During this year’s Glastonbury Festival, Charli XCX burned down the Brat curtain before her performance of “Von Dutch.” The pop star has pulled down the Brat curtain in previous performances, but this is the first time it has ever gone up in flames. Not to mention, months after Brat‘s release, the album cover received a slight change, showing the text scratched out and the solid green background developing stains.
When Brat launched in 2024, it became a viral hit. The marketing was highly praised to the point where the terms “Brat” and “Brat Summer” were used outside the pop music lexicon. The remix album redefined what a song “remix” is as it’s no longer just the same song with EDM mixed into it but more like an added experience to what’s already been released. It comes as no surprise that, just like the lead-up to the album, the closer to its reign also needed a viral moment. This stunt might signal a brand-new trend that could become prominent in the music scene – the rise of the “Era Finale” trend, providing fans with closure to a beloved piece of work.
Charli XCX Isn’t the Only Artist Who Gave Fans Closure
What Charli XCX did at Glastonbury Festival isn’t new. There have been a handful of artists who have provided some closure with their art. One notable act is Taylor Swift, who, during the Eras Tour, burned down the Lover House during “Bad Blood,” a building that symbolized her previous works. Interestingly, this was the last song before it entered the “Tortured Poets Department” section of the setlist.
Meanwhile, in the Eurovision space, Joost, a Dutch singer who represented the Netherlands at the 2024 song contest, ended his era of “discussing the trauma of being an orphan” by using a clip from a YouTube video essay in his post-Eurovision track, “Luchtballon.” This hinted at a new target for his music inspiration – the EBU and his disqualification from the Grand Final. His latest album, “United by Music”, is based on the song contest’s motto, and some of its tracks reference his time at the music event in Malmo, Sweden. Interestingly, all these artists chose destruction as a mode of closure, often via fire. And it makes sense, as burning can be seen as either a transformation or a destructive act, depending on the context. But at the end of the day, they all hold the same meaning – time for the next chapter.
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Pop Stars Like Charli XCX Are Reinventing the Music Hype Cycle
Artists have always marked the beginning of new eras with hints and teases, exciting fans about what’s to come and giving a glimpse of their next project. In K-pop, artists have long embraced teaser culture and would take it even further. When PSY was about to launch his ninth album a decade after “Gangnam Style,” he didn’t just drop a release date, he gave fans a full sampler, a comeback announcement video, and multiple teasers for songs like “That That” (ft. Suga), “Celeb,” and “Everyday.”
Now, especially on TikTok, teaser culture has changed to brief snippets, where musicians would feature 15–30 seconds of their new song in many videos before its official release, exposing people to the song as much as possible. One artist who excels at this is BBNO$. As of writing, his upcoming song with VTuber Ironmouse, “1-800,” has been used in over 20 videos and counting, even in clips that have no relevance to the song, such as him talking about KPOP Demon Hunters. It’s brand hacking at its finest, designed to capture people’s interest in his new project.
But despite all this noise, the exit tends to be much quieter. Back then, fans would accept that after the album had dropped, its relevancy would immediately cease either during the final bow during an album tour or when the artist released a remix version of their work. But now, it seems things are changing as we’re now seeing artists wave goodbye to their beloved projects.
Artists Are Turning Their Goodbyes Into a Whole New Era
The way artists close chapters is evolving. In the past, era transitions were largely implied – fans moved on when the artist did. But in today’s viral ecosystem, simply ending an album quietly feels like a missed opportunity. You need to milk it as much as possible, as well as prepare fans to what’s next for your career.
Charli XCX understands that. A year after Brat’s release, she’s still making headlines, not just because she’s teasing what’s next, but because she’s saying goodbye in a way that fans will remember. The burning curtain at Glastonbury wasn’t just aesthetic, it was a genius marketing move that has us talking about the album to this day. If Brat taught pop artists how to build a viral era, Charli XCX’s finale might teach them how to end one. And if what Charli did proves to be successful, expect the “Era Finale” to become the next big thing.