This Summer’s Hottest Song Could Help You Save A Life
This summer, nobody has taken over the airwaves, clubs, and streaming charts quite as much as Charli XCX. Her album Brat has proven to be a breakout pop culture hit, leading fans to cheekily declare this a “Brat Summer” even as everyone tries to figure out exactly what “brat” means. We didn’t think anything could get crazier than Democrat presidential candidate Kamala Harris embracing Brat as part of her presidential campaign, but get this: the American Heart Association has revealed that Charli XCX’s hit song “360” runs at 120 beats per minute, which is the perfect rhythm for someone to keep when performing hands-only CPR.
Beats Per Minute
Why are the beats per minute so important when it comes to CPR? In short, you are trying to resuscitate someone by pumping their heart and simulating its actual beat. By pressing onto someone’s chest 120 times a minute (which, again, is the exact beat of Charli XCX’s “360”), you can maximize your chances of reviving someone in the best possible condition.
New Guidelines
Incidentally, if 120 beats per minute seems a little on the high side, your own CPR training might be a tad out of date. Previously, it was recommended that you press into someone’s chest for anywhere between 100-120 beats per minute, but the official recommendations changed in 2015.
That was the year that new guidelines began recommending 120 beats per minute because this gets more blood pumping to the heart and brain, which is very important for the person you are trying to resuscitate.
The Lyrics
As some Charli XCX fans have noted, there is an irony to the American Heart Association recommending “360” for CPR due to the song’s lyrics. Specifically, there is an early part where the singer claims “I’m tectonic, moves, I make ’em, Shock you like defibrillators.”
It just so happens that her song is perfect for would-be saviors to use their hands to do the same thing that a defibrillator can be used to do: get someone’s heart beating again.
Spring Breakers
While Charli XCX’s “360” is arguably the more popular song, it is not the only entry on the Brat album that can be used to save a life. The song “Spring Breakers” similarly clocks in at 120 beats per minute, making it ideal for anyone performing hands-only CPR to get the job done.
In another bit of irony, that song includes lyrics about recklessly driving into people (“And I just laughed when the bodies went splat”), so it’s a bit funny that a song about hurting or even killing people can, in fact, be used to bring someone back to life.
Brat Autumn
Recently, Charli XCX tragically declared an end to Brat Summer, though this hasn’t kept her from teasing new songs on TikTok and declaring that she is preparing for “Brat Autumn.” Her cultural dominance seems like it isn’t slowing down.
Honestly, we’re so hyped about this hot artist that our hearts may give out—and if that happens, you now know exactly which songs to blast while you bring us back to life.
