London Brat Pack

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The London Brat Pack is a nickname given to a group of young female artists who became known for their partying antics and frequently collaborated together in the 2000s. First mentioned in a 2005 Observer Music Monthly article, the name is an allusion to the term Brat Pack, itself a play on the legendary Rat Pack. Each of the musicians became famed for their work within the "pop rock" subgenera commercialized and repopularized by women in the mid-late 2000s.

The "core" members are considered to be Alesha, Kati, Josie Matthews, Shell Ruin and Taylor Brookes, although other singers are sometimes included. Rock icon Buffi appeared to be a mentor to the younger generation of recording artists. In 2007, Alesha chronicled and ridiculed her own celebrity lifestyle with the single "London Brat". Following the release of "Power Power", a PR nightmare, the term begin to fall out of use as the women distanced themselves from each other. Alesha and Shell Ruin, however, stayed close friends and became recurring collaborators during their extensive careers.

Notable collaborations[edit | edit source]

  • Alesha worked with Buffi, Kati and Josie Matthews on her 2007 album Alesha Is the Queen. Buffi wrote the lead single "Fashion Kills" and the album track "Delicious", while Kati penned "Stopping Time". Alesha and Matthews recorded "Just for the Thrills" together, releasing the duet as a single. It charted at number two on the official charts.
  • Buffi, Josie Matthews, Kati, Shell Ruin and Taylor Brookes made appearances in the video for Alesha's single "London Brat". The video depicts the London Brat Pack as caricaturized versions of themselves, capitalizing on the "party girl" stereotypes they were given. The music video was banned from broadcast for drug use and mild violence.
  • Alesha, Buffi, Shell Ruin and Taylor Brookes collaborated on the EP/single "Power Power" in July 2007. The release became one of the most controversial in Urapopstar history.
  • Alesha and Shell Ruin, often referred to under the portmanteau "Shellesha", became a prolific songwriting and production team, as well as collaborating on 2009's number one hit "Delusions of Grandeur". The pair also frequently collaborate with Putanovska.