Is “Actually Romantic” About Charli XCX?

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A lyrical analysis of Taylor Swift's new diss track

Co-authored by Maria Ceschan and Raven Minyard, BA

Last Updated: October 24, 2025 Fact Checked

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• Is it about Charli XCX?
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• Lyric Analysis
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• Taylor & Charli’s Feud
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• Video

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With songs like “thanK you aIMee,” “Bad Blood,” and “Better Than Revenge,” Taylor Swift is no stranger to throwing shade in songs. And fans think her newest diss track is “Actually Romantic” from her 12th album, The Life of a Showgirl. Many fans speculate that it’s about singer Charli XCX, but is it really? Keep reading as we explain what “Actually Romantic” is about, take a deep dive into the lyrics, and explain the relationship between Taylor Swift and Charli XCX, with insights from Taylor Swift content creator Maria Ceschan.

“Actually Romantic” Lyrics Meaning

According to Taylor Swift content creator Maria Ceschan, “Actually Romantic” is about someone talking about Swift behind her back. Swift says their obsession with her is “actually romantic,” like they have a crush on her. The song is likely about Charli XCX, who allegedly dissed Swift in her song “Sympathy Is a Knife.”

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Section 1 of 3:

Is “Actually Romantic” about Charli XCX?

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   “Actually Romantic” is likely a Charli XCX diss track. As soon as Taylor Swift announced her 12th album, The Life of a Showgirl, many fans began speculating that the track “Actually Romantic” would be about singer Charli XCX—and it seems like they were right. The lyrics address a singer who is so obsessed with Swift that Swift cheekily implies their feelings are actually romantic. The song is likely a response to Charli XCX’s song “Sympathy Is a Knife,” which is theorized to be about Taylor Swift.

   • Ceschan says the song is about calling people out when they talk behind your back rather than sitting back and saying nothing.
   • Regarding Charli XCX specifically, Ceschan says that “parts of [the song] are about Charlie XCX. I don't think the whole thing is about her, though. And Taylor is known to do that, right? She'll have a song that everyone [assumes] is about one person. And we may or may not be correct, but there are some things she says throughout that song that make me think it's potentially about more than just one person.”

   Meet the wikiHow Expert

   Maria Ceschan is a Taylor Swift fandom content creator and digital marketing expert based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She manages several popular social media accounts celebrating Taylor Swift’s music, lyrics, and fandom culture.
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   Swift has said it’s about a “one-sided, adversarial” relationship. When explaining the song on Amazon Music, Swift said it’s “a song about realizing that someone else has kind of had a one-sided, adversarial relationship with you that you didn’t know about. And all of a sudden they start doing too much, and they start letting you know that actually, you’ve been living in their head rent-free and you had no idea.”

   • Taylor continued, “It’s presenting itself as them sort of resenting you or having a problem with you, but you take that and just accept it as love, and you accept it as attention and affection, and how flattering that somebody has made you such a big part of their reality when you didn’t even think about this. It’s actually pretty romantic if you really think about it.” Swift did not specifically mention who the song is about, however.
   • “[It's] a spin on someone not liking you,” Ceschan says. “Rather than taking that to heart and being angry or upset about it, or making your whole world revolve around [it], she turned it around" and made it more about how it's flattering that this person "spent so much time and energy thinking about [her].”
   • “I feel like it's very tongue in cheek,” Ceschan continues, “because [she’s] talking about somebody who is taking a lot of time to think about [her] and then at the same time writing a song about it.”
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Section 2 of 3:

“Actually Romantic” Lyric Analysis

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1. 1
   Swift calls out a singer who’s been talking behind her back. Swift opens the song with the lyrics, “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 / Wrote me a song sayin’ it makes you sick to see my face.” Fans speculate this is about Charli XCX because she’s known for being a party girl, is married to the bandmate of Swift’s ex Matty Healy, and wrote the song “Sympathy Is a Knife,” which people speculate is about Swift.

   • Charli XCX also has a song titled “Everything Is Romantic,” so the title “Actually Romantic” is likely a callback.
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   She thinks the attention is “actually romantic.” In the chorus, Swift sings, “But it’s actually sweet / All the time you’ve spent on me / It’s honestly wild / All the effort you’ve put in / It’s actually romantic / I really gotta hand it to you / No man has ever loved me like you do.” Here, Swift cheekily implies that her hater is so obsessed because they actually have a crush on her. They’re more obsessed with her than her actual romantic partners.
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   Swift isn’t hurt by the person’s behavior. In verse 2, Swift says, “Hadn’t thought of you in a long time / But you keep sending me funny valentines / And I know you think it comes off vicious / But it’s precious, adorable / Like a toy chihuahua barking at me from a tiny purse.” Swift, used to criticism, isn’t fazed by the person’s insults. She implies that the hater thinks their insults are clever, but Swift really just thinks they’re pathetic.

   • Swift ends the verse with the lyrics, “How many times has your boyfriend said, ‘Why are we always talkin’ ‘bout her?’” This is likely a reference to “Sympathy Is a Knife,” when Charli XCX writes, “Don’t wanna see her backstage at my boyfriend’s show / Fingers crossed behind my back / I hope they break up quick” and “One voice tells me that they laugh / George says I’m just paranoid.” George is Charli’s husband and Matty Healy’s bandmate.
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   Swift implies that she enjoys hearing what the person has to say about her. In the bridge, Swift sings, “You think I’m tacky, baby / Stop talking dirty to me / It sounded nasty, but it / Feels like you’re flirting with me / I mind my business, God’s my witness that I don’t provoke it / It’s kind of making me wet.” The sexual lyrics here further emphasize that the other person’s obsession seems like a crush. Swift doesn’t believe she’s done anything to provoke these feelings, but she enjoys the attention.
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Section 3 of 3:

Taylor Swift and Charli XCX's History & Feud

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1. Taylor Swift and Charli XCX have a long history. On the surface, it may seem surprising that these two singers could have beef since their music is so different, but Taylor Swift and Charli XCX have actually known each other for years. Here’s a timeline of their interactions over the years and why they could potentially be feuding:

   • In 2015, Swift brought Charli XCX onstage to perform “Boom Clap” together during the 1989 World Tour.
   • Ceschan notes that Charli XCX was an opener for Taylor’s “Reputation” tour in 2018, and some of the animosity may stem from that, too. Taylor was trying to help Charli by giving her that spot, and then Charli had these negative things to say about her behind her back.
     • When asked about her experience, Charli said, “I’m really grateful that [Taylor] asked me on that tour. But as an artist, it kind of felt like I was getting up on stage and waving to 5-year-olds.” She was used to performing for adult audiences and also went on to say that she was done opening for other artists.
   • Charli is married to George Daniel, one of Matty Healy’s The 1975 band members. Taylor briefly dated Matty Healy in 2023, so they were hanging out in the same social circle at that time. Ceschan says there’s a “cattiness [that] happened behind the scenes [when] Charli XCX was in a circle that Taylor used to run in.” It seems like Charli XCX may have acted like “a fake friend to [Taylor’s] face and then [said] stuff behind [her] back,” Ceschan continues.
   • Charli XCX released “Sympathy Is a Knife” on her 2024 album Brat. In the song, she sings about feeling insecure around a woman who has connections with her partner’s band. Charli went on to dismiss that theory, stating that the song was about her insecurity and anxiety.
   • In August 2024, Swift praised Charli’s musical talents, telling Vulture, “I’ve been blown away by Charli’s melodic sensibilities since I first heard ‘Stay Away’ in 2011…She’s been doing it consistently for over a decade. I love to see hard work like that pay off.”
   • Despite her praise, Swift released “Actually Romantic” in October 2025. She has not explicitly stated that it’s about Charli, though.
   • In 2025, Gabriella 'Gabbriette' Bechtel, friend of Charli XCX and now fiancée of Swift’s former boyfriend Matty Healy, commented on a parody video of Taylor Swift’s songs, saying, “Babe, record ‘Actually Romantic,’ please.” The video has since been deleted.

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