Did Taylor Swift Block Charli xcx From Having A #1 Album?
Charli xcx recently released her sixth album, brat, on June 7. Fans are accusing Taylor Swift of purposely releasing new versions of her The Tortured Poets Department to block xcx from having a #1 album in the United Kingdom.
According to Forbes, both Charli xcx and Bon Jovi were previously in the lead to the race to #1. Since Swift released the UK-exclusive variation on Thursday (June 13) afternoon, she has retained being #1 in the UK charts for the eighth week in a row, the UK Official Charts announced Friday.
One person wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “Taylor swift trying to block charli xcx like this isnt her first time at the flop rodeo.” Another user said, “I like some of Taylor Swift’s music but releasing a UK-exclusive version of her 2-month old album to prevent Charli xcx from having a #1 album for even one week is very bizarre behavior.” Added a third, “Genuinely have no interest in Charli xcx and even I’m quite taken aback by Taylor Swift blatantly blocking her from number 1. Like come on, there’s gotta be stricter rules set around this.” Another person bashed, “this is a deliberate attempt to block brat. why is taylor swift threatened by charli xcx you annoying greedy bitch ily but you are on top of the world let charli have her moment her album is worlds better than yours.”
Charli’s brat and Bon Jovi’s Forever are currently second and third on the chart, but a few days prior, both artists were battling out for the top spot. Swift’s UK edition features live recordings and acoustic versions of songs, which were only available for sale until 11:59 p.m. Thursday evening, which is the end of the chart tracking week.
As we reported, brat was highly rated by critics and fans alike. Metacritic rated brat a 92 on their site, calling it a “genius” album for a multitude of reasons: it’s literary and musically complex yet effortless, and it is “perfectly suited for when you need to cry at the club.”
Additionally, folks speculate that Charli’s new song “Sympathy is a Knife” is a shade toward Swift. The lyrics seem to point to Swift’s brief romance with 1975 frontman Matty Healy. Charli sings, “Don’t wanna see her backstage at my boyfriend’s show. Fingers crossed behind my back, I hope they break up.” The singer is engaged to the band’s drummer, George Daniel. She adds in the lyrics that she “couldn’t even be her if I tried.”
Swift has previously caused fans to question if her motives were petty when she released additional versions of TTPD on the day of Billie Eilish’s release of HIT ME HARD AND SOFT. As we reported, folks online called her “greedy,” “nasty,” and a “fraud.”
Meanwhile, footage of Swift dancing at her latest concert stop in Dublin had folks making fun of her ruthlessly online. Wrote one user, “Seen strippers in the club on a Sunday dinnertime with better moves.” Added another, “Fish flopping on the bank of a pond.” A third said, “Honestly Taylor Swift need to work on her dancing skills or probably shouldn’t dance and let her backup do the dancing because this is such a disappointment.” Another person stated: “every clip i see of taylor swift dancing is always funnier and more cringe than the last.”
