The rumored beef between Taylor Swift and Charli XCX has been buzzing for years, blending pop drama with rap and hip-hop energy. From friendly tour moments to shady lyrics and chart battles, this timeline unpacks their complex history.
Let's dive into this because it’s a juicy mix of music, rivalry, and fan-fueled speculation that keeps the internet talking. Why does this matter? This feud, real or not, shows how rap and hip-hop influences, like diss tracks and lyrical jabs, have crept into pop music’s biggest names. It’s a clash of styles and egos, with fans picking sides and dissecting every lyric.
Plus, with Nicki Minaj recently weighing in, the stakes feel higher than ever.
I’m here to break it all down, from their early days to the latest 2025 drama. Whether you’re Team Swift, Team Charli, or just love a good music mystery, this timeline will keep you hooked. Let’s roll through the facts!
Early rap and hip-hop connections (2014-2015)
Back in 2014, Taylor Swift and Charli XCX crossed paths at iHeartRadio’s Jingle Ball, snapping friendly photos as Taylor’s 1989 dominated and Charli’s “Boom Clap” climbed the charts. Their vibe seemed chill, rooted in pop but with Charli’s edgy, rap-infused energy.
In February 2015, Charli covered Taylor’s “Shake It Off” for BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge, a nod to their mutual respect in the pop-rap crossover scene. That October, Taylor brought Charli onstage during her 1989 World Tour in Toronto to perform “Boom Clap,” with Taylor tweeting, “I LOVE YOU @charli_xcx,!!!” It was a high point, blending their styles for rap and hip-hop fans.
Touring together and first tensions (2018-2019)
In 2018, Charli joined Taylor’s Reputation Stadium Tour as an opener with Camila Cabello, performing “Shake It Off” nightly. But cracks appeared when Charli later said the tour made her feel like an “underdog” and turned her off opening acts.
By August 2019, a Pitchfork interview stirred drama when Charli described Taylor’s crowds as “five-year-olds.” Swifties called it shade, sparking the first whispers of a rap and hip-hop-style feud where public comments doubled as lyrical jabs.
Personal ties and lyrical drama (2023-2024)
Things got messier in 2023 when Charli started dating George Daniel of The 1975, while Taylor briefly dated the band’s frontman, Matty Healy. Fans speculated this overlap fueled tension. In June 2024, Charli’s album Brat dropped with “Sympathy Is a Knife,” featuring lines like insecurity around someone “backstage at my boyfriend’s show” and hoping “they break up quick.”
Many tied it to Taylor’s Healy fling. That same week, Taylor released deluxe versions of The Tortured Poets Department, which some fans claimed blocked Brat from the UK charts, adding fuel to the rap and hip-hop feud narrative.
Fan chants and charli’s response (June 2024)
In late June 2024, things escalated at Charli’s São Paulo show when fans chanted “Taylor is dead” in Portuguese. Charli quickly shut it down on Instagram Stories, saying, “Can the people who do this please stop... It is the opposite of what I want.”
This moment showed Charli trying to cool the rap and hip-hop-style fan war, but the damage was done, with Swifties amplifying the feud online.
Taylor’s clapback and Nicki’s reaction (2025)
In August 2024, Charli addressed the rumors in a New York Magazine profile, saying “Sympathy Is a Knife” was about her anxiety, not a direct diss. Taylor countered with praise: “I’ve been blown away by Charli’s melodic sensibilities since I first heard ‘Stay Away’ in 2011... I love to see hard work like that pay off.”
But on October 3, 2025, Taylor’s new album The Life of a Showgirl included “Actually Romantic,” with lyrics like “You wrote me a song saying it makes you sick to see my face” and jabs at “Boring Barbie” and “coke’s got you brave.”
Fans saw it as a rap and hip-hop-style diss aimed at Charli. Nicki Minaj, a rap and hip-hop icon, jumped in on X, praising Taylor’s “petty” energy: “Taylor said hold my purse #ActuallyRomantic is a BAR!” Her reaction linked the feud to rap’s tradition of lyrical sparring, amplifying the drama.
Where the feud stands now
As of October 2025, neither Taylor nor Charli has confirmed a feud, but fans keep the rap and hip-hop-style beef alive through lyric breakdowns and social media.
From tour collabs to chart wars and diss tracks, this saga blends pop stardom with rap’s competitive edge. With Nicki Minaj hyping Taylor’s latest move, the story feels far from over.