Young Democrats in Pennsylvania are embracing "Brat" summer — and Vice President Kamala Harris
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — If you're connected with anyone in Gen Z on social media, you may have seen some eye-catching posts on your feed this week – lime green in color, many calling Vice President Kamala Harris "brat."
Its popularity stems from the "Brat" album released by Charlie XCX in June. Fans have turned "brat" into an acronym: bold, real audacious, trend-setting. Young Democrats in Pennsylvania are now using the buzz surrounding the album to galvanize support for the Harris campaign.
"Brat," an album with 15 tracks, has defined the summer for many members of Generation Z, including Ryan Long, a college student from Delaware County.
"Last summer, everything was pink, everything was Barbie," Long said. "It was Barbie summer. But this summer, everything is lime green, everything is brat."
Long, an ardent Harris supporter, feels Harris embodies the "brat" vibe.
"You see her at these rallies, at these campaign events, she's telling jokes, she's laughing, her energy is just so infectious," Long said. "It makes people … want to have a beer with her."
So in early July, Long made a video combining footage of Harris with music from the album.
"It quite literally started to go viral within the hour," Long said.
Then Sunday, the artist boosted the connection, posting on X "Kamala IS brat."
In the past few days, the Kamala HQ X account changed its colors to lime green. So did the Pennsylvania Young Democrats Facebook page.
"Charlie XCX endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris and I think for us, that was a sign of, let's go!" said Rotimi Adeoye, the communications director for the Pennsylvania Young Democrats. Adeoye said in the coming days, they may release their own Harris "Brat" content.
"Any campaign that is engaged or thinking about engaging with young voters is going to do whatever young voters are thinking about in terms of communication strategies, including social media," he said.