Taylor Swift’s newly released album The Life of a Showgirl is already stirring conversation, with many fans convinced that the song “Actually Romantic” is aimed at Charli XCX.
While Swift has never confirmed the subjects of her lyrics, listeners were quick to link the track’s pointed references to Charli’s history with the pop star.
Charli previously opened for Swift on the Reputation Stadium Tour in 2018 and later remarked that it felt like “playing to 5-year-olds,” a comment that frustrated many Swifties despite her later clarification.
Adding to the connection, Charli is married to George Daniel of The 1975, whose frontman Matty Healy briefly dated Swift in 2023.
Speculation deepened after Charli’s 2024 album Brat featured the track “Sympathy Is a Knife,” which fans interpreted as a reflection on insecurities linked to Swift.
Though Charli denied it was a diss, parallels between the songs fuelled further debate. In “Actually Romantic,” Swift sings, “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,” which listeners saw as a direct response.
Social media has since erupted with divided reactions. One user wrote, “Yall heard the word ‘Coke’ and thought it’s about Charli XCX.” Another argued, “Charli wrote a song about her self worth… but of course Taylor missed the whole point and made this shady comeback. This is embarrassing for her actually.”
Others defended Swift’s approach, with one fan pointing out: “The lady who wrote ‘Von Dutch,’ shaded Rina, shaded Twigs, tweeted ‘Sympathy Is a Knife’ the day TTPD came out… is now the innocent one when Taylor decides to respond.”
Despite the heated online discourse, both artists have publicly spoken positively about each other’s work, with Swift calling Charli’s songwriting “surreal and inventive, always.”
Still, the debate over “Actually Romantic” highlights the way Swift’s lyrics continue to fuel fan theories — whether intentional or not.
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