"I do think this is problematic."
Charli XCX is facing backlash as a limited edition vinyl of her album Brat contains white powder, leading her to be accused of “glamourising” drug use.
The British pop star is celebrated for her hedonistic image.
But fans and recovering addicts have accused the 32-year-old of going “too far” with a design that seems to reference drug use.
Charli gained a cult following after releasing Brat, her sixth studio album.
The record led to “brat summer”, a viral trend focused on living life to the fullest without worrying about consequences.
Among the lyrics on the album are references to “doing a key” and “having a line,” which fans associate with drug culture.
Set to launch on February 28, 2025, the limited edition vinyl has been created by Bad World.
However, it is filled with white powder and internet users say the design glamourises cocaine use.
Former cocaine addict Karl from Manchester posted on TikTok:
“I’m not a bore. I used to love a party… but it is the glamourisation of drugs, and there is no other way to look at it. Cocaine is so damaging, it ruins people’s lives.
“We put it on this pedestal as this really glamourous drug, but it’s not. It’s really damaging. I’m speaking from experience because I am an ex-cocaine addict.
“At 36, I had to go into treatment, so you might say I’m a bit touchy on the subject.
“But she’s got a massive fanbase of very young, impressionable people. Just through the process of releasing that record… [it] is encouraging people to try it.
“Once someone’s tried it, you never know where that’s going to lead.”
Another TikToker named Ryan agreed:
“I don’t want to be a killjoy, but I do think this is problematic. Charli XCX has a young audience that looks up to her.
“They might be people who haven’t encountered drugs or thought about using them. This vinyl sends the message that it’s not that dangerous.
“That’s really dangerous because cocaine is addictive and kills people… it’s not just some fun, party thing.”
@karlconsidine Charli XCX glamorising ?? by putting actual white powder in her new vinyl record might be brat but it’s not okay #brat #charlixcx #vinyl ? original sound – karlconsidine
Some agreed with the concerns as one said:
“I’m a Charli fan and loved the Brat tour, but this glorification of drug use is really giving ‘look how cool I am’. It’s a bit much at this point.”
Another said: “Charli needs to rethink glorifying drugs. It’s not cool. It’s beyond wrong.”
However, not everyone saw it that way as one wrote:
“This is 100 per cent moral panic. No kid is going to try coke because of Charli XCX.
“If that’s what it takes, they were going to do it anyway.”
Another person who described themselves as a recovering cocaine addict commented:
“Most of Brat is about doing cocaine… I love it and bought the vinyl.”
The Instagram post announcing the limited-edition vinyl has since been deleted, suggesting Bad World has acknowledged the problematic design and subsequent backlash.
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