Background

Depth and substance can go well with virality and trendiness. Charli split them in symmetrical lines and ate.

“Apple” is a viral hit by British singer-songwriter Charli XCX, released on June 2024. It serves as the 11th track on her sixth studio album, Brat. It was written by Charli XCX, George Daniel, Linus Wiklund and Noonie Bao, and produced by XCX, Daniel, Wiklund, and A. G. Cook.

The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far from the Tree

Simply based on the tempo and the groove of “Apple”, in no world would I have guessed that the subject matter of the song is intergenerational trauma. The nuances are not only complex and intricate. This is a heavy topic that therapists are expected to uncover and deal with. But here we have a brave and vulnerable Charli XCX describing her imperfect relationships with her parents and herself.

Who doesn’t have a complicated relationship with their family? Who doesn’t think that how we are shaped is largely a result of our upbringing? I used to think I was immune to all that emotional baggage. But growing older only made me more certain that nothing is more formative than my childhood. And that’s why “Apple” feels so personal.

One of the biggest cliches of life is how we want to emulate all the positive traits our parents possess, while shunning away all of what makes them rotten. And we want to believe we have more agency and control over our behaviour. But life’s irony is we end up, in most cases, possessing both the pluses and the minuses, and frankly, not far from the tree.

Makes Me Just Want to Drive

Who hasn’t tried escaping from a problem? Charli speaks about driving endlessly or going to the airport to travel as some of her go-to, temporary fixes.

But she’s not alone in her predicament. Avoidance is my constant, consciously or unconsciously. I don’t always have the answer nor the will and the hard work to change my situation. My own parachutes include, but are not limited to, leaving my own hometown and country, partying like there’s no tomorrow and drinking away my sorrows. I’ve had my moments and it’s time we acknowledge them, while not forgetting to be kind to our past selves.

Charli speaks about our uncomfortable truths. And she’s given us a bop while she’s at it.

The Brat Viral Sensation

I first thought that Brat had no substance and was simply a marketing strategy. And I’ve been proven wrong. The whole album is full of depth. But it’s also true that she was inescapable during this era. The publicity she generated was earned and deserved. And “Apple” contributed and widened Brat’s reach.

I am not into TikTok trends. But the dance routine created by Kelley Heyer for “Apple” went viral and managed to get public figures like Stephen Colbert, Glen Powell and Chappell Roan onboard. Some key steps in the choreography involved mimicking holding an apple over your head and a “driving a car” motion. I don’t get the appeal nor the craze. But maybe it isn’t for me to get.

Charli managed not just to be part of the conversation, but be at the centre of it. The trend even sparked significant legal discussions. In 2025, Kelley Heyer settled a lawsuit with the gaming platform Roblox, which had allegedly used her choreography without permission and proper compensation. We stan a diva making an impact on the legal system!

Conclusion

The apple could turn yellow or green. But at the core of “Apple”, it’s far from rotten. It’s actually quite ripe.