Are Charli xcx and Taylor Swift Doing A 'Sympathy Is A Knife' Remix? The Theory Explained

27 August 2024, 12:51

By Sam Prance

Here's why fans think Charli xcx and Taylor Swift are about to release a 'Sympathy Is a Knife' remix together.

Let's work it out on the remix! A theory that Charli xcx and Taylor Swift are about to release a 'Sympathy is a knife' remix has gone viral and it looks like Charli and Taylor have both dropped several easter eggs hinting that it could actually happen.

Ever since Charli released 'Brat' in June, fans have speculated that 'Sympathy is a knife' was inspired by Taylor Swift. In the song, Charli sings about feeling insecure around another woman: This one girl taps my insecurities / Don't know if it's real or if I'm spiraling.

While those lyrics could in theory be about anyone, Charli adds in the second verse: Don't wanna see her backstage at my boyfriend's show / Fingers crossed behind my back / I hope they break up quick. Given that Charli is in a relationship with George Daniel from The 1975, fans guessed that the line is about Taylor and Matty Healy.

This has led fans to wonder if Charli and Taylor would ever record a 'Sympathy is a knife' remix together similar to how Charli wrote 'Girl, so confusing' about Lorde and then teamed up with her on a remix of a song.

Well, now people are convinced that the remix is genuinely in the works based on a new Charli interview.

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When asked by New York Magazine if 'Sympathy is a knife' is about Taylor, Charli replied: "People are gonna think what they want to think. That song is about me and my feelings and my anxiety and the way my brain creates narratives and stories in my head when I feel insecure and how I don’t want to be in those situations physically when I feel self-doubt."

She continued: "Being on tour with the 1975 could be disorienting in general: Sometimes I’d look onstage and be like, 'Oh my God … I’m never going to play these rooms, ever'. That made me feel jealous. I told Matty that. And George. They were both like, 'Shut up. What are you talking about?'"

As for if she considered removing the "backstage" line, Charli said: "No." After a period of silence, she added: "You do the silence game. But I know that well, where you go silent and want me to talk more. But I don’t care about it being awkward. We’ll sit in silence."

Ok but how does any of this confirm that a remix with Taylor is happening?

Well, Charli later plays the interviewer an unfinished remix of the song. She says: "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. I’m not a f---ing idiot. I know how s--t works."

In a new verse, there's a line which goes: It’s a knife when you’re finally on top…  /  They want to see you fall. Could this be a reference to Charli's own career or could it be a reference to Taylor's position as the biggest artist in the world right now?

If that weren't enough, Charli's photoshoot for the New York Magazine cover story also features multiple shots of a severed hand wearing bracelets reminiscent of the friendship bracelets Swifties have been wearing to The Eras Tour.

On top of that, Taylor actually provided a quote for the profile. She praised Charli saying: "I’ve been blown away by Charli’s melodic sensibilities since I first heard ‘Stay Away’ in 2011. 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."

Praising the success of 'Brat', Taylor said: "I love to see hard work like that pay off."

Earlier this year, fans accused Taylor of purposefully trying to block Charli from Number 1 when she released new variants of 'The Tortured Poets Department' the week that 'Brat' came out. 'The Tortured Poets Department' subsequently blocked 'Brat' from going Number 1 in the UK. This led people to speculate that Taylor and Charli were in a feud.

Later at one of Charli's shows in São Paulo, Brazil, videos went viral in which you can hear fans chanting "A Taylor Morreu", which means "Taylor is dead" in Portuguese. Charli then took to Instagram to call out her fans and say that she will not "tolerate" this behaviour.

Based on Charli and Taylor's own quotes, it appears that there's no bad blood between them. Charli also previously supported Taylor on the Reputation Stadium Tour.

Could Taylor and Charli officially put an end to the stan wars with a remix? Bookmark this page and we'll let you know if and when they say more.

Read more from Capital Buzz here:

• What Does Make Me Juno Mean? Sabrina Carpenter's 'Juno' Lyrics Explained
• Finneas Slams Viral Video Accusing Billie Eilish Of Being "Predatory" On Charli XCX 'Guess' Verse
• Taylor Swift Opener Maisie Peters Appears To Respond To "Mean" Backlash To Her Set
• Chappell Roan Has Secret Backing Vocals On Three Olivia Rodrigo Songs
• Billie Eilish Explains The Deeper Meaning Behind Her 'Chihiro' Lyrics

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