“Actually Romantic” is a ‘90s-tinged pop-rock song that takes aim at another woman, seemingly a fellow musician, who keeps talking about Taylor so much behind her back that it comes off obsessively romantic (“No man has ever loved me like you do…”). The song is clearly a diss track, and though it can’t be confirmed, many fans online believe it’s about Charli XCX, who opened for Taylor on her Reputation Stadium Tour in 2018.
For one, “Actually Romantic” makes it clear the subject is a singer-songwriter, with Taylor singing, “Wrote me a song saying it makes you sick to see my face.” Some speculate that line is a reference to Charli’s song “Sympathy Is a Knife”—a track about a fellow successful woman in the music industry who stokes Charli’s insecurities, whom some fans believe might be Taylor. “Don’t wanna see her backstage at my boyfriend’s show/Fingers crossed behind my back, I hope they break up quick,” Charli sings on the song from 2024.
Some background: In 2023, Swift publicly dated The 1975 frontman Matty Healy, who is bandmates with Charli’s now-husband George Daniel, meaning it’s very likely the two pop stars crossed paths backstage at The 1975 concerts. “I heard you call me ‘Boring Barbie’ when the coke’s got you brave/High-fived my ex and then you said you’re glad he ghosted me,” Swift sings, seemingly specifically nodding to Healy, who, according to her The Tortured Poets Department song “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived,” ghosted and avoided her after their breakup.
Interestingly, the song title “Actually Romantic” is also very similar to the title of Brat track “Everything is Romantic” and to Charli’s 2013 debut album, True Romance. Still, it’s all speculation. Swift has publicly feuded with other musicians and celebrities over the years—some resolved, some still ongoing — and Swift did speak highly of Charli‘s work ethic in a Vulture feature about the Brat singer just last year, saying she was “blown away” by Charli’s talent.
8. “Wi$h Li$t”
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.teenvogue.com ’
