NEWSDid Taylor Swift Diss Charli XCX in Her New Track 'Actually Romantic'? Inside the Fan Theories
Fans suspect Taylor Swift's track 'Actually Romantic' from 'The Life of a Showgirl' shades Charli XCX.
Oct. 3 2025, Published 11:29 a.m. ET
Taylor Swift and Charli XCX may have bad blood.
Fans suspect the 35-year-old's new track "Actually Romantic" off The Life of a Showgirl targets the "360" artist.
The song seems to take a jab at Charli, 33, who may or may not be feuding with Swift behind the scenes.
Taylor Swift is reportedly feuding with Charli XCX.
The lyric in question reads, "I heard you call me 'Boring Barbie' when the coke’s got you brave," which fans believe references Charli's alleged drug use.
"Is she jealous she got married first or something?" one fan shaded Swift on Reddit, referring to the "Boom Clap" singer's recent wedding.
"I've listened to it, it's definitely about Charli 😭," another predicted.
Swift dropped Life of a Showgirl at midnight on Friday, October 3. The 12-song album is already ranked at No.1 on the Apple Music charts.
Inside Taylor Swift and Charli XCX's Friendship
Taylor Swift previously performed with Charli XCX.
The ladies have been friends since 2018, when the "Boys" singer opened up for Swift on her Reputation Tour. Rumors of a feud began to mount when Charli developed a friendship with her pal's ex Matty Healy. She reportedly introduced the 1975 singer to his fiancée, Gabbriette Bechtel, and is married to his bandmate George Daniel.
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Did Charli XCX Shade Taylor Swift on 'Brat'?
Both Charli XCX and Taylor Swift allegedly referenced each other in their songs.
In 2024, fans also assumed Charli's "Sympathy Is a Knife" referenced Swift, with the lyrics, "This one girl taps my insecurities / Don’t know if it’s real or if I’m spiraling."
The musician shut down rumors on TikTok, declaring, "I’m seeing online that some people think there are diss tracks on ‘Brat’ and I just wanted to come on here and clarify that there aren’t — apart from maybe 'Von Dutch,' which kind of is — but the other tracks in question aren’t diss tracks."
She continued, "They’re really just about how it’s so complicated being an artist, especially a female artist, where you are pitted against your peers but also expected to be best friends with every single person, constantly."
Taylor Swift Praises Charli XCX's Music
Taylor Swift just released 'The Life of a Showgirl.'
Swift has also shown no ill will toward Charli on a public front, as she was all smiles as she danced to her alleged foe's Grammys performance this past February.
In August 2024, she praised the star for her Brat album in an interview.
"I’ve been blown away by Charli’s melodic sensibilities since I first heard 'Stay Away' in 2011," she gushed. "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."
