BIG POP GIRLS 2024

Joe.

Joe.

Knee deep in the passenger seat, and you're eating me out
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Ensnare

Ensnare

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HIGHEST: 11x2 (@cometomyparty @VertigoStick)
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LOWEST: 3x2 (@Vasilios @HeartSwells)

Tying with Casual is perhaps one of the least casual tracks in the rate, Brat's lead single, Von dutch. And... well, I possess a substantial number of conflicting feelings for it, all of which have raised their various heads over the 13 months of its lifespan. A 7.5 feels about apt - reductive, but I would be lying if I didn't anticipate already absolutely losing my fucking mind over it at Worthy Farm this June like I did back at the O2 in November.

My first contradictory clash came upon immediately clocking the early interpolation within the song (linked below), which felt like a disappointing extension of her approach during the Crash era, and like Texas Hold 'Em, ultimately ended up acting as a very safe entry point into what would ultimately be a much bolder album and era anyone could have anticipated. That being said, particularly coming hot off the heels of the Saltburn craze (Christ), dabbling in this very specific era of British electro music feels incredibly correct and earned of Charli, who would've been absorbing and gearing up (quite literally) to take on East London's illegal rave scene at the time. If anything, it was surprising that it actually took her this long to spearhead this particular era and seize it for herself.

Whilst the sound rips us back to a Labour-led UK of 2006, its sentiment is more heavily rooted very, very far across the pond on the west coast of the US. I don't think anyone was particularly surprised in Charli attempting to capture the essence of Les Deux (RIP: 2006 - 2010), and being able to do so with aplomb, but... well, maybe that's kind of the issue. Von dutch felt a bit like a consolidation, showing far less of her prowess than was flexed firmly across Brat, and initially setting expectations at a bit of a 'hmm' for a few of us.

Contradictorily again, placing within the context of its parent album simultaneously made me side-eye the song more (given what was truly on offer with some of the scorching album cuts), but also allowed me to sink into it as the stylish, aggressive ditty that helped cement the tone of what we'd come to expect of the more ostentatious moments on Brat. What was generally undeniable, though, was just how effective the video proved to be in selling the package - immediately amongst Charli's best, and perhaps one of the only videos from 2024 I find a genuine thrill to still watch. Her vision? Laser focused. Her commitment? Unquestionable. Her antics across Charles de Gaulle and Paris–Le Bourget documented brilliantly by one of the best-shot videos of the year, kicking off one of the most interesting and thrilling eras in music of the 2020s, and rounding off with a Grammy Award one year later. That's a star, Maury.

@VertigoStick adds: 'Von dutch is already one of my most played songs of ALL TIME and it makes me go absolutely feral everytime I hear it. I want to chase down every CEO one by one in a Dodge Viper and beat the shit out of them while this song plays, and I think that's really brat.'




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Stradiwhovius

Stradiwhovius

he/him
Oh no! I didn't care for Von dutch when it dropped. I could probably dig out a private tweet from way back when saying something along the lines that after winning me on board with the more vulnerable moments on Crash (Lightning, Yuck, Twice, Sorry If I Hurt You) that she had gone back to "seemingly deliberately trying to annoy me personally." But I was wrong! It IS deliberately annoying, and excellent all the more for it. Boldy obnoxious in a way that really elevated the more complex album that followed.
 
Sam de Jour

Sam de Jour

16 Carriages always felt like it was stumbling over the weight of its delivery. I think I said as much at the time of release, but Beyoncé nigh on trips over herself in the verses and for that, I’ve never gelled with it.

Casual is nice. I scored it an 8.

Von Dutch scratches a particular itch in my brain with the way the “LIFE” just smacks you over the face at least 3 times throughout its duration. Crash barely left a mark so I was ready for whatever came next to clobber me the fuck over the head. Like push me out of the aircraft, Charles. Leave me bald, bloodied, bruised and with broken bones. And then do it again! Thank you!
 
beyoncésweave

beyoncésweave

Yeah, "Casual" is easily her best. A good many pop songs turn on an excellent line, but it takes quite a bit of skill to make it not seem like just something put together around that line. And she does that twofold, with this production that is (almost onomatopoeically) casual itself, a little mournful but a little groovy, something not too serious except, well; and by building a whole world around it: my friends, your friends, your mum, your sister, and all the angst, shame and resignation laced through them.

She is such an interesting popstar, doing some very intriguing things with who she is as an artist and how she wants to be perceived. Even here, she makes it quite clear that the longing, jilted party of an unsatisfying situationship is just drag she's putting on, just like all the constructed performances in her other songs. Whether she wants her artist self to be an amalgam of all those performances, or if she has a more deeply hidden or yet to be unveiled sincere persona, remains to be seen; but what a fantastic proposition to pose just as you start your career.
 
R27

R27

"Von Dutch" left me a little cool at first; after the barrage of mindless bops that made up a significant chunk of her releases in the 2 years proceeding Brat it felt a bit redundant. However, over time I realized it's a lot grittier and propulsive sounding than anything on Crash. It also works super well on a cardio playlist, so it's a win for me in the end!
 
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