Overview

• Swift released The Life of a Showgirl on October 3, and listeners quickly linked the song 'Actually Romantic' to Charli XCX based on lyrics about being called 'Boring Barbie,' an ex who 'ghosted,' and a song that 'makes you sick to see my face.'
• In an Amazon Music track-by-track intro, Swift said the song is about realizing someone has a one-sided adversarial relationship with you and choosing to interpret that attention as affection.
• Speaking further at an album-related screening, Swift called the track 'a love letter to someone who hates you' and said she found the fixation flattering, according to NME.
• Neither artist has confirmed the song’s subject; outlets report requests for comment went unanswered, and Charli previously said her 2024 'Sympathy Is a Knife' was about her own anxiety rather than Swift.
• Online reaction has included backlash from Charli supporters who labeled Swift a 'bully,' and some fans point to the song’s visualizer showing Swift holding a red apple as a possible nod to Charli’s Brat track 'Apple.'