Taylor Swift’s “Actually Romantic” Lyrics Spark Charli XCX Feud Speculation

Pop culture thrives on fan theories, and Taylor Swift’s music practically begs to be dissected. The superstar’s new album "The Life of a Showgirl" has Swifties combing through lyrics, convinced that some lines point toward drama with Charli XCX.

While Charli isn’t on Taylor’s level of global superstardom, her music has earned her a devoted following, and one song in particular has people convinced she threw shade. Now, TikTok users are tying both artists’ tracks together, fueling talk of a Taylor Swift Charli XCX feud.

On Oct. 3, 2025, Taylor dropped her album "The Life of a Showgirl," including the song “Actually Romantic.” Lyrics like, “I heard you call me ‘Boring Barbie’ when the coke’s got you brave,” and “High-fived my ex and then you said you’re glad he ghosted me,” immediately stood out.

With hard-hitting lyrics like that, how could it be anything but personal? Fans quickly connected them to Charli’s past words and her connection to Matty Healy, Taylor’s short-lived ex. TikTok creator @todayinpopmusicnews even broke down the lyrics line by line, suggesting they were a direct response to Charli’s music.

As he points out, on her album "Brat," Charli has a song called "Everything Is Romantic," so fans have tied that to Taylor's reasoning behind writing "Actually Romantic."

In Charli’s 2024 "Brat" album, her song “Sympathy Is a Knife” included lines about not wanting to see someone backstage at her boyfriend’s show and hoping the relationship ended quickly. With her fiancé, George Daniel, playing in The 1975 alongside Matty Healy, fans assumed the lyric referenced Taylor’s fling with Matty in 2023.

Charli later said the song was about her own insecurities, not Taylor. Still, the timing and subject matter made it an easy target for Swifties looking for hidden messages.

"People are gonna think what they want to think," she said to New York Magazine in 2024. "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."

Back in 2018, Charli opened for Taylor on the Reputation Stadium Tour. A year later, she described the gig to Pitchfork as “waving to 5-year-olds,” which many interpreted as a slight at Taylor’s fan base. She later apologized, but the comment lingered, resurfacing whenever new tension is rumored.

That history, combined with Charli’s raw lyrics and Taylor’s reputation for planting Easter eggs, makes every release feel like a puzzle piece in an ongoing story.

Reactions are mixed, from fans believing the song is definitely about Charli and a total diss to other fans thinking it's cute. Others are feeling like this back-and-forth cattiness is too mean-spirited.

Despite all the theories, both stars have stayed quiet. Charli has repeatedly said her lyrics weren’t meant as digs at Taylor, while Taylor hasn’t yet addressed the speculation about “Actually Romantic.”

Without confirmation, the feud remains a fan-fueled narrative, one amplified by social media and TikTok breakdowns that have fans digging for more.

Whether it’s intentional shade or simply fans overanalyzing, the feud rumors prove just how much weight people place on lyrics. Music has always been about storytelling, and sometimes the audience writes the most dramatic chapters themselves.

For now, both artists continue on their separate paths, but the internet will be watching every verse for hints of what’s really going on.