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Taylor Swift and Charli XCX have been making headlines this week for a supposed ‘beef’ on both last year’s ‘Brat’ and the latest release of ‘The Life of a Showgirl.’
A Caucasian altercation is currently brewing in the pop sphere, if the rumours and fan theories are to be believed.
Taylor Swift and Charli XCX have been making headlines this week for a supposed feud stemming back several years. With the recent release of her twelfth studio album, ‘The Life of a Showgirl,’ Swift has included a song called ‘Actually Romantic.’ This track focuses on a woman completely obsessed with Swift, who expresses amazement and joy at such infatuation.
Fans widely believe the track to be a direct diss toward Charli XCX.
On her album ‘Brat’ from 2024, Charli released a song called ‘Sympathy is a Knife’ that describes how she often compares herself to other successful female musicians. The lyrics mention a woman appearing backstage at a show, with Charli hoping they ‘break up’ with their partner ‘soon.’
Upon its release, listeners first assumed it to be about Taylor and The 1975 frontman Matty Healy. The two were suspected to be dating for a brief period.
This week, eager internet sleuths theorised that Swift’s new song and its title could be a direct reference to Charli, despite the latter publicly iterating several times that her song from 2024 is not about any person in particular.
@kinglizardwizard how does taylor swift have beef with 98% of the world?? but i guess bad publicity is better than no publicity #actuallyromantic #lifeofashowgirl tags: charli diss track, taylor swift diss track, actually romantic, sympathy is a knife
Lyrics within Swift’s ‘Actually Romantic’ include ‘I heard you call me “Boring Barbie” when the coke’s got you brave,’ as well as ‘high-fived my ex and then said you’re glad that he ghosted me.’ Confused yet? I am, at least.
Regardless of whether Taylor and Charli really are in a dispute, the feverish reactions from fans are indicative of the parasocial dynamic consumers have toward the art they associate themselves with. Sides are being taken, shade is being thrown, and listeners are squabbling with one another despite little evidence of any serious issues beyond Taylor’s new song.
Although, with that being said, it’s hard not to regard ‘Actually Romantic’ as a dig at Charli given some of the lyrics – especially in the first verse – and its title mirroring the original track ‘Everything is romantic’ from ‘Brat.’
What is the history between Taylor and Charli?
With all this talk of exes and subtle lyrical digs, it might surprise you to learn that Charli and Taylor have actually been part of the same social circles for over ten years. Charli was previously a support act for Taylor on various different tours and is married to George Daniel from The 1975.
Taylor gave Charli heavy praise in an interview with New York Magazine just last year. She said she was ‘blown away’ by Charli’s ‘melodic sensibilities’ and that her writing was ‘surreal and inventive.’ Taylor has also been photographed with Charli many times on tour and during their down time.
@pinknews Charli XCX has posted a cryptic video after the release of Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl, which contained a song that many have perceived as a ‘diss track’ towards the Brat singer. To recap: Taylor Swift recently (3 October) dropped her twelfth studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, complete with a Sabrina Carpenter collaboration, a George Michael sample, her horniest song yet and the track “Actually Romantic” – a song which many listeners have interpreted as shots fired at Charli XCX. The track opens with the lyrics: “I heard you call me “Boring Barbie” when the coke’s got you brave/ High-fived my ex and then you said you’re glad he ghosted me/ Wrote me a song saying it makes you sick to see my face.” She later croons: “How many times has your boyfriend said/ ‘Why are we always talking ’bout her?’” Conversely, 2024 Brat cut “Sympathy is a knife” heard Charli sing about being thrust into the orbit of an unnamed female superstar and her feelings of inadequacy in comparison. Charli is also now married to George Daniel, band member of The 1975; Swift briefly dated the band’s frontman Matty Healy in 2023. On “Sympathy is a knife“, Charli sings: “I don’t wanna share this space/ I don’t wanna force a smile/ This one girl taps my insecurities/ Don’t know if it’s real or if I’m spiraling. #charlixcx #taylorswift #actuallyromantic #sympathyisaknife #lifeofashowgirl
Equally, Charli has shut down rumours and negative fan behaviours in the past, telling audiences to not chant taunts that mention Taylor. ‘I won’t tolerate it,’ she said, after a chorus of “Taylor Swift is dead!” was heard at one of her shows in June 2024.
So, from an outside perspective, it seems like the two weren’t encouraging any conflict until recently, if at all. This certainly isn’t a Kendrick and Drake situation, to put it mildly; nothing is likely to match last year’s very public beef that concluded at the Super Bowl.
It’s worth noting that celebrity scraps are often used as a means of garnering publicity. Given that both women are part of the same circles, it’s not completely out of line to suggest that this might be a marketing tactic and an attempt at boosting sales.
Not that Taylor needs it, mind. The new album has already sold three million copies and every song is currently sat in the UK Spotify Top 15.
What has the reaction been online?
The immediate reaction on either side has largely been shock, outrage and the expected wave of toxic comments and bashing of both artists.
These sorts of industry feuds usually encourage communities to go against one another and can bring out the worst of each respective fanbase. A spat like this can get nasty if left unchecked. In this particular case, Charli and Taylor have equally passionate and dedicated listeners that personally attach themselves to their work.
@theneedletok
