London Brat
| "London Brat" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Alesha | ||||
| from the album Alesha Is the Queen | ||||
| B-side |
"Fer Sure" "I Don’t Want to Feel Your Heartbeat" | |||
| Released | June 11, 2007 | |||
| Format | CD, DVD, digital | |||
| Recorded | November 2006 | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Label | Ensemble | |||
| Writer(s) | Alesha | |||
| Producer | Alesha | |||
| Certification | Silver | |||
| Alesha singles chronology | ||||
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"London Brat" is a song performed by British recording artist Alesha. It was released on June 11, 2007, by Ensemble Entertainment, as the third single from her fourth studio album Alesha Is the Queen (2007). The song was written and produced by Alesha. Titled after the "London Brat Pack," a term the media gave to Alesha’s circle of friends and colleagues, "London Brat" both chronicles and ridicules the lifestyles of the rich and famous, particularly Alesha’s own experiences as both a musician and an It girl.
Influenced by techno, the electronic song drew comparisons to Giorgio Moroder and Pet Shop Boys. Contemporary music critics praised "London Brat" for its creative, skrilled production, while some reviewers noted the irony of Alesha singing the song's lyrics. Upon its release as a single, the song was a modest success on the charts. "London Brat" became the third top-five hit from Alesha Is the Queen; however, it failed to live up to the success of its predecessors "Fashion Kills" and "Just for the Thrills". The promotional campaign was overshadowed by the impending release of "Power Power".
The music video guest starred members of the "London Brat Pack," such as Josie Matthews, Kati, Shell Ruin, Taylor Bookes and the matronly Buffi. The video depicts the group 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 performed the song on The Queen Tour in 2007 and at Judgment Day, a one-off concert at Wembley Stadium, in 2010.
Background and composition[edit | edit source]
In 2006, Alesha began recording her fourth studio album Alesha Is the Queen (2007). After scrapping an album’s worth of material, Alesha was given "Fashion Kills," a disco-inspired song written by Buffi. This song “changed the course of the album,” according to Alesha biographer Niles Bryans in Alesha, Queen of Pop: Underneath the Crown. Soon after, Alesha wrote and produced "London Brat." The song was heavily inspired by Alesha’s extravagant lifestyle as both a musician and an "It girl." Her partying antics had been well noted by the media; Alesha and her circle of friends were dubbed the "London Brat Pack" in an allusion to the '80s film stars who were part of the Brat Pack, itself a reference to the Rat Pack. The song begins with the lyrics, "I reek of cigarettes and flavored lipgloss / You can smell the vodka from a mile off."
The production of the song was described as "a dark, squiggly synth pop epic a la Pet Shop Boys," while the lyrical content was compared to both "self-involved hip-hop" and Pet Shop Boys' "West End Girls." The song was described as "a collision of warp-speed funk guitar riffs and distorted Giorgio Moroder-style techno-disco."
Critical reception[edit | edit source]
Kitty Empire of The Observer praised the song's production. She wrote that "the skill and nous that have gone into songs such as 'London Brat' are unimpeachable. There hasn't been a song since the Pet Shop Boys' 'West End Girls' that captures the ugly charms of London on a Friday night, but 'London Brat' comes close." John Murphy of musicOMH said the song "sounds like the best night out you'll ever have set to a frenetic dance beat." However, alongside other songs from Alesha Is the Queen, "London Brat" received attention due to its lyrical content. It was suggested that the song "toys with Alesha’s reputation for partying a little too heartily."
Music video[edit | edit source]
The music video co-starred Josie Matthews, Kati, Shell Ruin, Taylor Brookes and the matronly Buffi. Matthews had collaborated with Alesha on her previous single "Just for the Thrills", while Kati, Brookes and Buffi guest starred in the "Fashion Kills" video as well. Furthermore, Alesha, Ruin, Brookes and Buffi would collaborate on "Power Power". The video, shot in Las Vegas on April 29, 2007, was directed by Mark Klasfeld. The music video was banned from broadcast for drug use and mild violence.
The video depicts the group as caricaturized versions of themselves, capitalizing on the “party girl” stereotypes they were given. It opens with Alesha arriving at a club in Las Vegas, where she meets Buffi. Eventually, the London Brat Pack stumbles out of the club’s back entrance. They share cigarettes, while Taylor Brookes chugs a bottle of vodka in a brown paper bag. They see the paparazzi and pose for the cameras. Stumbling down the Las Vegas Strip, they throw cigarette butts at pedestrians. In a white stretch limousine, Alesha, Josie Matthews and Taylor Brookes are flailing out of the sunroof. Taylor throws an empty vodka bottle at a vehicle passing by and another at a police car. Alesha is seen being carried on a red-cushioned golden throne by her servants, pop queens Lucreacia, Emma Brown and Miss Drips. Claire Kitten and 4tune lookalikes also appear. Alesha is seen snorting a line of cocaine in a bathroom.
Live performances[edit | edit source]
Alesha performed the song on 2007's The Queen Tour. Alesha didn’t perform the song again until 2010, where it was included in the Judgment Day set list, a live concert at Wembley Stadium billed as Alesha's "final concert" in 2010 (Alesha later returned to the industry after retiring six months earlier).
Track listing[edit | edit source]
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Chart performance[edit | edit source]
The song debuted on the official singles chart at number four on June 17, 2007, becoming the third top-five single to come from Alesha Is the Queen. Despite not performing as well as predecessors "Fashion Kills" (number one) or "Just for the Thrills" (number two), "London Brat" received a silver certification with 140,451 copies sold (in 2013, due to sales inflation, silver certifications were given to songs with sales of over 150,000 copies). Aside from "Power Power," Alesha’s next single which became infamous for its controversy, "London Brat" is Alesha’s last single to miss the top two and avoid a platinum certification.
Artwork[edit | edit source]
CD1/Digital download
CD2
DVD
