From ‘Brat’ to ‘Hottie’: How Kamala Harris taps into the youth vote with music’s top stars

Young voters were clamoring for tickets to Kamala Harris’ Atlanta rally on Tuesday, her first in Georgia since becoming the presumptive Democratic nominee. But it’s not just the politics that had people rushing to downtown Atlanta.

Megan Thee Stallion announced to her 32.3 million Instagram followers on Monday that she would perform in support of the vice president. The artist was set to go on stage before Harris’ remarks at 7 p.m.

Joy Trinidad, 23, was already excited to support Harris at Tuesday’s rally before learning that Megan Thee Stallion would perform. But after seeing that her favorite artist was coming out, Trinidad said she had a new mantra: “Hotties for Harris!”

Harris is having a ‘brat girl summer’

Harris’ rebrand from vice president to the official “brat” at the top of the Democratic ticket was swift and powerful. In the hours after President Joe Biden announced that he would step down from the 2024 race, Harris was receiving endorsements from the likes of Charlie XCX.

“Kamala IS brat,” the popular singer posted to X, formerly Twitter.

Charli XCX described the meaning of “brat” to be “that girl who is a little messy and likes to party. … Who feels herself but maybe also has a breakdown … is very honest, very blunt, a little bit volatile.”

Consider Charlie XCX’s endorsement a golden – or lime green – ticket to the youth vote. Her record “Brat” has topped the charts since its release on June 7, with Gen Z and younger millennials quickly declaring it the album of the summer.

Harris’ team seized upon the moment. The campaign’s official X account switched out their header image to display “Kamala HQ” in the same font and style as the album.

Understanding the youth vote

The ability to tap into these cultural moments – ones that exist almost exclusively online, their viral ascension a flash in the pan before inevitably becoming cringe – is a new benchmark for younger voters. Forget whether a voter can “grab a beer” with a candidate. What’s their internet content like?

Harris and her team appear poised to leverage this understanding of a younger demographic to their advantage.

Her star-studded lineup of supporters, from Charlie XCX to Megan Thee Stallion, speaks to her media savvy that even her predecessor didn’t seem to fully grasp. Try as Biden might with his Dark Brandon memes, they didn’t hit in the same way as “brat” and “#Hotties4Harris.”

But for the attendees of the rally, it wasn’t just about Harris’ celebrity endorsements. They felt she understood them better as voters.

Trinidad has felt “very hopeful” since Harris took over the Democratic ticket.

“Up until this point in politics, I’ve been very pessimistic about how things were going,” she said. “But once Biden dropped out and Kamala announced that she was running, I became very optimistic about her policies. It seems that she’s going in the right direction.”

Supporters also said they more closely identify with Harris, as the first Black and Asian woman to likely lead a major party ticket. She is also the first woman, Black person, or person of South Asian descent to serve as vice president.

Cody Bass, 28, said he was “ecstatic” about Harris’ campaign so far. “Growing up in the Deep South, I’ve been inspired and really raised by strong Black women like Kamala. To see her take on this candidacy and take the high road against Donald Trump, I’m really pumped about that.”

Others felt that Harris was the best person to take on the issues that matter most to them.

“I’m feeling very hopeful," said 27-year-old Shambria Stoll. "As a woman, I’m hoping Kamala brings me back the rights to my body. I think she’ll do it.”

Melissa Cruz is an elections reporting fellow who focuses on voter access issues for the USA TODAY Network. You can reach her at [email protected] or on X, formerly Twitter, at @MelissaWrites22.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kamala brings out superstars, from Charlie XCX to Megan Thee Stallion