Brat-style memes have completely taken over social media since Charli XCX's album dropped. You know the aesthetic: that distinctive lime green background, bold blurry text, all lowercase. They're everywhere, and they're incredibly easy to make.
This guide will show you how to create Brat memes that actually get shared. We'll cover the design principles, give you a bunch of meme ideas to steal, and walk through the creation process using the Brat Meme Generator.
What Actually Makes a Brat Meme
Let's break down what makes these memes work. Visually, you're looking at that signature lime green (#8ACE00), bold lowercase text with a slight blur, and basically nothing else. The design is intentionally simple - text and color, that's it. Most people use a square format since it works everywhere.
Content-wise, Brat memes lean into relatable, slightly chaotic humor. Think Gen Z self-deprecation mixed with pop culture references. The text is short - usually 2-10 words - and always lowercase. The vibe is casual, like texting your friends, not writing an essay.
Creating Your First Brat Meme
Pick Your Concept
The memes that actually go viral are the ones people relate to. Here's what works:
Mood stuff: "monday energy", "burnt out but thriving", "pretending i have it together"
Relatable moments: "when the playlist hits different", "me explaining why brat summer is a lifestyle", "5th coffee of the day"
Pop culture: "apple dance", "360 with brat", "club classics but make it brat"
Self-roasts: "disaster girl summer", "emotionally unavailable but make it aesthetic", "chronically online"
Open the Tool
Go to the Brat Meme Generator. It's already set up for meme creation - you just type, pick a color, and download. Takes like 30 seconds.
If you want longer text, try the Brat Text Generator. For single words, the Brat Word Generator works better. There's also the main Brat Generator if you want the classic album cover look.
Write Your Text
Keep it short. Keep it lowercase. Make it relatable.
Good examples: "me refusing to end brat summer", "365 party girl era", "apple but make it a meme", "sympathy is a knife"
Length matters - stick to 2-10 words. Go for that casual, conversational tone. Self-aware and slightly chaotic is the sweet spot. Charli XCX lyrics always work. Avoid capital letters and don't overthink it.
Choose Your Color
Classic Brat green gets the most engagement because people instantly recognize it. But other colors can work depending on what you're going for:
Brat green is your safe bet for general memes and music stuff. Hot pink pops for party content and bold statements. Black works for dark humor and midnight thoughts. White is clean and minimalist. Cyan feels modern and techy. Purple stands out when you want something different.
Check out the Brat Styles Generator if you want to try all 9+ color options.
Fine-Tune the Design
Text alignment changes the vibe. Left-aligned feels most casual and conversational. Center makes it a bold statement. Right-aligned is unexpected and artistic.
For text size, shorter phrases should be bigger and bolder. Longer text needs to be smaller so it's actually readable. Single words can go max size for impact.
The blur effect is part of the aesthetic, but don't overdo it. Light blur is clean and readable. Medium blur is that authentic Brat look. Heavy blur becomes hard to read.
Download and Share
Hit the download button. You get a 500x500 PNG that works everywhere. Make a few variations with different colors or slight text changes. Test what works.
Advanced Stuff
Timing Matters
Post when Charli drops new music or when "Brat Summer" trends. Evenings and weekends get more eyes. If Brat songs are going viral on TikTok, that's your moment.
Make a Series
People love series. Try "days of the week as Brat colors", "my mental state through Brat lyrics", or "types of Brat Summer participants". Keeps people coming back.
Mix Formats
Turn your meme into a video with transitions. Make carousel posts with multiple memes telling a story. Add Charli XCX audio. React to trending topics with the Brat aesthetic.
20 Meme Ideas You Can Use
Music and culture: "365 party girl but make it a midweek wednesday", "apple dance in the grocery store", "sympathy is a knife and i'm collecting them", "everything is romantic when you're brat coded", "club classics but playing in target"
Relatable moods: "girl so confusing (its me im the girl)", "mean girls meets brat summer", "emotionally available for one (1) song only", "recharge? i barely charge in the first place", "von dutch energy on a tuesday morning"
Self-roasting: "trying to explain brat to my therapist", "brat summer ended but i didn't get the memo", "365? more like 3 good days and vibes", "talk talk but make it awkward silence", "spring breakers without the beach or the fun"
Internet stuff: "chronically online but make it lime green", "my roman empire is brat summer", "pov: you just discovered charli xcx exists", "the group chat after someone says brat is over", "brat winter is coming (and im not ready)"
Where to Actually Share These
Twitter/X gets the highest engagement for Brat memes. Use hashtags like #BratSummer and #BratMemes. Post between 6-9pm ET. Tag @charli_xcx if it's really good.
Instagram works for both stories (quick meme drops) and feed posts (polished versions). Try Reels with Charli audio. Use about 15-20 tags total.
TikTok - use memes as video covers, pair with Brat audio, or duet with trending content.
Reddit has active communities in r/charlixcx, r/popheads, and r/memes. Each has different vibes, so adjust accordingly.
Discord and Slack are perfect for friend groups and inside jokes.
Common Mistakes
Don't use capital letters - it breaks the aesthetic. Don't add too much text. Make sure you're using the right green (#8ACE00). The blur effect matters. Don't overdesign it - simplicity is the point.
Content-wise, don't try too hard to be funny. Don't use outdated references. Keep it playful, not mean. Stay aware of the community vibe. Don't force non-Brat content into the Brat format just because.
For distribution, timing matters. Use hashtags. Reply to comments and engage. Don't spam - quality over quantity. Credit people if you're remixing their ideas.
Legal Stuff
Your own text and designs are fine to use however you want. Memes for personal use are generally okay. Commercial use gets trickier with Charli XCX branding. Selling Brat-branded merch will likely hit trademark issues.
Be respectful: give credit when inspired, keep humor inclusive, don't impersonate official content, don't use memes for harmful purposes.
How to Know If It's Working
Good memes get 5-10% saves and shares. Active comments mean strong resonance. Reposts from other accounts signal viral potential. Profile visits show people are curious about you.
Track what works. Test variations. Follow trends but develop your own style. Build community by engaging back.
Tools and Resources
All the Brat-Gen tools are free with no signup:
The Brat Meme Generator is optimized specifically for memes. The Brat Text Generator handles longer captions. The Brat Word Generator is perfect for single word impact. The Brat Styles gives you multiple color options. There's also the pink version if you want that aesthetic. See all tools for the complete collection.
For inspiration, check Charli XCX lyrics, the Brat subreddit, Twitter trends, and TikTok sounds.
Bottom Line
Creating Brat memes is all about capturing that chaotic, authentic, lime-green energy. Keep your text short and relatable. Embrace the lowercase aesthetic. Don't overthink it - the best memes are spontaneous.
Start with the Brat Meme Generator, try different ideas, see what resonates. The format is forgiving and fun, so just dive in.
Brat Summer might be over officially, but the mindset lives on. Keep making memes, stay chaotic, have fun with it.
Ready to create? Hit up the Brat Meme Generator - it's free and literally takes 30 seconds.
Want more tutorials? Check out our blog for guides on all the different Brat generators.
