Taylor Swift Is Too Big to Have Real Rivals. Why’s She Still So Hung Up on Them?

There are two types of people in this world: those who will spend the weekend furiously replaying The Life of a Showgirl , and those who will dismiss Taylor Swift’s 12th studio album as just the latest set of songs from “Boring Barbie.”

Yes, I’m talking about “Actually Romantic,” the feverishly discussed seventh track that fans have already decided is about Charli XCX. It’s easy to see why. First, there’s the fact that the seventh track on Brat is “Everything Is Romantic”—Swift famously has a penchant for numerical synchronicity—and second… well, have you listened to the lyrics? “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,” Swift sings, adding: “I heard you call me ‘Boring Barbie’ when the coke’s got you brave.”