Charli XCX accused of 'glamourising' drug use following release of limited edition brat vinyl containing white powder

Charli XCX is facing backlash from fans after a new vinyl variant of her hedonistic album Brat was released filled with white powder. The Cambridge born singer and DJ is held up as a hedonistic icon, but many recovering addicts have said the 32-year-old has gone 'too far' with the vinyl that alludes to drug use. The Grammy award winner built a cult following after the release of her sixth studio album, brat, which quickly led to brat summer, a social and cultural phenomenon based on living a life of enjoyment and dealing with the consequences later.

Among the lyrics in brat tracks were references to 'doing a key' and 'having a line' in the club - something many fans associated with drug use. The vinyl, released by Bad World and distributed by limited platform Blood Records, has left a bad taste in the mouths of some fans. Individuals who have grappled with substance abuse issues in the past have claimed that the vinyl 'glamourises' and promotes cocaine use.

FEMAIL understands the release of the vinyl was not Charli's initiative and the singer has not promoted the product. Nonetheless, the product has still left some reeling and drawn fierce criticism. Former cocaine addict Karl from Manchester said on TikTok: 'I'm not a bore, I used to love a party... but it is the glamourisation of drugs and there is no other way to look at it. Cocaine is so damaging, it ruins people's lives.'.

Charli XCX's new white power-filled album has struck a nerve with former drug addicts, including Manchester-based Karl (pictured). 'We put it up on this pedestal as this really glamorous drug, but it's not, it's really damaging. It also acts as a gateway for lots of people to go and do far worse things, and sadly some people never get out of that. 'I'm speaking from experience because I am an ex-cocaine addict and at the age of 36, I had to go into treatment, so you might say I'm a bit touchy on the subject.'.

'But she's got a massive fanbase of people who are very young and very impressionable who have probably never taken drugs, and just through the process of releasing that record… [it] is encouraging people to try it... and once someone's tried it, you never know where that's going to lead. Ryan, who goes by @ryaninrecovery on TikTok, is of the same opinion as Karl, agreeing that the vinyl is 'in poor taste'.

He said: 'I get the idea of brat summer and the whole concept behind it. I pretty much lived and breathed brat summer for about 20 years straight, I'm in recovery for my brat summer, so I get it. 'I don't want to be a killjoy, but I do think this is problematic because Charli XCX has a young and impressionable audience that look at her and aspire to be her. 'They might be people who haven't encountered drugs or thought about using drugs before, and while it might not necessarily be that they just go out and pick up after seeing this vinyl, it does send the message that it's ok, it's not that dangerous, [and that] it's not that bad.

'I think that's really dangerous, and it sends the wrong message out because we've got to remember that cocaine is a dangerous, addictive drug that kills people… it's not some fun, party thing.'. UK-based Ryan (pictured), who goes by @ryaninrecovery on TikTok, said the vinyl spreads a 'dangerous' message. Singer Charli XCX launched a limited edition of 'Brat', which is filled with a white powder (pictured).

Charli XCX glamorising ❄️ by putting actual white powder in her new vinyl record might be brat but it's not okay #brat #charlixcx #vinyl. 'It is problematic, and for someone of Charli XCX's influence to be putting out a record with such an obvious reference to a class A addictive drug is a big problem. He concluded: 'I think we need to stop doing things like that, stop glamourising it, stop normalising it.

Some users in the comment section agreed with his sentiments, saying: 'You're spot on with this'. Another said: 'I'm a Charli fan and loved the brat tour, but this glorification of drug use is really giving ''look how cool I am''. It's a bit much at this point.'. While some viewers agreed with Ryan and Karl, others thought differently, with one writing: 'I think this is a 100 per cent moral panic. 'No kid is going to try coke because of Charli XCX. If that's what it takes they were going to do it anyway. You all sound like boomers who say video games make kids violent.'.

A second wrote: 'Most of brat is about doing cocaine... What else did they think she was singing about? It's very on theme I don't think it's that serious.'. 'As someone who had a cocaine addiction (I'm now sober/ clean) I love it and I brought it,' said another. FEMAIL has contacted Charli XCX's representatives for comment. Viewers took to the comment section to share their thoughts on the vinyl - and opinions were divided.