Entertainment

Charli XCX says she will ‘not tolerate’ anti-Taylor Swift chants by her fans

There has been speculation about her recent lyrics, referring to Swift.

Charli XCX has hit out at fans chanting against Taylor Swift
Charli XCX has hit out at fans chanting against Taylor Swift (Ian West/PA)

British singer Charli XCX is urging her fans to put a stop to their chants against US superstar Taylor Swift.

At her Sao Paulo, Brazil concert at the weekend, there were reported shouts of “A Taylor morreu”, which translates as “Taylor is dead”.

In an Instagram story, Charli XCX shared a screenshot of someone alerting her to this.

Charli XCX at the Fashion Awards 2023 in London
Charli XCX at the Fashion Awards 2023 in London (Ian West/PA)

She said: “Can the people who do this please stop. Online or at my shows.

“It is the opposite of what I want and it disturbs me that anyone would think there is room for this in this community. I will not tolerate it.”

The 31-year-old, real name Charlotte Aitchison, previously performed during Swift’s Reputation Stadium Tour in 2018 and has cited her music as an influence.

However, in 2019 Charli XCX said performing on Swift’s tour felt like “I was getting up on stage and waving to five-year-olds” in an interview in Pitchfork.

She later clarified those comments saying there is “no shade and only love here” and she is “extremely grateful to Taylor for inviting me to open” her show.

Charli, who rose to fame following her 2013 collaboration with Icona Pop titled I Love It, explained that before joining Swift for the stadium tour she had been playing adult-only clubs.

The 1975’s Matty Healy performs at the TRNSMT Festival
The 1975’s Matty Healy performs at the TRNSMT Festival (Lesley Martin/PA)

She said: “So to be on stage in front of all ages was new to me and made me approach my performances with a whole new kind of energy.”

There has also been speculation that Charli’s relationship with The 1975 drummer, George Daniel, who is her fiance, has led to her mentioning Swift on her song Sympathy Is A Knife from her new album, Brat.

The song contains lines about a woman she does not want “backstage at my boyfriend’s show” and also contains the phrase “hope they break up quick”.

Swift reportedly dated Matty Healy, the frontman of The 1975, and fans believe he is referenced on her record The Tortured Poets Department.

She is currently in a relationship with American football player Travis Kelce, who she brought on stage at her Wembley Stadium show on Sunday.

At a separate concert on Saturday, Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl seemed to claim that her band does not play live.

In social media videos, Grohl told the crowd at London Stadium: “I tell you, man, you don’t want to suffer the wrath of Taylor Swift.

Dave Grohl.
Dave Grohl. (Ben Birchall/PA)

“So we like to call our tour the Errors Tour because I feel like we’ve had more than a few eras, and more than a few f***ing errors as well. Just a couple.

“That’s because we actually play live. What? Just saying. You guys like raw, live rock ‘n’ roll music, right? You came to the right f***ing place.”

On Sunday, Swift appeared to reference this, according to fan videos, saying: “What you just did is an unforgettable moment in not just my life, but every single one of our crew.

“The band that’s going to be playing live for you for three and a half hours tonight.

“They deserve this so much and so does every one of my fellow performers, and you just gave that to us so generously. We will never forget it.”