Lirik Lagu Actually Romantic - Taylor Swift, Sindir Charli xcx?

I heard you call me "Boring Barbie" when the coke's got you brave
High-fived my ex and then you said you're glad he ghosted me
Wrote me a song saying it makes you sick to see my face
Some people might be offended

But it's actually sweet
All the time you've spent on me
It's honestly wild
All the effort you've put in
It's actually romantic
I really gotta hand it to you, ooh
No man has ever loved me like you do

Hadn't thought of you in a long time
But you keep sending me funny valentines
And I know you think it comes off vicious
But it's precious, adorable
Like a toy chihuahua barking at me from a tiny purse
That's how much it hurts
How many times has your boyfriend said
"Why are we always talking 'bout her?"

It's actually sweet
All the time you've spent on me
It's honestly wild
All the effort you've put in
It's actually romantic
I really gotta hand it to you, ooh
No man has ever loved me like you do

You think I'm tacky, baby
Stop talking dirty to me
It sounded nasty, but it feels like you're flirting with me
I mind my business, God's my witness that I don't provoke it
It's kind of making me wet (Oh)

'Cause it's actually sweet
All the time you've spent on me (Ah)
It's honestly lovely
All the effort you've put in (Ah)
It's actually romantic
Really gotta hand it to you, to you
No man has ever loved me like you do

It's actually romantic (You've just given me so much attention; la-la-la-la)
It's actually romantic
(It's so) Shoo-wop-bop, romantic

Sebelum album The Life of a Showgirl rilis, banyak orang yang mengira kalau lagu "Actually Romantic" adalah lagu cinta. Nyatanya, lagu berdurasi 2 menit 43 detik ini punya makna berbeda.

Makna lagu "Actually Romantic" adalah tanggapan pada seseorang yang menghabiskan banyak waktu dan energi untuk mengkritik hidup Swift. Alih-alih menggunakan lirik bertendensi marah, Swift dengan cerdas memakai lirik cukup romantis dan sarkastik.

Salah satu liriknya adalah “It’s actually romantic / All the time you’ve spent on me…”. Kalau diartikan, Swift berkata, "Jika kamu membenciku sebegitunya, dan aku hidup bebas di pikiranmu, bukankah itu cinta?". Lucu banget, kan?

Alih-alih membiarkan kebencian menggerogoti Swift, ia justru mengubah lagu ini seperti surat cinta. Lagu ini merupakan tindakan membela diri dengan kata-kata sarkastik yang menantap di hati.

Nama Charli xcx disangkutpautkan dengan lagu "Actually Romantic" milik Taylor Swift. Pasalnya, Charli xcx sempat diduga menyindir Swift lewat lagu "Sympathy is a knife" pada 2024 lalu melalui lirik berikut ini.

“This one girl taps my insecurities … Don’t wanna see her backstage at my boyfriend’s show / Fingers crossed behind my back I hope they break up quick.”

Pada 2023, Swift sempat menjalin hubungan romantis singkat dengan vokalis The 1975, Matty Healy. Drummer band tersebut adalah suami Charli xcx, George Daniel. Lagu tersebut mencerminkan perasaan insecure Charli xcx.

Sementara itu, melalui lagu "Actually Romantic", Swift diyakini merespons sindiran Charli xcx. Melalui pesta rilis albumnya, Swift mengatakan jika lagunya tersebut dibuat sebagai bentuk surat cinta pada seseorang yang membencinya.

Lirik lagu "Actually Romantic" milik Taylor Swift ini berisikan kata-kata tajam yang cukup satir, tetapi terdengar menggemaskan. Bagaimana menurutmu? Apakah lagu ini benar-benar respons Swift untuk Charli xcx?