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Charli XCX makes Coachella ‘Brat’ with Billie Eilish, Lorde and Troye Sivan

XCX brought ‘Brat’ to Indio for a Saturday sunset set. Is it a goodbye to the ‘Brat’ era?

By Brittany Spanos & Tomás Mier

Charli XCX
Charli XCX for Rolling Stone UK (Picture: Tyrell Hampton)

We knew it would be brat, but just how brat? Charli XCX exceeded expectations with a raucous Coachella set that included off-the-wall energy and guest appearances from her buds LordeBillie Eilish and Troye Sivan.

Early on in the festival, you could tell that Charli’s set was one of the most anticipated of the day. Everywhere you looked, fans had shown up in brat-green outfits, ready to party with the girl who had made it all happen.

First in the lineup was Sivan, who emerged on Charli’s simply designed stage for a rendition of ‘Talk Talk’ bring a hint of Sweat to the desert.

@tomasmier

Charli XCX and Billie Eilish perform Guess at Coachella 2025 #coachella #coachella2025 #charlixcx #billieeilish @Charli XCX @BILLIE EILISH

♬ Guess featuring billie eilish – Charli xcx & Billie Eilish

Then, in the middle of the runway main stage runway, appeared Lorde dressed in simple jeans and a t-shirt before the pair of singers strutted back to the stage. The crowd went crazy.

After ‘Everything Is Romantic’ dedicated to George Daniel, arrived Eilish in her most Adam Sandler outfit yet for ‘Guess’ remix. The performance seems to serve as a final goodbye to an era that defined the last year in pop music.

Eilish — who headlined two years ago and joined Lana Del Rey last April — seemed to tease a ‘Guess’ moment on social media, posting Brat green.

@tomasmier

Charli XCX brought out Lorde to perform Girl so confusing during Coachella 2025 #coachella #coachella2025 #charlixcx #lorde #girlsoconfusing @Charli XCX

♬ Girl, so confusing featuring lorde – Charli xcx & Lorde

Days after teasing a song off her upcoming fourth album, Lorde joined Charli XCX on stage for a liver performance of ‘Girl, So Confusing’. The pair previously performed the song together at Charli’s Madison Square Garden show this past fall. Charli’s ‘Girl, So Confusing’ appeared on her 2024 LP Brat, and fans immediately began to piece together that the complicated female friendship narrative was possibly about Lorde. The pair not only confirmed this but worked out their differences with a remix that was released two weeks later, where the New Zealand-born singer told her side of their friendship.

Charli sent Lorde a voice note about the song to which Lorde immediately responded with a “two-part thing of both deep empathy for my friend and this feeling of ‘Man, I’ve been misunderstood, and I really want to make it right.’” The remix came together in three days.

Charli has been continuing to tour her blockbuster Brat album, with more solo headlining shows coming up this spring. She is also filming multiple movies, including one called The Moment which she teased was being filmed at the festival. 

From Rolling Stone.