Lauren Beck/The Hoya
Sunglasses, miniskirts, and vibrant neon green clothing packed the streets near Baltimore’s CFG Arena on Sept. 26. Crowds of young adults in loud, bright outfits flocked together in excited anticipation for what an outsider may have thought was a highly coordinated, yet experimental, fashion show. Fans donned everything from timeless leather jackets and heels, to the latest TikTok trending accessories like large silver jewelry and sparkling glitter makeup. Complete strangers were chatting, gossiping and sharing cigarettes as they waited in line to get into the event. The air felt electric, excited and straight-up intoxicating. What act could bring such an array of the colorful and creative, the young and fashionable, the girls and the gays, people from all over Baltimore, the Washington, D.C.-Maryland-Virginia area and beyond together? Charli XCX and Troye Sivan’s joint act, the “SWEAT” Tour, of course.
Charli XCX and Sivan are, in one word, iconic. The two artists have operated in similar, but distinct, bubbles of pop culture with their own individual projects, amassing sizable and solid fanbases over a significant period of time. Sivan, a 29-year-old Australian singer, songwriter and actor, had his start on YouTube, releasing song covers, original work and even vlogs as far back as 2007. There, he found initial success until eventually signing with a record label and releasing his first studio album, “Blue Neighborhood,” in 2015.
Since “Blue Neighborhood,” Sivan has released two other albums since, his most recent being his 2023 album “Something to Give Each Other.” Sivan’s music is most known for its pop-centric sound that can range from fun dance music to sad ballads. His style and brand are further known for their queer themes, as he has used his music to explore growing up, discovering yourself, and navigating his love life as a gay man.
Charli XCX’s pop explores a variety of emotions and experiences. Her topics range from driving cars a little too fast to dealing with the loss of loved ones, leaning into hyper-pop, dance-pop and alternative styles — generally appealing to a queer audience. She makes the kind of music you want to hear on a night out to the sparkle of bright lights and the overtones of synth beats — considering the English singer and songwriter started her career posting on MySpace and performing at raves, it makes sense.
For over ten years, Charli’s myriad popular singles, including “Boom Clap” in 2014 and “Vroom Vroom” in 2020, have reached fame, but many of her full albums have failed to meet overwhelming commercial success. That was until “brat” dropped in June 2024. The sleek and almost ironically bright neon green cover, with the simple typography of the album’s single-word title, make it immediately recognizable. It’s cheeky, it’s modern, it’s cool. The songs act as a culmination of everything Charli represents: going out, having fun, being young and free while also having a darker, more serious edge. The album feels like dancing the night away but only to ignore your ever-encroaching problems and insecurities. With “brat,” Charli XCX took over popular culture, the music scene and even politics: when Charli endorsed Kamala Harris for president by tweeting “kamala IS brat,” it popularized the summer of 2024 as “brat summer.”
With “brat” and “Something to Give Each Other,” Charli and Sivan have become certified hitmakers, cementing themselves as touchstones for our time and music scene. Their collaboration concert series reflects this entirely. Their vibes, styles and audience mesh almost seamlessly for an act that no one may have seen coming — and yet it’s one that maximizes their joint talent.
Each artist alternated performing, singing around two or three songs before switching off to their other half. Sivan absolutely brought the audience home several times with his complex and stylized choreography, using the set more than his counterpart. His recognizable hits from all three previous albums bought on some perspiration and lost voices, but he effectively balanced his set out with more melodic and slow songs, which led the audience to quiet and calm. Charli XCX, playing songs almost entirely from “brat,” brought the crowd’s energy back and put the sweat in the “SWEAT” Tour, with the audience singing almost every lyric along with her and dancing throughout the night.
Despite this shift in energy, each component of the performance — from the bright red and neon green in their unique styles to their songs made the “SWEAT” Tour an undeniably unique and culturally significant experience moment of 2024. It was the perfect end to “brat summer.”