Charli XCX and Lorde’s Surprise Remix at LA Show Ignites Pop Music History

At the Kia Forum in Los Angeles on Oct.18, fans got a shock when Charli XCX stepped on stage with Lorde to sing "Girl, So Confusing." The packed crowd went wild.

Charli has admitted to being envious of Lorde's success, reports NME: "When 'Royals' came out, I was super jealous of the success that that song got, and that Ella got. [...] You create these parallels and think, 'Well, that could have been me.' But it couldn't have because we're completely different people."

Opening up about those feelings set the stage for the "Girl, So Confusing" collaboration. 

Charli sent Lorde a late-night voice note, per NME. "She wrote back fast and said, 'Oh, my God, I had no idea you felt this way. I'm so sorry.' And then was like, 'You know, maybe I should be on a version of the song.' I didn't even ask her. She brought it up."

The track takes aim at press comparisons, as the artists trade verses about their perspectives on each other. "People say we're alike / They say we've got the same hair / We talk about making music / But I don't know if it's honest." 

Talk about the song picked up steam when Taylor Swift dropped "Actually Romantic," her new track from The Life Of A Showgirl. Fans theorize the song is a direct swipe at Charli, with the lyrics: "I heard you call me 'Boring Barbie' when the coke's got you brave / High-fived my ex and then said you're glad he ghosted me / Wrote me a song saying it makes you sick to see my face / Some people might be offended / But it's actually sweet." 

Writing for The Guardian, Laura Snapes praised the compassion shown by Lorde in the situation with Charli, particularly in contrast to Swift's. So far, Charli has stayed quiet about Swift's song.

Next up, Lorde takes her Ultrasound World across the Atlantic for shows in Europe. She'll wrap up 2025 with two nights at Brooklyn's Barclays Center, December 16 and 17. Fans can find tickets and showtimes on Lorde's website.