The pop music world is once again buzzing with whispers of a feud, this time between megastar Taylor Swift and avant-garde favorite Charli XCX. For years, both artists have shrugged off talk of any bad blood. Yet, the recent drop of Swift’s twelfth studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, has fans digging for clues.
Since the album hit shelves in October 2025, listeners immediately zoned in on track number seven, "Actually Romantic." The online chatter suggests this song might be a not-so-subtle message aimed squarely at Charli. One puzzled fan took to X, asking, "What do I do as someone who is a huge fan of both Taylor Swift and Charli XCX?" Another X user added to the fire, noting, "Word on the street is Taylor Swift just dropped a diss track on my wife Charli XCX."
While "Actually Romantic" may be the first hint of drama for some, the history between Swift and Charli actually stretches back almost a decade. Let’s peel back the layers and explore the full story of their complex connection.
A Tour of Reputation and Early Tensions
The story truly began in May 2018 when Charli joined Swift’s Reputation World Tour. She was an opening act, sharing the stage alongside Camila Cabello. At that time, Charli was best known for her catchy hits like "Boom Clap," from Under the Same Star soundtrack, and her collaboration with Icona Pop, "I Love It."
Fast forward to August 2019. Months after the Reputation tour wrapped up, Charli shared her thoughts on the experience. She mentioned feeling it was time to lead her own tours. However, some media outlets and fans took her words as a dig at Swift and her fanbase. Charli told Pitchfork, "I’m very grateful that [Taylor] invited me on that tour." She then added, "But as an artist, I felt like I was getting on stage and waving to 5-year-olds. … I’ve been an opening act for many [artists], and that really consolidated my role as this outsider character, which I now like. But I need to finally own my own shit."
After these comments sparked controversy, Charli quickly clarified her intentions. She stressed she meant "no shade" and felt "only love" for Swift. She explained on social media, "In the print version of this much wider conversation, my answers about this tour were reduced to a weird soundbite." She went on, "Prior to that tour, I’d played a lot of 18+ clubs, so getting on stage in front of an all-ages crowd was something new to me and made me approach my performances with a totally different kind of energy." Charli also highlighted how great it was to open for Taylor, expressing extreme gratitude for the opportunity and how fun it was to play for a new audience. "Any tour I’ve been on as an opening act for any other artist has always taught me so much," she continued. "It’s always wonderful to see other artists do their thing, master their stage, and communicate with their loyal fanbase — and this was especially true on the Reputation tour."
A Tangled Web: Relationships and Insecurities
The plot thickened in April 2024 with Swift’s eleventh studio album, The Tortured Poets Department. Many fans believed several songs on it were about her relationship with Matty Healy, the lead singer of The 1975. This is where things get interesting: Charli was dating, and later married, George Daniel, The 1975’s drummer. In Swift’s track "The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived," she sang about a man—possibly Healy—who seemed to avoid her. This detail would become important later on.
A month later, in May 2024, Charli released a "PSA" on TikTok just days before her sixth studio album, Brat, dropped. She warned fans that the LP contained "no diss tracks." She explained her album was "really about how complicated it is to be an artist, especially a female artist, where you’re put in competition with your colleagues but also expected to be best friends with every single person constantly, and if you’re not, you’re deemed a bad feminist." Charli called this an "unrealistic expectation." She concluded, "So yeah, these songs are a little bit about how, as a woman and as an artist, there are days you can feel on top of the world, other days you can feel incredibly insecure, other days very competitive. Sometimes you can feel like trash. And it’s really emotional and complicated to manage, and we’re not supposed to talk about it, but these songs do. And I’ll probably get flak for it, but hey, it’s reality."
“Sympathy Is a Knife” and Public Fallout
June 2024 saw the release of Brat. One song, "Sympathy Is a Knife," immediately fueled fan theories about Swift. Lyrics like "Don’t wanna see her backstage at my boyfriend’s show / Fingers crossed behind my back I hope they break up soon" seemed to point directly at the Swift-Healy-Daniel connection. The song’s chorus also spoke of Charli feeling insecure around another woman, likely another artist: "Even if I tried I could never be like her / I’m the opposite, I’m on the other side / I feel all these feelings I can’t control."
The situation escalated when, after one of her first shows following Brat‘s release, Charli had to publicly scold her fans. During a concert in Brazil, some concertgoers reportedly chanted "Taylor is dead." Charli quickly posted to her Instagram stories, urging, "Can the people who do this stop, please? Whether online or at my shows." She added, "It is the opposite of what I want and it disturbs me that anyone would think there is a place for this in this community. I will not tolerate it."
In August 2024, Charli officially denied that "Sympathy Is a Knife" was about Swift. She told New York Magazine the song was "about me and my feelings and my anxiety and the way my brain creates narratives and stories in my head when I feel insecure and about how I don’t want to be in those situations physically when I feel doubt." She even hinted that the song referenced the size of arenas where The 1975 perform. "Sometimes I’d look at the stage and think, ‘God… I’m never going to play these places, never,’" she confessed. "That made me feel jealous. I told Matty. And George. They both told me, ‘Shut up. What are you talking about?’"
Interestingly, in the very same article, Swift herself spoke highly of Charli’s artistry. Swift said, "Charli’s melodic sensibility has blown me away since the first time I heard ‘Stay Away’ in 2011. Her writing is always surreal and inventive. She takes a song to places you wouldn’t expect, and she’s done it consistently for over a decade. I love to see that effort pay off."
By October 2024, Charli was seen defending Matty Healy, who had been involved in controversies surrounding mocking Ice Spice and eating raw meat on stage. She told Apple Music, "He’s like a brother to me now, you know?" She expressed hope he wouldn’t mind her saying it, but added, "I have infinite respect for him as a songwriter and as a person. But sometimes I want to strangle him." She also made sure to mention she was a fan long before her relationship with Daniel, stating, "Even before I was with George — many, many years ago — I’ve always been a fan of his work. His way of thinking about how everything about his work, his art, his typography, his videos, everything… it’s very, very integral."
“Actually Romantic”: The Latest Chapter
This brings us back to October 2025, and Swift’s new album, The Life of a Showgirl. The track "Actually Romantic" (whose title might even be a nod to Charli’s Brat song "Everything Is Romantic") contains some cutting lyrics. In the first verse, Swift sings, "I heard you call me boring Barbie when the coke’s got your brain / High-fived my ex and then said you’re glad he ghosted me." She continues, "Wrote me a song saying it makes you sick to see my face / Some people might be offended."
The song’s chorus, however, takes a different turn, suggesting Swift isn’t bothered by the other woman’s comments. "But it’s actually sweet / All the time you’ve spent on me / It’s honestly wild / All the effort you’ve put in / It’s actually romantic / I really got to hand it to you / No man has ever loved me like you do," Swift belts out.
The supposed feud between Taylor Swift and Charli XCX, despite repeated denials, continues to captivate fans. It’s a classic pop star saga, fueled by subtle lyrics, public statements, and the ever-watchful eye of social media. Whether it’s a genuine rivalry or a cleverly orchestrated narrative, one thing is certain: the music world is paying attention.