Charli XCX Called Taylor Swift Fans “5-Year-Olds,” and They Are Furious

From Cosmopolitan

If there’s one standom you do not want to piss off—but is pretty easy to, TBH—it’s Taylor Swift fans. Swifties, if you will. But that’s exactly what Charli XCX, epic songwriter turned pop diva and gay icon, just did.

For just a quick reminder of why we stan Charli, just rewatch the greatest music video of all time. “Boys” features every man of your dreams, probably—including Taylor’s latest partner in crime Brendon Urie.

Anyway, in honor of her latest album, Pitchfork has just declared Charli the Pop Star of the Future, solidifying her impact with a cover story. (Not that we needed much convincing. I mean, she did cowrite Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy” and is the reason I shout “You’re from the ’70s, but I’m a ’90s bitch” at my mom whenever she calls to remind me to make a doctor appointment.)

Unfortunately, Charli XCX may have made an uncalculated error by throwing shade at T-Swift fans in her interview. To express why she’s left the stadiums for smaller (no less, sold out) shows, she revealed that opening Taylor’s 2018 Reputation tour was so not her scene.

“I’m really grateful that [Taylor] asked me on that tour,” Charli says. “But as an artist, it kind of felt like I was getting up onstage and waving to 5-year-olds.” She went on to add that she doesn’t plan to open for anyone else in the future, so it’s not just about Taylor’s fans at all. “I’ve done so much of it, and it really cemented my status as this underdog character, which I like now,” she says. “But I need to just own my own fucking shit finally.”

Maybe she didn’t need to call Swifties 5-year-olds to get the point across though....Obviously, Taylor stans are not happy.

However, some Charli fans are pointing out that the quote may have more to do with feeling ignored and not relating to Taylor’s fans the way she relates to her own.

It’s really not surprising that Charli’s comments created such a controversy, especially when you read what her co-opener Camila Cabello had to say about Taylor to Variety on the SAME DAY.

“And someone in her position—which is, like, on another level—I can’t imagine how many times she’s been let down by people or gotten disappointed by friends who were just using her or people who just wanted to be friends with Taylor Swift or whatever,” Camila says. “I’m happy to be there for her as a person. Like, ‘Even when it’s not popular, I’ve got you. I’m, like, your real friend.’”

To be fair, Camila is referring to Taylor’s recent feud with Scooter Braun, not Charli. Still, Taylor asking Charli to open her tour is not only a testament to her faith in Charli as an artist but also a major stepping stone toward Charli’s own superstardom. I mean, is it a coincidence that both Charli and Camilla are now the hottest acts in town?

IDK, fam, this is a tough one. What do you think?

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