The Feminine Musique: Brat and the Rise of Barbie Bimbo Violence
NOLA death grind rippers Brat bring full metal barbie brutality with their embrace of early 2000s hyper-femininity through Fergie samples, Paris Hilton merch, and a lot of pink.
The Feminine Musique is a series where writers analyze portrayals of women in music.
Written by Mar Carmona
Photos and images courtesy of Brat Band
Hailing from the land of the fleur de lis, death grind four-piece Brat has been gaining popularity as death metal’s newest attraction, combining the unlikely worlds of Barbie and breakdowns. Packaged in pink, the band has taken the hardcore and death metal worlds by storm with their take on death grind inspired by early 2000s hyperfemininity. These are the Crescent City rockers setting the stage for the bimbofication of blast beats, this is Brat.
From grindcore to hardcore and traditional old school death metal elements, Brat’s discography introduced by their 2021 single, Chain Pain, is characterized by lead vocalist Liz Selfish’s violent death growls. The band’s discography, merch, and presence within the scene has gained them popularity for their own brand of “Britney bimbo violence”, which is nothing short of, like, totally brutal. The band’s own musical recipe draws inspiration from pop icons like Britney Spears, with tracks like “Toxic” that can be heard sampled at the beginning of tracks during live shows. Accompanied with riffs á la Cattle Decapitation, tossed in with the fan-favorite hardcore breakdowns and blast beats, Brat is born. A concoction of Britney brutality straight out of the legendary New Orleans swamplands, a metal capital known for its birth of doom and sludge metal heroes, Brat’s bimbo violence is born.
Paris Hilton, Mean Girls, Bratz dolls — the band’s merchandise showered in shades of pink and pop culture innuendos reminiscent of the early 2000s is the beating heart and soul of the band’s brand that has taken the metal world by storm. From the band’s Instagram presence, bringing the world a plethora of show photography, memes that comedically poke at “bimbo culture,” their iconic “Stop Being Punk” Paris Hilton long sleeve, all existing within a sea of endless pink and glitter — Brat brings a playfully unapologetic femininity to the table. Brat’s presence, from their popular merch, album covers, carefully curated pink show posters, all spearheaded by a brutal Barbie ambassador, creates a new world for metalheads. A world of lighthearted imagery, backed by a sound creating its own space for girly death grind realness, a departure from any sort of classic cookie cutter death grind.
Beyond the comfort of Brat’s carefully curated and playful embrace of the early 2000s Juicy Couture Barbie-esque hyper-feminization, Brat is making waves for inclusivity and comfort with their depiction of femininity. For years, metal and heavy music have been characterized by the hypermasculine, seriously brutal, blood-gushing, long-haired Nathan Explosions of the world. Having a progressive presence in such a traditionally masculine music scene that conventionally worships the usual ineligible metal font band logo, Brat creates their own brand of girly grindcore. This appeals to those that seek to depart from the typical battle vest bro stereotype, a new wave of those that want to exist within metal and pay honor to their own intersecting identities, while listening to blast beats and brutal vocals. Brat embodies the playfulness and fun associated with the glitter and rhinestones of early 2000s girl glam culture, creating a lightheartedness within their sets. The band’s popularity proves that the blonde, bimbo stereotype is no longer something that needs to be weaponized or used against femmes. Brat’s reincarnation and embracement of the comedic brilliance of bimboculture embraces feminity and takes the “not like other girls” trope right off its pedestal. Femme vocalists do not have to fit into the traditional serious, scowling, death metal musician trope in order to create music and a message that resonates with fans.
The importance of women in male-dominated genres as well as the normalization of traditional femininity in these spaces is not to be understated. Brat’s merging of both pop and deathgrind that are historically dominated by opposite genders proves that there is more than enough rooms for femmes in the grindcore space. The band’s rising popularity now more than ever is a clear indication that the scene is changing, evolving, and becoming more inclusive for femmes through creativity.
One visit to a Brat show and this energy is more than present — it’s a playfully badass mixture of dance-worthy hits featuring ABBA, Britney, and other female singers that dominated 2000s pop. Selfish’s high-energy and playful presence on stage during the samples that melt right into the speedines of grind riffs is infectious. Hip swaying pop hits that rocket launch off a cliff into headbanging realness, Brat’s live shows are Fergalicious fun for all the party rockers out there. This energy has not gone unnoticed. The band’s track record includes playing 2022’s Bangin in the Rock Fest, tours with classic NOLA rippers Eyehategod, and an upcoming tour with hardcore legend Cro-Mags. Recently named one of Revolver Magazine’s “5 Artists You Need to Know,” the band has captured the hearts, souls, and ears of the latest metal and hardcore crowds.
So lace up your baby pink sk8-hi’s, get to the gig, and move over, metal bros … bimbos listen to Carcass too.