Taylor Swift and Charli XCX’s rumored feud has become one of the most fascinating subplots in modern pop culture. With the release of Taylor’s 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, fans are convinced the track “Actually Romantic” is a response to the Brat singer’s song “Sympathy Is a Knife.” So, what exactly happened between the two pop divas?
Here’s a full breakdown of Taylor Swift and Charli XCX’s rumored feud over the years:
The Early Days: From Tourmates to Tension
In December 2014, Taylor and Charli posed together at iHeart Radio’s Jingle Ball in New York, during a peak pop era that saw “Boom Clap” and 1989 dominate the airwaves. By March 2018, Charli joined Taylor as one of the opening acts on the Reputation Stadium Tour, along with Camila Cabello — a major co-sign that cemented their public friendship.
But just a year later, in August 2019, cracks began to show. In an interview with Pitchfork, Charli made remarks about Taylor’s tour audiences that didn’t sit well with Swifties.
Charli XCX Begs Fans to Stop Taylor Swift Hate: ‘I Will Not Tolerate It’
“I’m really grateful that she asked me on that tour,” she said, “but as an artist, it kind of felt like I was getting up onstage and waving to five-year-olds.”
She went on to say the experience convinced her never to open for another artist again. Later that day, Charli clarified on Twitter: “People on the internet have taken something I said out of context.”
“As I say in the article and have said many times before, I am extremely grateful to Taylor for inviting me to open for her. She’s one of the biggest artists of my generation and the Reputation tour was one of the biggest tours in history.”
A month later, Charli gushed about Taylor during an appearance on Sunday Brunch: “She’s an incredible businesswoman and she’s really kind. She makes us feel, like, so welcome. It feels like a girl gang on tour together, it’s really good,” she said.
Overlapping Romances and ‘Sympathy Is a Knife’
In January 2023, Taylor made a surprise appearance at The 1975’s London show to perform “The City” and debut “Anti-Hero.” Just a week later, Charli appeared at another 1975 concert, performing “Vroom Vroom.” A few months later, Taylor briefly dated The 1975’s frontman Matty Healy, while Charli was dating (and later married) the band’s drummer, George Daniel — setting the stage for lyrical speculation.
By June 2024, Charli released her album BRAT, which included the track “Sympathy Is a Knife.” Fans theorized the song referenced Taylor, pointing to lyrics like: “I couldn’t even be her if I tried” and “This one girl taps my insecurities / Don’t know if it’s real or if I’m spiralling.”
Theories focused on a verse painting the scene at a 1975 show: “Don’t wanna see her backstage at my boyfriend’s show / Fingers crossed behind my back, I hope they break up quick.”
Taylor Swift Shuts Down Charli XCX Feud Rumors in Rare Interview
When asked about the speculation in an August 2024 New York Magazine cover story, Charli played it cool: “People are gonna think what they want to think,” she said. “That song is 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 how I don’t want to be in those situations physically when I feel self-doubt.”
Interestingly, Taylor also participated in the same piece, praising Charli’s talent.
“I’ve been blown away by Charli’s melodic sensibilities since I first heard ‘Stay Away’ in 2011,” Taylor said. “Her writing is surreal and inventive, always. She just takes a song to places you wouldn’t expect it to go, and she’s been doing it consistently for over a decade. I love to see hard work like that pay off.”
Friends to Lovers to Exes: Taylor Swift and Matty Healy’s Timeline
‘Actually Romantic’ Sparks New Fan Theories
Fast forward to October 2025, when Taylor dropped The Life of a Showgirl. Fans immediately honed in on the seventh track, “Actually Romantic,” which many, including The Guardian and The Los Angeles Times, believe is a tongue-in-cheek response to Charli’s BRAT era and her song “Everything Is Romantic. The lyrics depict someone who “can’t stop thinking” about Taylor while throwing shade, including lines like:
“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.”
In a track breakdown for Amazon Music, Taylor described the song as being about “realizing that someone else has kind of had a one-sided adversarial relationship with you that you didn’t know about… and it’s flattering that somebody has made such a big part of their reality when you didn’t even think about this.”
