Fans Speculate Taylor Swift Strategized The Release Of Her Album To Keep Charli XCX's 'Brat' From Reaching Number One

Charli XCX is responding to speculations surrounding the release of her new album 'Brat' and the suspected intentional move by Taylor Swift that purportedly thwarted her chances of securing the number one spot on the UK album charts. 

'Brat,' released on June 7th, was highly-anticipated and forecasted to reach the coveted number one position upon its debut. However, Swift's special edition tracks from 'The Tortured Poets Department' was released around the same time — an action perceived by many as a strategic maneuver to maintain her streak at the top of the UK charts.

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According to 'Style Caster,' podcaster Sam Murphy reportedly fueled the controversy.

"Taylor was going for her longest-ever streak at number one on the UK album charts. And just after the news broke that Charli was in number one, [Swift] pulled this move and dropped more special editions of The Tortured Poets Department. Now, I understand that some of these things are planned, but this was not a global release," he speculated in a TikTok video. "This was specifically targeted to UK customers, which surely means it's about the charts."

Now, followers of the controversy believe that Charli XCX, real name Charlotte Emma Aitchson, is addressing the suspected shade. 

During a recent performance, the 31-year-old started to play her song "Sympathy with a Knife." Before she fully jumped into the song, she said, "I just feel like artistry shines through."

Many interpreted this as a veiled comment on the situation with Swift, 34.

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"Sympathy with a Knife" is widely believed to be about Swift and her relationship with Matty Healy. Charli XCX is engaged to George Daniel, the drummer of Healy's band, The 1975, and the song's lyrics are speculated to touch upon the complex dynamics and personal connections between the artists.

Swift has not made a statement on whether or not the release of the additional 'Tortured Poets Department Songs' was an intentional move.