Charli XCX's: Beef With Taylor Swift, Indian-Gujarati Mom, Brat Summer Trend, MySpace To Pop Stardom

Charli XCX was born on August 2, 1992, in Cambridge, England, and no one in their wildest dreams could imagine back then that she would bring a revolution to pop music. She has been bridging the gap between mainstream and underground music, becoming a tall figure in the hyperpop genre, and empowering artists with a do-it-yourself (DIY) ethos. At the age of 14, she started making music and posted her songs on MySpace. In the following years, she started performing at warehouse parties and raves.

Charli XCX AKA 'The Brat Queen': From 14-year-old MySpace dreamer to hyperpop queen redefining modern pop

Charli XCX signed with Atlantic Records when she was just 16, and at 20, her debut album, True Romance (April 2013), was released. When she first started uploading songs on MySpace, Charli added "XCX" to her name as she wanted a unique stage name. For the uninitiated, "XCX" was her MSN Messenger username, and she chose it because she thought it was cool. In a conversation with Rolling Stone, Charli admitted that people have speculated that XCX stands for "Kiss Kiss", but she chose it as it sounded catchy and looked like it meant "X-Rated Content" or something like that.

Another interesting fact about Charli XCX's struggle story is that she took a loan from her parents at 14 to release her first album, but unfortunately, it was never released. As a result, after dropping some demos or songs on MySpace, she caught the attention of Atlantic Records, and the rest is history. Charli has also co-written songs for other artists like Blondie, Selena Gomez, Iggy Azalea, Shawn Mendes, Camila Cabello, and many more. To pursue her passion for music, she dropped out of her fine art degree at University College London's Slade School of Fine Art.

Charli XCX’s ‘Brat’ Era: How the 2024 album, Brat, sparked a cultural phenomenon, won Grammys, and influenced pop and US politics

Fast forward to 2025, and Charli XCX has won three Grammy Awards, five BRIT Awards, MTV Video Music Award, Billboard Music Award, Variety Hitmakers Award, nine MTV Europe Music Awards, ASCAP Pop Music Award, Mercury Prize, and many more. Some of her biggest songs include Vroom Vroom, Track 10, Good Ones, Gone, Boom Clap, I Love It, Fancy, and many more. Charli, How I'm Feeling Now, Pop 2, Sucker, and True Romance are some of her famous albums, but it's her June 2024 album, Brat, that took her career to a completely different level.

The success of Brat was so big that it started a cultural trend by the title, "Brat Summer", on the internet. From TikTok dance videos to fashion trends and marketing campaigns, lime green was literally the shade of the 2024 summer. Even after a year, it is still relevant, as "Brat" has become a cool and trendy lifestyle embraced by both Gen Z and millennials. Courtesy of her incredible success in pop music, Charli has also become a major influencer in the US elections. Back in July 2024, she vouched for Kamala Harris, saying, "Kamala Harris, you're a brat", in a video.

Charli XCX vs. Taylor Swift: The 2024–25 song lyrics, SNL appearances, and rumoured pop music feud explained

Charli XCX's journey from industry ghostwriter to making her own name and birthing the hyper-pop movement has indeed made her a trendsetter in the American music industry. Apart from her work as a singer, Charli's popularity received a huge boost in 2024 when reports suggested that she had targeted pop icon Taylor Swift in her song, Sympathy is a Knife from Brat. The lyrics of the song go like:

"Don't wanna see her backstage at my boyfriend's show, fingers crossed behind my back; I hope they break up quick."

Charli XCX publicly clarified that the lyrics have no connection with Taylor Swift. Still, some people linked them to the latter's alleged relationship with Matt Healey, the lead singer of the pop band The 1975—the same band whose drummer, George Daniel, is married to Charli.

In October 2025, Swift's track, Actually Romantic from the album, The Life of a Showgirl, made its way into public view, and people labelled it as an alleged response to Charli's Sympathy is a Knife. The speculations of an alleged beef between the two artists intensified when Charli donned a "Max's Kansas City" t-shirt on SNL during Role Model's performance.

Charli XCX's marriage to 'The 1975' drummer, George Daniel and her mother's roots in Gujarat, India

Amidst all this chaos, Charli XCX is happily married to The 1975 drummer, George Daniel. The couple first met in March 2021, and after being friends for some time, they made their relationship public in May 2022. The couple got engaged in November 2023 and finally got married on July 19, 2025, in an intimate wedding at London's Hackney Town Hall. Charli and Daniel got married for a second time on September 13, 2025, which was a public affair.

Charli XCX continues to win big and bigger on the professional front, while her family helps her keep her feet on the ground. She is extremely attached to her Scottish entrepreneur father, Jon Aitchison, and her flight attendant mother, Shameera Aitchison, who is part of a Muslim Gujarati family in India. Time and again, she has admitted in interviews that she is lucky to have both Scottish and Indian roots. We hope she continues to make her mark in American music.

What are your thoughts on Charli XCX's journey from posting songs on MySpace to all this stardom and recognition in the global pop music? Let us know.

Also Read: Taylor Swift Songs That Are About Travis Kelce, 'Alchemy' To New Song In 'The Life Of A Show Girl'

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