Charli XCX was seen leaving a pub in London on Thursday night, hours before Taylor Swift's widely reported wedding celebration with Travis Kelce in New York. This timing has amplified speculation about the state of the relationship between the two artists, who are rumored to have written diss tracks about each other.
Mysterious tensions between Swift and Charli XCX appear to have surfaced, with Charli remaining in London while mutual friends such as Camila Cabello and Jack Antonoff reportedly attended the New York festivities. Charli, 33, was photographed looking somber outside a London pub, wearing sunglasses despite the dim lighting. She was dressed in a white vest with a lace black bra visible, wide-legged jeans, a leather bomber jacket, and black heels.
The reported friction between the artists reportedly escalated last year, particularly following the release of Swift's album, which includes a track titled "Actually Romantic." Swift has described the song as being about an "adversarial relationship." Lyrics from the song have been interpreted by listeners as pointed remarks towards Charli, with lines such as "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 / Wrote me a song saying it makes you sick to see my face," which some believe references Charli's friendship with Matty Healy.
Swift, in a commentary on her album, stated that "Actually Romantic" is about realizing someone has had a "one-sided, adversarial relationship" with you that you were unaware of, and that they have been "living in their head rent-free."
Meanwhile, reports suggest Charli XCX may have also addressed the situation in her music. Her song "Sympathy Is A Knife" from the album "Brat" includes lyrics like "Don’t know if I’m spiralling / One voice tells me that they laugh / George says I’m just paranoid / Don’t wanna see her backstage at my boyfriend’s show." These lyrics have been interpreted as commentary on the alleged feud.
The public history between Swift and Charli XCX dates back to 2018, when Charli served as a support act for Swift's Reputation stadium tour for over 50 dates. However, in 2019, Charli made comments to Pitchfork that suggested the experience was not entirely positive, stating it felt like "waving to 5-year-olds." She later clarified that her remarks were taken out of context and expressed gratitude to Swift for the opportunity, explaining that performing for all ages was a new experience for her compared to her usual 18+ club shows.
Charli XCX is also known to be close with Matty Healy, the frontman of The 1975, whom Swift briefly dated in 2023. Healy is now engaged to model Gabbriette Bechtel, who is a friend of Charli XCX and has appeared in her music videos.