Exploring the Feud Between Taylor Swift and Charli XCX: What is the Root of the Problem?

Kapanlagi.com - The feud between Taylor Swift and Charli XCX did not just appear out of nowhere. This conflict began from Charli's comment during the Reputation tour that was deemed offensive to Taylor's fans. Now, there are many issues suggesting that a series of works and statements from both are seen as mutual jabs.

From the song Sympathy Is a Knife to Actually Romantic, the relationship between these two pop stars continues to be a hot topic on social media. Each new release seems to add a new chapter to their drama. The public is left wondering what is truly the root of the tension between Taylor and Charli.

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1. The Beginning of the Feud between Taylor Swift and Charli XCX

Taylor Swift in The Life of a Showgirl (Photo credit: x.com/taylorswift13)

The tension between these two Hollywood singers began when Charli XCX became one of the opening artists for Taylor Swift's Reputation tour. Quoted from Refinery29, in an interview with Pitchfork, Charli expressed her gratitude for being invited by Swift, then added that as a musician, the experience of being an opening act on that tour made her feel like she was performing in front of 5-year-old children.

From Charli's statement, many fans then expressed their disappointment. Swifties (the name for Taylor Swift's fans) were offended by the comment from the singer of Apple . Fans felt that the term "five-year-old" was a derogatory remark.

One fan expressed that they liked Charli and her stage performance. However, they argued that the comment made by the singer did not sound good. "I understand that Taylor's tour has a different vibe than what she usually does, but she doesn't need to insult Taylor's fans, lol. I hope this is just a misquote," they wrote on X.

2. The Song Sympathy Is a Knife Allegedly Aimed at Taylor Swift

Charli XCX on her personal Instagram (Photo credit: instagram.com/charli_xcx)

In June 2024, Charli XCX released the album BRAT with its fourth track titled Sympathy Is a Knife, a song that reflects her insecurity about a woman who is often seen backstage with her boyfriend (now husband), George Daniel, who is the drummer of the band The 1975. In the song, Charli even expresses a hope that the woman breaks up with her boyfriend soon.

The lyrics have led people to speculate that Sympathy Is a Knife is aimed at Taylor Swift, who previously had a relationship with Matty Healy, the vocalist of The 1975. However, Charli denied this. Quoting from Elle, during an interview with New York Magazine, Charli said that the song is about herself. "People will think whatever they want. The song is about me, about my feelings, about the anxiety I feel ...."

3. The Controversy of Charli XCX's Photoshoot Considered to Be a Direct Jab at Taylor

Charli XCX photoshoot for New York Magazine (Photo credit: David LaChapelle / instagram.com/nymag)

One month after the uproar regarding the song Sympathy Is a Knife, Charli sparked controversy again following the release of her photoshoot for New York Magazine with David LaChapelle as the photographer. In some photos, there are props of severed hands wearing colorful bracelets, resembling friendship bracelets.

Friendship bracelets are a hallmark of Swifties. Typically, Taylor's fans exchange these bracelets when attending the singer's concerts. Quoting from Bored Panda, Taylor's fans deemed the bracelet detail in Charli's photoshoot as a tone-deaf and unethical jab, considering the tragic incident that occurred a while ago.

The incident involved a mass stabbing with a knife in Southport, England, during a dance and yoga class themed around Taylor Swift for children. Many became victims in that dark event.

4. Conflict Escalates as Swift Releases Actually Romantic Song

Actually Romantic lyric video cover (Photo credit: youtube.com/TaylorSwift)

The tension between Taylor Swift and Charli XCX intensified when the owner of the song You Belong With Me released the album THE LIFE OF A SHOWGIRL on October 3. One of the songs in the album is titled Actually Romantic, which some Swifties consider to be a diss track aimed at Charli.

The song Actually Romantic is placed seventh in the album. From here, Swifties online began to theorize that the song was deliberately placed in track seven to match the song Everything Is Romantic, which is also in track seven on Charli's album BRAT. Another point noted by some fans is the visualization of the song Actually Romantic, where Swift is seen holding an apple, which is a signature characteristic and one of Charli's songs.

Quoting from Teen Vogue, one line of lyrics considered a reference to Sympathy Is a Knife is Swift's lyric that reads, "How many times has your boyfriend said/'Why are we always talkin' 'bout her?'" remembering that Charli once revealed that she often discusses her insecurities with her husband, George Daniel. Not only that, fragments of lyrics in the song Actually Romantic like "High-fived my ex and then you said you're glad he ghosted me" and "Wrote me a song saying it makes you sick to see my face" also depict a sort of response to the lyrics in the song Sympathy Is a Knife, where Charli does not want to see that woman backstage at her husband's concert and hopes she breaks up with her boyfriend.

According to BBC, in the brief opening of the song Actually Romantic, Swift reveals another meaning behind her work, explaining that the song depicts an unexpected moment when she realizes that she has become part of someone else's story. "Wow, that's very, very sweet of you to think of me that deeply, even if the context is negative. In my industry, attention is a form of affection, and you have given me so much of it," she said.

(kpl/olv)