often, it’s a selection of singular moments, preserved in amber. This is one of them.
I remember almost nothing from my Year 2 teacher Mrs Moses (I was 6 years old) aside from her sincerely suggesting we try this bizarre combo. I’ve loved it ever since.
As with all great peculiarities, some of my sick pleasure comes from the instant recoil anyone makes when they hear you have dared combine the luxurious sweet treat of Italy’s national hero with the unctuous savoury condiment mayonnaise.
Dear reader, stay with me. You’re assuming that the Nutella is the main player here with the mayo acting as a sulphureous sideshow. It’s not. We’re adding complex nutty tones and deep chocolate hues to the masterpiece landscape oil painting that mayonnaise is.
Forget your gag reflex for one second and picture the pure decadence of everyone’s favourite emulsification complemented by everyone’s favourite sweet palette. Don’t think of it as Nutella and mayonnaise. Think of it as a poor man’s chocolate creme brulée. Add a bit of sugar on top and torch it, I dare you. JW
Wotsits & Kinder Egg
A bizarre food combination that I believe could pair disturbingly well with Dua Lipa’s evil pickle juice Diet Coke is what I like to call a Kinder Egg Wotsit sandwich.
If you’re scratching your head thinking, “What’s a Wotsit?”, just imagine a Cheeto – a bright, nuclear orange cheese puff crisp from the UK that I personally consider a national treasure.
To make this delicious monstrosity of a sandwich, first carefully split your chocolate Kinder Egg in half and throw away the sad little toy inside. Replace it with the real star of the show – two to three Wotsits. Seal it up and voilà – your sandwich is ready to devour however you please.
As you take a bite, you’ll first be greeted with the smooth, creamy chocolate goodness o
f the Kinder Egg, only to be pleasantly interrupted by the satisfying crunch and salty cheesiness of the Wotsits.
And for those who like to really live life on the edge, you can spice things up by using Flamin’ Hot Wotsits instead. You’re welcome! TF
Mashed potato & Marmite (and a whole lot more)
Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I don’t think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport – I think about mashed potatoes.
There’s something incredibly soothing about forking a food into a smudgy then velvety texture, as if all life’s frustrations could be so easily melded into a meditative mush. It’s also this perfect foundation for stirring in crazy concoctions, like a witch tending to her love potion.
Obviously, olive oil and/or butter are no-brainers, but after that, I always go for a hefty spoonful of Marmite. You know it’s enough when the mash turns to the colour of fudge.
Next, Tabasco. Just about three or four blobs – I sometimes imagine it’s the blood of my enemies or tears from the devil, then fold it in. Add a little sprinkle of garlic salt because, why not? Then heat up some (thick) gravy, pour over, and tuck in.
I can’t exactly explain why this works – there’s the added umami flavour and hints of spice and garlic that bring extra excitement to the gloopy creaminess of the mash – but ultimately, it’s just a mad mash-up of things I like that together, somehow work and always make a bad day better. It’s quite beautiful, really.
Not the dish itself – that does, admittedly, look like a sewage spill. AB
Strawberries & basil (and pepper)
My esteemed colleagues have been regaling you with quite the lunatic (but bizarrely yummy-sounding) array of recipes, so I’m going to temporarily dial it back and stick with the basics.
If you haven’t yet had the pleasure of this simple yet deliciously depraved combination, I pity you. Follow my lead.
Cut some fresh strawberries and place them in a bowl. Roll up a few basil leaves into succulent scented cigarette and chop some thin slices. Sprinkle them on top of nature’s candy and then crack some black peppercorns to season.
I’ve heard of some intrepid gastronomes who add a soupçon of balsamic vinegar glaze, lemon, or a mist of white sugar. Fine additions, but surplus to requirement. It’s the KISS principle in the kitchen that works best: Keep It Simple, Sous-chef.
Et voilà – a healthy and yummy dessert which sees the pepper and basil leaves neutralize some of the tartness and bring out some extra flavours in the strawberries. The magic condiments also work with a lot of citrus fruits – pineapple in particular.
Once you’ve been converted, the sky’s the limit. My tip: sliced peaches (thirds work best), halved strawberries and whole blueberries, with generous helpings of chopped basil and properly ground pepper. Add some granulated sugar this time, mix everything together and you’ve got yourself a fruitbowl you won’t forget in a hurry.
Now, brace yourselves for our final recommendation, which sounds like an artery-clogging nightmare… DM
Quorn mince & a whole lot of condiments
The instruction on the back of Quorn mince – the meat alternative that became a staple in the 2010s – says something to the effect of “combine with your favourite sauce and heat up”.
Being a hungry kitchen illiterate teenager, I took this instruction a little too literally and created a monster.
Instead of sauce being the pomodoro base of a typical ragu, I assumed it meant condiments. Naturally this meant putting a load of the frozen mince in a bowl and pouring in a hefty combo of ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard (the yellow American-style slop), brown sauce (always HP), Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce (Tabasco) and to give it some Asian satay flair, peanut butter.
Throw the bowl, now resembling some kind of primordial soup, into a microwave for about 10 minutes. Enough to caramelise the sugars, evaporate the liquid and turn this war crime into a sticky-yet-crispy MSG nightmare. Finally, top with cheese and blast for a few more minutes to make it presentable.
I nicknamed this dish “Sploosh” after the magical treat from the book “Holes”. I can’t speak to Sploosh’s nutritional qualities, but I have a hunch it’s all you’d need to survive in any inhospitable environment. Much like all good cooking, it brings together all the key flavour profiles: sweet, salty, spicy, and bitter. Admit it, you’re intrigued. JW