Charli xcx’s 2024 album Brat didn’t just reshape her sound — it completely shifted how the world saw her. The project marked a turning point in her career, pulling her out of cult-favorite territory and placing her squarely in the mainstream spotlight. With that success came constant attention, intense scrutiny, and a wave of new listeners trying to define who she was.
That exact cultural whiplash became the creative fuel behind The Moment, Charli’s chaotic, tongue-in-cheek mockumentary directed by Aidan Zamiri, which premiered on Jan. 30. The film exaggerates the frenzy of her Brat era, turning the pop star’s real-life evolution into an absurd yet honest reflection on modern fame.
A Sudden Shift From Niche to Everywhere
Speaking in a video interview with Billboard, Charli explained that the idea for The Moment grew directly out of her personal experience navigating success at a scale she hadn’t faced before.
“I’d been this relatively niche artist, and then suddenly I was exposed to a massive new audience,” she shared. “Some people really connected with me, others only connected with parts of me, and some liked the music but didn’t fully understand who I was.”
That in-between space — being seen, heard, watched, and constantly interpreted — fascinated her. Charli described the transition as both thrilling and overwhelming, noting how quickly fame can magnify every move an artist makes. It’s this emotional tension that sits at the heart of the film and the era itself.
How Brat Changed Everything
Released in June 2024, Brat debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, the highest chart position of Charli’s career. The album’s impact didn’t stop there — it also earned her the first three Grammy wins of her career, officially cementing her place at the top tier of pop culture.
She followed up with a remix album packed with high-profile collaborators later that year and took the project on the road with the Brat Tour, which ran through August 2025. By all metrics, it was the most successful and visible period of her career.
And yet, as Charli herself puts it, “Charli xcx says the Brat era introduced her to a new audience that hadn’t fully understood her before.” That realization played a major role in her decision to close that chapter on her own terms.
Choosing to End the Era
Despite the momentum, Charli has been clear that Brat now belongs to the past. She’s shifted her focus toward acting and soundtrack work, including an upcoming Wuthering Heights Companion Album for Emerald Fennell’s adaptation of the classic novel Wuthering Heights.
“Nothing lasts forever — and no one lasts forever,” she told Billboard, explaining why she chose to end the era intentionally. For Charli, there’s something powerful about walking away at the peak. “It’s cooler to just leave it all behind,” she added.
Chaos, Clubs, and Creative Freedom on Set
Still, revisiting the energy of Brat for The Moment was anything but dull. The film was shot over 29 days, and Charli described the production as a nonstop party. Nearly every weekend involved late nights, loud music, and club-level intensity — sometimes fueled by Zamiri blasting The Prodigy during setup.
