"People seem to think it's about Charli XCX. I have a theory that's maybe iteratively one step beyond that. When you listen to the lyrics of Actually Romantic what you're hearing is Taylor singing about someone who candidly seems to be sounding a lot like Charli. On Sympathy Is a Knife, Charli appeared to be shading Taylor. Taylor, as you know, was formerly linked to Matty Healy from The 1975. Charli was recently married to George from The 1975."
"I'm listening to the music and I'm hearing a Pixies song, a Nirvana song. Yes, an Olivia Rodrigo song. As many people Taylor has been in sort of a Cold War with Olivia Rodrigo on and off since Olivia's first album. There was the sense that Olivia, who was clearly an inheritor of Taylor, wasn't demonstrating sufficient fealty. So when I hear the crunchy guitars on this song, when I hear the kind of whining vocals I hear Olivia Rodrigo's voice."
Actually Romantic appears to target a figure resembling Charli XCX while referencing connections to The 1975 through Matty Healy and George. The lyrics and delivery suggest a response to prior shading on Sympathy Is a Knife. The music channels gritty alternative influences such as Pixies and Nirvana alongside echoes of Olivia Rodrigo's sound. The crunchy guitars and whining vocal timbre recall Rodrigo's musical tools, continuing a pattern of repurposing rivals' signatures. Past examples include Dear John and songs addressing Matty Healy. Musically, Actually Romantic ranks among The Life of a Showgirl's most compelling tracks amid its romantic themes.
Read at www.nytimes.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]