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WITH their award-winning music, numerous hit singles and world-famous tours, singers Taylor Swift, Charli XCX and Billie Eilish are currently at the top of their game.
Among the most powerful women in music, these three paths crossed on their way to the top. Charli XCX, 32, supported Taylor on her 2019 tour and has now teamed up with Billie, 22, on the hit Guess.
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Despite repeated pleas from the stars themselves for fans not to pit the powerful women against each other, followers of all the artists can’t seem to stop speculating about whether there’s a secret feud simmering behind the scenes.
The reason behind the split rumors is complex, and consists of a messy mix of cryptic lyrics, sharp remarks and claims of chart sabotage.
This week, Charli XCX teamed up with Kim Kardashian for a sexy new shoot to promote the reality star’s underwear brand Skims, raising questions about whether or not she made a conscious decision to work with Taylor’s arch nemesis.
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“Are you obsessed with me?”
You could argue that it’s just a coincidence, as posing for Skims seems like an obvious and lucrative move following Charli’s song with Billie Eilish, which dropped earlier this month.
The song Guess is essentially about underwear, which ties in nicely with her advertising deal with Skims. However, some of the lyrics in the song have raised eyebrows among skeptics.
Some music fans have analyzed some of the lines in the song, including: “Want to guess what Billie and I were talking about?
“(You’re disrespectful) I’m still trying to guess the password to my Google Drive. (Are you obsessed with me?)
“Would you like to guess the address of the party we’re at? (You’re definitely not invited).”
Many are convinced these lines refer to Taylor, 34, although there is no legitimate evidence they are targeting the Eras tour singer.
While rumors have swirled on social media between the Swifites (Taylors fans) and the Angels (Charli’s fans), neither pop star has publicly commented on the claims.
Could it just be a smart move to create hype around the new song?
PR and branding expert Nick Ede tells Fabulous: “The use of lyrics to create drama and the concept of a feud has been used countless times by musicians.
“For example, Taylor has also used lyrics to insult Kim Kardashian and Kanye.
“The beauty of this is that people can interpret the numbers in different ways. It’s a great marketing ploy and a really good way to get people online to analyze the numbers.”
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Graph ‘sabotage’
There are also rumors that Billie and Charli are on “bad terms” with Taylor, after she was accused by internet sleuths of working behind the scenes to prevent them from breaking into the top 50.
The Shake It Off singer has even been accused of ‘sabotage’ her rivals by re-releasing new versions of her album The Tortured Poets Department on the same day Billie released her third album Hit Me Hard & Soft.
Charli’s critically acclaimed album Brat also failed to debut at number one on the UK charts. However, Taylor simultaneously released a new limited edition of her album with a number of bonus tracks.
“Feel so bad for Billie she deserves this #1 and Taylor is just too greedy,” one fan wrote on TikTok, while another added, “This is a deliberate attempt to block Brat why is Taylor getting threatened by Charli XCX?”
However, Nick says: “Any singer in the world could accuse Taylor of getting in the way of their success, but this just proves she is a global superstar with unlimited power.
“Taylor has quite a few number one hits, so I think it’s purely a popularity contest – and Taylor is currently on top.”
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‘Waving at five year olds’ ‘digging’
But rumors of a rift between the three have been going on for years.
While Charli made it clear that she was “really grateful” to join Taylor on her 2019 Reputation tour, some of her past comments about her role as an opening act have drawn criticism from Swifties.
In an interview with Pitchfork, she said, “I felt like I was standing on stage waving at five-year-olds.”
This angered some fans, who felt hurt by the comment. One of them responded with: “I was bored to death.” [when Charli performed] “I was counting down the minutes until Taylor came out.”
Charli later responded to the comments, clarifying, “Absolutely no shade here, just love.
“…Before the tour I had played a lot of 18+ clubs, so for me it was new to be on stage in front of people of all ages.”
Nick says: “I think Charli has always seen her fans as more mature because her songs are a little more trend-forward and fashionable than Taylor’s.
“She meant she was grateful for the experience, but she wasn’t playing to her usual audience.”
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How to Have a Brat Girl Summer
The “Brat” aesthetic is a trend created by pop star Charli XCX that is taking the internet by storm in 2024.
Below you will find some online tips for your own ‘Brat summer’…
- Messy hair. No hairbrush needed.
- Sunglasses: cool, square frame and always on.
- A smudged smokey eye.
- Knee-high lace-up boots.
- Leather is generally good.
- Y2K lip gloss is good too.
- Lime green nails and eyeshadow, why not.
- Old, wired Apple headphones.
Read more about the meaning of a ‘Brat summer’ and where it comes from here.
“That’s literally psychotic”
A pointed comment Billie Eilish recently made about three-hour shows was also interpreted by some as a subtle critique of Swift’s Eras Tour performances, which last approximately three hours.
While answering fan questions live on music app Stationhead, she said: “I’m not going to do a three-hour show, that’s literally psychotic.
“Nobody wants that. You don’t want that. I don’t want that.
“I don’t even want that as a fan… That’s way too long”
I’m not going to do a three-hour show, that’s literally psychotic.”
Billie Eilish
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“Taylor is dead!”
Unfortunately, things took a sinister turn earlier this year, when Charli was recently forced to intervene and call on fans to stop chanting “Taylor Swift is dead” during her performances.
In June the BBC Anti-Taylor chants were reportedly heard at a concert in São Paulo, Brazil.
Charli was clearly upset, writing on her Instagram Story, “Can the people doing this please stop?
“Online or at my shows. It’s the opposite of what I want and it bothers me that anyone would think there’s room for this in this community. I won’t tolerate it.”
The reason for the tense atmosphere is that there was speculation that one of Charli’s songs – Sympathy is a Knife – would reference Taylor.
English singer Charli is engaged to George Daniel, the drummer of The 1975, and Swift was reportedly in a relationship with singer Matty Healy last year.
The lyrics of Charli XCX’s song describe a woman who “calls on [her] uncertainties.”
“I don’t know if it’s real or if I’m in a downward spiral… George says I’m just paranoid.
“I don’t want to see her backstage at my boyfriend’s show. Fingers crossed behind my back. I hope they break up soon.”
Nick adds: “Fans always want to take sides and create drama, just like football fans are loyal to their team.
“Pop fandom can take a dark turn when fans defend their idols at all costs. The stars have a responsibility to quash anything that feels negative and exaggerated.
“Billie and Charli have both made sure that their fans are respectful towards other fans and other pop stars.”
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‘Leave them alone!’
Charli herself has also recognized the difficult position women in the spotlight often find themselves in. It seems that the more successful they are, the more speculation and rumors circulate about them.
Speaking to The Guardian, she said: “We’re past the point where the media always pits women against each other.
“Relationships between women are super complex and multi-layered.
“You can like someone and not like them at the same time. You can be jealous of someone, but they can still be your friend.”
And many fans are quick to support their music idols.
“Why are people pitting these amazing, talented women against each other? They’re both successful and they’re amazing!” one fan wrote online.
Another added: “Can we please stop comparing women and pitting them against each other?
“Like if they’re both stars and have a fan base, let them do it.”
Nick adds: “They’re all incredibly successful and eventually their fan base will move on from that and instead focus on how inspiring and influential they are.
“All three women commented on the complex relationships women have and rightly say that you can like someone and not like them at the same time.
“It’s much better to have a ‘Brat’ summer than a brutal summer of us fighting each other.”
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