Time to Break Down Taylor Swift and Charli XCX's Rumored Feud

We're in the thick of brat summer (potentially crashing into a brat autumn, too, at this point), and Charli XCX's eighth album is truly the gift that keeps on giving. Not only has the album's slime green aesthetic influenced Democratic nominee Kamala Harris' presidential campaign, but spawned TikTok dances and instant club classics thanks to remixes with Addison Rae, Lorde, Billie Eilish, and Robyn.

No matter where you look, BRAT is seemingly everywhere, including on Swifties' radars, as they theorized one song on the album nods to none other than Taylor Swift. The track in question is "Sympathy is a Knife," which has some 👀 lyrics that could potentially line up with the exact timeline where Tay dated The 1975's frontman, Matty Healy. ICYMI, Charli is engaged to The 1975's George Daniel and went on the road with the band in 2023, and in her latest cover story for New York Magazine, she confirmed that another version of "Sympathy" is in the works. So, in the spirit of working it out on the remix, fans are hopeful that Charli and Taylor will link up on the song.

But... is this beef between Charli and Taylor even real? The pair goes way back, and Tay even praised Charli's artistry in a recent interview. Here's a full breakdown of Taylor Swift and Charli XCX's rumored feud over the years, so you're caught up to speed:

December 12, 2014

Ah, yes, the days of "Boom Clap" and 1989 taking over radio waves. Taylor and Charli posed for a photo at iHeart Radio's Jingle Ball concert in New York.

February 9, 2015

Charli covers "Shake It Off" for BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge.

October 3, 2015

Charli came out as a special guest on Taylor's 1989 World Tour stop in Toronto, Canada to perform "Boom Clap."

March 1, 2018

Taylor announced the opening acts for her first stadium tour in support of her album, Reputation: Charli and Camila Cabello.

Throughout 2018

Charli not only opened for Taylor at the Reputation Stadium Tour, she joined her on stage to perform "Shake It Off":

August 6, 2019

During an interview with Pitchfork, Charli made some remarks about Taylor's crowds on tour that didn't sit right with Swifties. "I'm really grateful that she asked me on that tour," she said, "But as an artist, it kind of felt like I was getting up onstage and waving to 5-year-olds."

She also revealed that her gig on the Reputation Stadium Tour made her realize that she never wanted to be an opening act again. "I've done so much of it, and it really cemented my status as this underdog character, which I like now. But I need to just own my own fucking shit finally."

Later that day, Charli clarified her quotes on Twitter, writing, "People on the internet have taken something I said out of context."

"As I say in the article and have said many times before, I am extremely grateful to Taylor for inviting me to open for her," Charli tweeted. "She's one of the biggest artists of my generation and the Reputation tour was one of the biggest tours in history."

September 5, 2019

A month later, Charli appeared on the UK talk show, Sunday Brunch, where she gushed about touring with Taylor. "She's an incredible businesswoman and she's really kind. She makes us feel, like, so welcome. It feels like a girl gang on tour together, it's really good," she dished.

January 13, 2023

Taylor made a surprise appearance at The 1975's show at London's O2 Arena to perform a cover of the band's track "The City." This was also the first time she performed "Anti-Hero" ahead of the Eras Tour!

January 20, 2023

A week later, Charli surprised the crowd at another 1975 show at Manchester's AO Arena to perform "Vroom Vroom."

May 4, 2023

Taylor and The 1975's frontman, Matty Healy, reportedly start dating.

May 10, 2024

Charli's instantly iconic "360" music video is released and features Matty Healy's fiancée and model, Gabbriette Bechtel. Gabbriette also posted a meme about "360," which referenced Taylor's "Bad Blood" video:

June 7, 2024

Charli released her album, BRAT, and fans theorized that the track "Sympathy is a Knife" alluded to her relationship with Taylor with lyrics like "I couldn't even be her if I tried" and "This one girl taps my insecurities / Don't know if it's real or if I'm spiraling."

Theories point to a certain verse that paints the scene at a 1975 show, as Taylor dated Matty and Charli got engaged to George in 2023: "Don't wanna see her backstage at my boyfriend's show / Fingers crossed behind my back, I hope they break up quick."

June 23, 2024

BRAT was headed toward No. 1 in the UK until Taylor released another version of The Tortured Poets Department, which landed at the top spot instead.

Shortly after, Charli hosted a DJ set in São Paulo, Brazil, where fans chanted "Taylor is dead!" in Portuguese. She later posted an Instagram Story prompting fans to stop.

"Can the people who do this please stop. Online or at my shows," she wrote, per Billboard. "It is the opposite of what I want and it disturbs me that anyone would think there is room for this in this community. I will not tolerate it."

August 26, 2024

Charli graced the cover of New York Magazine, where she talks all things BRAT—including her rumored rift with Taylor and "Sympathy is a Knife."

"People are gonna think what they want to think," Charli told the publication. "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."

Taylor was also tapped by the mag to share her thoughts on Charli, who she ended up showering with compliments. "I've been blown away by Charli's melodic sensibilities since I first heard 'Stay Away' in 2011," Taylor said. "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."

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