the song Girl, so confusing

Being a girl is so disorienting and confusing. We are under so much pressure, both internal and external. We don’t know how to navigate the world and the workplace or how to interact with our colleagues and peers. Should we be jealous? Should we unite in solidarity against those who wish us ill? Is it true what they say, that women only envy each other and cannot support each other and form groups? Should we compete for attention from whom? When we add fame and public attention to this already difficult dynamic, things get really, really complicated. At least, that’s what Charli XCX seems to think.

Girl So Confusing by Charli XCX

The British hyper-pop artist has spoken openly about this in Girls, so confusinga song from their latest album bratwhich conquers the summer of 2024 with its poisonous green aesthetic. It alternates between danceable melodies and deep reflections on what it means to be a young woman today, especially about the friendships between artistsEnvy, affection and embarrassment, all mixed together. This song focuses on that and describes awkward trips and meetings, always postponed dinners, the incomprehension whether the person in front of you hates you or admires youexternal comparisons that further poison the relationship. Not a diss, but an open story. As one can easily imagine, from the first listen, fans tried to figure out which artist Charli XCX was talking about. In the end all suspicions fell on Lorde.

The remix with Lorde: Lyrics

The rumors were confirmed by the New Zealand artist herself, who their version of events in the remix of the song with a verse of her own in which she says, paraphrasing but not too much: “I was speechless when I woke up from your voice message explaining how you feel. Let’s solve this with the remix. You always told me let’s go out but I canceled at the last minute. I was trapped in my head and afraid of being photographed because I’ve been at war with my body for the past few years, starving myself to lose weight and then gaining back all the pounds I lost. I was trapped in hate and your life seemed amazing.” A sad and melancholic confession that settles any possibility of a feud between the two artists, but instead puts the cards on the table and makes us understand that relationships often more complex than we think at first glance, and that they depend not only on us, but also on everything that goes on in the minds of others, on the struggles and difficulties they go through.

The complex beauty of girl friendships

This exchange has moved and touched many girls who now express their admiration for Lorde and Charli XCX on social media and share their experiences and friendships among women with everyone the difficulties and obstacles that come with it. What is braver than protecting relationships between girls, even if it makes us uncomfortable? Making an effort to talk and clarify, even if it is strange and unpleasant? The public needs to hear these stories. Firstly, because the world tends to pit artists and women against each other without any solid foundation, for the sake of entertainment and domination. Secondly, because human relationships complicated, profound and nuancedand a song that tells her in this way and focuses on the relationships between women is valuable. So let’s go dancing, but let’s hold on to our girls against the world.