Lorde felt ‘misunderstood’ by Charli XCX’s ‘Girl, So Confusing’ and aimed to ‘make it right’ with the remix.
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Charli XCX explained that Lorde initiated the conversation about the remix for “Girl, So Confusing” without Charli’s prompting.
Charli XCX and Lorde’s friendship has become clearer following their recent collaboration on a remix of Charli’s introspective track “Girl, So Confusing” from her album Brat. The song delves into their complex relationship, and the two artists shared insights with Billboard about their collaboration in a new cover story highlighting Charli. The original track features Charli, 31, questioning the true feelings of another musician—identified as Lorde, 27—despite their claimed friendship. Charli chose to inform Lorde about the song’s themes just a day before its release on Friday, June 7.
Charli XCX recounted to Billboard, “I had to first let her know that the song was about her and ensure she was comfortable with that. I had been trying to arrange a meeting with her for nearly a year, but it was always on and off, which mirrored the song’s theme. Ultimately, it didn’t work out.” She continued, “The day before the release, I sent her a voice note. Lorde responded immediately, expressing surprise and regret about how I felt. She then suggested, without me prompting, that she might want to be featured on a version of the track.”
Charli XCX explained that although much of the Brat promotional campaign was carefully planned, “sometimes it wasn’t” — and Lorde’s remix of “Girl, So Confusing” is a prime example of this, she noted. “That wasn’t planned at all. It took just three days to complete,” she revealed about the duet, which was released on Friday, June 21.
Lorde shared with Billboard that upon hearing the original song, she felt a “two-part reaction of deep empathy for my friend and a sense of, ‘Man, I’ve been misunderstood, and I really want to make it right.’” She sent her remix verse to Charli just before attending her concert at Brooklyn Paramount on Tuesday, June 11.
Charli XCX remembered, “When I first listened to [Lorde’s] verse, I was backstage at the show. My hairstylist, who had also styled Lorde’s hair for the concert, came to me and said, ‘I’m so happy you guys are good.’”
Lorde shared that writing her verse for the “Girl, So Confusing” remix was the “first time” she had opened up to Charli about why she had seemed distant from their friendship. “There was a rawness and immediacy in what I was expressing. I love that we were able to resolve things through the remix,” she said. “There’s something very bratty, meta, and modern about that—only Charli could pull that off.”
The “Green Light” singer added, “She created an opportunity for us to communicate in a way I hadn’t before. I was articulating feelings and ideas I had never expressed or even heard before. This entire experience has been a tremendous honor.”