It was basically the shot heard 'round the internet. When Charli XCX announced she was doing a Boiler Room set in a random Brooklyn warehouse back in February 2024, the RSVP link didn't just break—it shattered. We're talking 25,000 people trying to get into a room that holds maybe 400. Honestly, if you weren't there, you probably spent that night refreshing a blurry Instagram story from a stranger, feeling the most intense FOMO of your life.
This wasn't just another DJ set. It was the birth of Brat.
The Night That Broke the Boiler Room RSVP Record
People like to exaggerate cultural moments, but the numbers for the Charli XCX Boiler Room set, titled "PARTYGIRL," are actually insane. Usually, a Boiler Room event is a somewhat niche affair for techno-heads and house purists. This? This was 25,000 RSVPs in the first few hours. That is the highest number in the history of the platform.
The venue was 99 Scott in Bushwick, a neighborhood that already smells like espresso and industrial exhaust. By 8:00 PM, the line was snaking around blocks of gray brick buildings. You had kids in fur-covered boots and vintage Juicy Couture shivering in the New York chill, all praying for a miracle or a +1.
Inside, it was pure, unadulterated chaos.
The energy wasn't "concert energy." It was "cult ritual energy." Charli didn't even touch a microphone for the first half. She was behind the decks with A.G. Cook and her fiancé George Daniel (from The 1975), proving she actually knows her way around a CDJ. It felt raw. It felt kinda dirty. It was exactly what the "party girl" aesthetic promised.
Why This Specific Set Changed Pop Music
Most pop stars treat the DJ booth like a prop. They stand there, press "play" on a Spotify playlist, and wave. Charli didn't do that. She leaned into the glitchy, abrasive roots of the PC Music scene that built her.
The Guest List Was Fever-Dream Material
If you watch the recording, the "people behind the DJ" are just as famous as the person playing.
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- Addison Rae showed up to dance to "2 Die For."
- Julia Fox (the definition of a "Uncut Gems" New York it-girl) grabbed the mic and referenced her own book, Down the Drain.
- The Dare and Doss were lurking in the huddle.
Seeing a TikTok mega-star, a high-fashion indie actress, and the queen of hyperpop all sweating together in a cramped Bushwick box? That's how you start a movement. It bridged the gap between "extremely online" subcultures and mainstream pop.
The Sound of the Future
The setlist was a masterclass in tension. She opened with a reconfigured, glitch-heavy version of "Vroom Vroom." It didn't sound like the studio version; it sounded like a machine breaking. Then she dropped the heavily teased "Von Dutch" for the first time. The room actually looked like it might collapse when the bass hit.
She wasn't just playing songs. She was road-testing an identity. The "PARTYGIRL" set was the first real look at what would become Brat summer. It gave us the permission to be messy, loud, and unpolished.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Set
There’s this misconception that Boiler Room sets are just about "vibing." Not this one. This was a calculated, high-stakes marketing play that felt like a secret rave.
People think Charli was just "having fun," but the preparation was intense. You can see it in the transitions. When she dropped a house track sampling Rihanna’s "Bitch Better Have My Money," or mixed in SOPHIE’s "Lemonade," it was a nod to her history. She was reminding the "gatekeepers" of electronic music that she’s been in the trenches since she was a teenager playing illegal warehouse raves in London.
Also, let's talk about the "VIP" situation. The layout of the room was risky. The DJ booth was surrounded by a railed balcony for "special guests," while the floor was a mix of lucky fans and influencers. It created this weird, hierarchical pressure cooker that made everyone go harder.
The Technical "PARTYGIRL" Setup
Technically, this wasn't her first time at the rodeo. She did a "Subculture" set during the 2020 lockdowns from her basement, but that was a lonely, digital ghost of what happened in Brooklyn.
For the 2024 set, the sound design was handled by the best in the business. George Daniel’s remix of Caroline Polachek’s "Welcome to My Island" was a standout moment that proved the night was about high-fidelity production, not just celebrity sightings. The set was continuous—no pauses, no "How you feeling tonight, Brooklyn?" filler. Just a relentless wall of sound for over an hour.
Why We Are Still Talking About It in 2026
It’s 2026 now, and "Brat summer" is a historical term, but the Charli XCX Boiler Room remains the blueprint for how a pop star should interact with club culture. It wasn't "cringe." It didn't feel like a label executive forced it to happen.
It worked because it was authentic to who she is.
If you're trying to capture that same energy in your own life or your own creative work, there are a few things you can actually take away from this specific cultural explosion.
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How to Channel Your Inner "Party Girl"
- Exclusivity is a tool, not a barrier. The fact that 24,600 people couldn't get in is exactly why the 400 who did felt like they were at the center of the universe.
- Lean into the glitch. Perfect is boring. The best parts of the Boiler Room set were the moments where the audio felt too loud, the lights were too bright, and Charli looked like she hadn't slept.
- Know your history. You can't just jump into a subculture. Charli brought A.G. Cook because he’s the architect of her sound. She honored SOPHIE. She earned her spot behind those decks.
If you haven't watched the full set on YouTube yet, do yourself a favor and put on some good headphones. The bass in the "365" remix is something you need to feel in your teeth.
To really understand the impact, look at the transition into "I Love It" at the very end. It was a full-circle moment. She took a decade-old smash hit and turned it into a sweaty, industrial anthem for a new generation. It was the moment she stopped being just a pop star and became a legend of the underground.
Next Steps for the Obsessed
If you want to recreate the vibe, start by digging into the Easyfun and Doss discographies. They are the secret sauce behind the Brat sound. Also, check out the "PARTYGIRL" Ibiza set that followed later in the year—it’s sunnier, but the energy is just as feral.
The most important takeaway? Don't be afraid to be the loudest person in the room. Charli wasn't. And she changed everything because of it.