Studying Time: 3 minutes
As you’ve doubtless heard by now, Taylor Swift’s twelfth studio album, The Lifetime of a Showgirl, hit shops and streaming companies in the present day.
The response from followers has been predictably rapturous, whereas the vital response to Taylor’s newest has been decidedly combined.
One tune particularly is incomes Swift among the harshest criticism of her profession, due to scathing lyrics that appear to be directed at fellow pop star Charli XCX.
Taylor Swift attends the 67th Annual GRAMMY Awards on February 02, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Picture by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Photos for The Recording Academy)
Taylor Swift goes nuclear in response to Charli XCX’s ‘Sympathy Is a Knife’
Previous to her relationship with Travis Kelce, Taylor dated Matty Healy, lead singer of The 1975.
The connection introduced her into common contact with Charli, who just lately married 1975 drummer, George Daniel.
A tune on Charli’s 2024 album Brat raised eyebrows, because it appeared to reference Taylor within the lyrics.
“This one girl taps my insecurities / Don’t know if it’s real or if I’m spiraling,” Charli sings on the monitor.
“One voice tells me that they laugh / George says I’m just paranoid / Says he just don’t see it, he’s so naiveI’m embarrassed to have it, but need the sympathy / ‘Cause I couldn’t even be her if I tried / I’m opposite, I’m on the other side,” the tune continues.
Charli XCX poses within the winners room with the awards for Artist of the 12 months, Tune of the 12 months, Album of the 12 months and Dance Act throughout The BRIT Awards 2025 at The O2 Enviornment on March 01, 2025 in London, England. (Picture by John Phillips/Getty Photos)
The lyrics are clearly extra about Charli’s insecurities than the woman who “taps” them.
Nonetheless, Taylor allegedly took the tune as a problem and responded with a tune titled “Actually Romantic,” by which she lashes out at a drug-fueled rival who’s mates along with her ex:
“I heard you call me ‘Boring Barbie’ when the coke’s got you brave,” Swift sings on the monitor.
“High-fived my ex and then said you’re glad he ghosted me/ Wrote me a song saying it makes you sick to see my face/ Some people might be offended/ But it’s actually sweet.”
Taylor Swift receives harsh criticism for tune that seemingly targets Charli XCX
Throughout social media, customers accused Taylor of being unnecessarily merciless to Charli, with many stating that Swift appears to have misinterpreted the lyrics to “Sympathy Is a Knife.”
“Imagine creating the biggest album of your career & writing a deeply honest & vulnerable song about how insecure you feel compared to the other girls in your industry bc you think you’ll never be as good as them only for the biggest pop star in the world to turn around & call you a cokehead,” one X consumer wrote.
“When can we start a conversation about how that blonde lady cannot stand seeing other women being successful and it just became really painfully obvious,” one other added.
“I actually feel genuinely sad for Charli. This is just such a hurtful thing to do…to be the biggest pop star in the world & call an industry peer a cokehead bc she wrote a vulnerable & beautiful piece of music abt how she respects u so much that she feels small in a room w/ you,” a 3rd chimed in.
Taylor Swift appears to be like on previous to a recreation between the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs and the Denver Broncos at GEHA Discipline at Arrowhead Stadium on November 10, 2024 in Kansas Metropolis, Missouri. (Picture by Jamie Squire/Getty Photos)
A fourth summed up the scenario with an imagined dialogue, writing:
“Charli: I’m instantly thrown into the identical social circles as one of the vital profitable feminine artists on the planet and am having complicated feelings about my place in comparison with hers.
“Taylor: That’s why you’re coked out and your career flopped for 10 years, stay pressed h-e.”
Leisure website The Tab even wrote a whole article arguing that Taylor badly misinterpreted Charli’s lyrics — not a superb search for a singer who just lately dubbed herself “your English teacher.”
Evidently, Taylor thinks of herself because the sufferer right here — however a large phase of the inhabitants disagrees.
