Once again, the release of a Taylor Swift album has the internet in a frenzy. The release of her 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, has been met with very mixed reactions, mostly negative. Fans are disappointed with the lack of creative and interesting lyrics they grew used to with albums such as Folklore and Evermore, as well as cringey millennial humor embedded into the songs. However, one of the biggest takeaways from this album, besides the too much information we now have about Travis Kelce, was Taylor’s diss towards Charli xcx in the seventh track, “Actually Romantic.”
brat summer
” Brat,” by Charli XCX, was released in June 2024 and took the world by storm. “Brat Summer” was a cultural phenomenon that pushed Charli into the mainstream and influenced her to release a part two, Brat And It’s Completely Different But Also Still Brat, which includes all the original songs that are featured on Brat but are remixed and have features on every song. The third track on Brat, entitled “Sympathy is a Knife,” includes multiple references to Taylor and her then relationship with The 1975’s Matty Healy.
it’s a knife when…
For context, Taylor had been involved in an on–again, off–again situationship with Matty for years. Charli has been in a long–term relationship with her now husband, George Daniel, drummer for The 1975. In “Sympathy is a Knife” Charli reflects on her insecurities and compares herself to Taylor. She expresses how she doesn’t like seeing Taylor backstage at The 1975’s shows and hopes they break up soon. She then goes on to explain how she could not be Taylor if she tried and how they are opposites. Although she alludes to Taylor with these lyrics, the theme of the song revolves around Charli being insecure. The theme of the song is clearer in the remix featuring Ariana Grande, where the two sing of industry struggles and comparisons. Taylor and Matty’s relationship was made public in the summer of 2023, presumably the time Charli was working on Brat. Prior to the release of Brat, Charli was definitely successful but could not be compared to the powerhouse Taylor was at the time, as it was in the midst of the Eras Tour and arguably the peak of Taylor’s career. Coincidentally or not, after Brat’s release, Taylor dropped a UK exclusive copy of The Tortured Poet’s Department. Fans immediately clocked this as shady, as Taylor is known for purposely releasing tracks on the same days as other artists to block them from going number one. To make matters worse, Brat was projected to go number one in the UK prior to Taylor’s release.
Between Brat and The Life of a Showgirl, there were a few interactions between the stars that were probably nothing, but could have added fuel to the fire. At a show of hers, Charli xcx fans began chanting anti-Taylor remarks, prompting Charli to post on her IG story condemning the actions. But, at the 2025 Grammys, Charli performed her songs “Von Dutch” and “Guess” and Taylor could be seen in the crowd dancing. About a month before The Life of a Showgirl’s release, photos of the physical albums were leaked, some of which contain song lyrics. One of the songs that leaked, “Actually Romantic” is the shady song in question, and Gabriette, Matty Healy’s new fiance and good friend of Charli, made a reference to this in an instagram comment trolling Taylor’s fans.
boring barbie
Taylor’s “Actually Romantic” is an obvious dig at Charli because of her song “Everything is Romantic,” which, coincidentally or not, is the seventh track on Brat. Although the song is more so a generic response to haters and those who are constantly talking about her, there are lyrics that are a direct clapback to Charli. She describes how Charli talked behind her back, called her “boring Barbie,” and was happy to see that Matty ghosted her. She even may or may not compare Charli to a barking chihuahua. Regardless of whether the entire song is dedicated to Charli or not, the pop girls are fighting, and their fans are armed.Â
After The Life of a Showgirl’s release, Charli xcx fans began posting “Sympathy is a Knife” on their instagram stories like it was the presidential election and they just needed to show who they voted for. Based on the songs alone, “Actually Romantic” seems like an overreaction to “Sympathy is a Knife,” as the latter focused more on Charli’s own insecurities. Fans began arguing on social media about the feud, defending their idols. However, it is important to note that we may not know the full story. Taylor and Charli have known each other for years and have performed together numerous times.
Maybe their feud truly is Taylor blowing “Sympathy is a Knife” out of proportion, or maybe it’s par for the course for this industry. This situation is a reminder that we can defend our idols without putting down fans of others. Although The Life of a Showgirl is not necessarily what Swifties wanted, the album does seem to be growing on more casual fans and listeners, and they should not be shamed for what they like. We can instead show support for Charli by streaming Brat as well as her past works and keeping up with her future projects. Who knows, maybe Charli’s next album will bring a girl, so confusing part two.