Charli XCX Opens Up About Mixed-Race Childhood and Identity Struggles Behind 'Brat'

Charli XCX has shared candid reflections on growing up as a mixed-race woman and how her identity shaped her record-breaking album Brat.

The 33-year-old singer, born Charlotte Aitchison to a Scottish father and Indian mother, spoke with Swedish rapper Yung Lean for Dazed magazine's Winter 2025 issue about feeling like an outsider for much of her life.

"I never felt accepted where I went, whether that was in school for being half-Indian and not blonde, or not fully relating to my Indian self because I was half-white," Charli explained.

"There was this weird, displaced feeling, where I couldn't quite fit into either place."

Growing up in England, Charli navigated two worlds. Visits to her mother's family immersed her in Indian culture, complete with Gujarati language, Bollywood films, and traditional cooking.

Yet at home in her largely white neighborhood, she felt disconnected from that part of her identity.

According to People, this duality left her experiencing what she called "two half-lives," a feeling she says is common among mixed-race children.

Charli XCX Reflects on Outsider Feelings Behind 'Brat'

The singer said this sense of being an outsider also carried over into her music career.

"Being outside of the mainstream and wanting to be in that world, but also really wanting to reject it, created this concoction that allowed me to make Brat," she told Dazed.

Charli added that she had been very afraid before 2016, but creating music helped her channel those emotions.

Charli's song "Apple" from Brat reflects her complex relationship with her parents, Jon and Shameera Aitchison, TheNews reported.

The track became a viral TikTok hit in summer 2024, exploring the push and pull of family expectations and self-discovery.

Despite feeling uninspired by much of contemporary music, Charli continues to draw inspiration from artists like Yung Lean, Sophie, AG Cook, Bladee, and her husband, George Daniel of The 1975.

Beyond music, Charli has expanded into film, working on seven projects set for release between 2025 and 2026.

One upcoming film, "The Moment," is a mockumentary-style story in which she playfully revisits her Brat era while portraying a fictional pop star. The movie hits theaters on Jan. 30.

Tags

Charli XCX