Pop Girl World is healing: Taylor Swift just put Charli XCX feud rumors to bed. I know these two icons go way back because when I was in high school, I watched Charli open for Taylor at the Reputation Tour. She was the perfect hype woman for that slot, and she also came back out to perform “Shake It Off” with Taylor, which was just chef’s kiss. But in recent months, it’s seemed like there might be tension between Taylor and Charli.

Since the release of Brat, fans have suspected that Charli’s track, “Sympathy Is a Knife,” is about her complicated, sometimes negative relationship with Taylor. Then, when Brat was projected to reach No. 1 in the U.K. during the week of June 14, Taylor *just so happened to* release six U.K.-only variants of The Tortured Poets Department and ultimately got the slot. Needless to say, Charli stans were not pleased, and Taylor was accused of chart-blocking.When Charli released a remix of “Guess” with Billie Eilish, some people interpreted the collab as a revenge project of sorts, because Taylor was also accused of chart-blocking Billie. Yeah, this Taylor and Charli timeline is not for pop culture amateurs.

After lots of speculation about a feud, Taylor Swift just revealed where she and Charli XCX stand today.

Are Taylor Swift And Charli XCX Friends Now?

What Did Taylor Swift Say About Charli XCX?

Despite the chart blocking effort and “Sympathy Is a Knife” and “Guess” subject rumors, it seems like all is well in Taylor and Charli World. Taylor praises her Reputation opener in a new Charli XCX New York Magazine profile: “I’ve been blown away by Charli’s melodic sensibilities since I first heard ‘Stay Away’ in 2011,” she 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.” There ya have it.

Is Charli XCX’s “Sympathy Is A Knife” About Taylor Swift?

Although Charli hasn’t confirmed or denied that this Brat track is about Taylor, the reference seems pretty obvious to us pop PhDs. “Don’t wanna see her backstage at my boyfriend’s show / Fingers crossed behind my back, I hope they break up quick,” she sings in the second verse. Charli is, of course, engaged to George Daniel, the drummer for The 1975. As we were all reminded when The Tortured Poets Department came out, Taylor and The 1975 lead singer Matty Healy had some kind of situationship in 2023. So, it’s pretty likely Charli and Taylor ran into each other backstage at a few The 1975 shows.

In the chorus of “Sympathy Is a Knife,” Charli sings: “I couldn’t even be her if I tried / I’m opposite I’m on the other side.” Taylor is probably the most famous person alive, and in Brat, Charli is open about feeling insecure about her place in the music industry. It wouldn’t be shocking if she’s felt jealous of Taylor at times.

Is Charli XCX Releasing A Remix Of “Sympathy Is A Knife” With Taylor Swift?

Umm, I’m trying to figure out if Charli low-key teased a “Sympathy Is a Knife” Taylor remix in that Vulture profile. She told the interviewer that she wanted to play them an unfinished remix of the track. “I wrote this three or four weeks ago, about this idea of, like, you have to fall — if you’re deemed to be even in the slightest way on top, you have to fall,” she said, adding, “I’m not a fucking idiot. I know how shit works.”

The profile does not reveal whether or not the remix is a collab, but we did get a sneak peek at the new lyrics: “It’s a knife when you’re finally on top / They want to see you fall.” Hmmm, who might best understand what it’s like to be “on top” and fall?