Profiled: What Excellent Timing For This Charli XCX Cover Story in Vanity Fair!
Well, this worked out nicely for the Brat queen.
A sizeable chunk of the post-The Life of a Showgirl release discourse has been focused on “Actually Romantic”, a song directed at a nameless professional rival of Taylor Swift’s who literally everyone clocked was probably Charli XCX. The song was seen as her response to “Sympathy is a Knife”, one of the highlights from the paradigm-shifting Brat, wherein Charli got candid about her self-loathing and paranoia surrounding a fellow woman in the industry. Where “Sympathy is a Knife” was self-flagellating and pretty dark, “Actually Romantic” was misjudged and dinged by critics as both dumb and mean. If it was intended to start a Drake/Kendrick-style back-and-forth between two pop divas, it didn’t work. Non-Swifties sided with Charli, who has not directly responded to the song. They say the greatest revenge is living well. Does landing the Vanity Fair cover issue in the same month as your supposed rival’s album launch count?
Vanity Fair. “Charli XCX Enters Her Next Chapter.” October 14, 2025. Anna Peele.
(Image via Vanity Fair.)
Last June, Charli released Brat, her sixth studio album, and it unexpectedly became a cultural moment. The decidedly indie popstar whose music was often seen as too abrasive for the mainstream was a number one hitmaker, and all without watering down her distinct sound. That lime green punch of colour was everywhere. Brat Summer was synonymous with 2024, even becoming political. Charlotte Aitchison was the star of the moment, with Brat earning the best reviews of any album released that year. Grammys were won, TikTok trends were started, and think-pieces galore were written.
