“Let’s work it out on the remix.”
2024 truly has been the year of the pop girls.
Ariana Grande’s Eternal Sunshine, Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter, Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department, Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft, Charli xcx’s Brat — not to mention the rise in popularity of two incredible artists, Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan (Short n’ Sweet and The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess are both incredible!!). So. Much. Good. Music. I am slightly scared for the inevitable music drought of 2025, but that’s a conversation for another time. Truly, for the last two years, women have been dominating the music industry, and I’m so here for it.
One iconic pop girl moment that has happened this year was the release of Charli xcx’s remix of her song, Girl, so confusing featuring Lorde, which was released on June 21st. What was so intriguing about this was that the song was rumoured to be about Lorde (a rumour now confirmed to be true). In some eyes, the song could be interpreted as a “diss track” towards Lorde, as Charli doesn’t necessarily paint her in a flattering light on the original version. One interesting thing about music is that we are usually only ever hearing one side of a story, so people were excited for Lorde to share her perspective of the situation. But I think the song we ended up with goes a lot deeper than that.
I will admit- when I first heard the song, I didn’t like it. My ears hadn’t yet adjusted to the vocal effects and hyper-pop production. But the more I listened, the more I found myself becoming obsessed with it. Not only do I like it lyrically and stylistically, I also find it extremely relatable. I would go as far as to say this song is a perfect representation of what female friendships can sometimes feel like.
The song opens with the line- “It’s so confusing sometimes to be a girl.” It may be a simple idea, but it really is the thesis statement of the song. In Charli’s verse, she describes her perspective on her rocky friendship with Lorde; saying that Lorde’s so distant and closed-off with her that she’s not sure if Lorde even likes her, or is just being nice for the sake of politeness. Considering they don’t have much in common, Charli herself isn’t even sure if she likes Lorde.
“Yeah, I don’t know if you like me
Sometimes I think you might hate me
Sometimes I think I might hate you
Maybe you just want to be me
You always say, “let’s go out”
So we go eat at a restaurant
Sometimes it feels a bit awkward
’Cause we don’t have much in common”
I know for sure I relate to the sentiments expressed in Charli’s verse. There’s been countless times I’ve come away from an interaction with a girl and been left wondering if they even like me as a person, but at the same time, confused as to how I even feel about them. Many times I’ve come away from a conversation with a friend thinking: Do they even want to be friends anymore?
Then we get Lorde’s verse where she shares her perspective of the situation. We find out that the reason why Lorde was being so distant wasn’t because she doesn’t like Charli, it’s because she was struggling with not liking herself. She talks about making plans and then cancelling last minute because of her insecurities and struggling with her body image — these are two things I’m certain almost all girls would relate to (Charli herself even talks about body image issues on her song, Rewind).
Lorde continues on to say: “I was trapped in the hatred, and your life seemed so awesome.” Haven’t we all done that at some point? We’ve all scrolled through someone’s social media and seen their posts of them at parties, or on vacation, or out with friends, and we can’t help but play the comparison game and make ourselves feel like shit about our own lives. It’s so easy to forget that social media is curated. The things that a person posts on social media aren’t an accurate representation of their life, it’s the glamorised version of their life they want you to see. The line they share in the pre-chorus, “People say we’re alike, they say we’ve got the same hair,” also adds to the idea of comparison.
There’s two particular moments of the song I love. In Charli’s pre-chorus, she says: “You can’t tell how you’re feeling, I think I know how you feel.” And in Lorde’s verse, she says: “She believed my projection, and now I totally get it. Forgot that inside the icon, there’s still a young girl from Essex.” During their own moments of the song, both Charli and Lorde take a second to empathise with the other girl. Even though they’re both upset, they each try to understand where the other is coming from and put themselves in each other’s shoes. I think there’s an undoubted maturity in that.
But I love how it also shows that both sides are completely valid. It’s not the kind of situation where one is in the right and one is in the wrong, nor is it the kind of situation where they’re passive-aggressively attacking each other. Charli is completely valid in how she feels, Lorde is completely valid in how she feels, and they both acknowledge and respect each other’s feelings.
Not only is this song an accurate depiction of girlhood, it’s also a lesson in the power of communication. The situation being described was one born from miscommunication. Lorde was acting strange around Charli because she was locked in a battle with her own mind, and Charli interpreted that as Lorde no longer wanting to be her friend. But through talking it out and being open and honest with each other, they were able to clear the confusion and strengthen their friendship.
“Well honestly, I was speechless
When I woke up to your voice note
You told me how you’d been feeling
Let’s work it out on the remix
You’d always say, “let’s go out”
But then I’d cancel last minute
I was so lost in my head
And scared to be in your pictures
‘Cause for the last couple years
I’ve been at war in my body
I tried to starve myself thinner
And then I gained all the weight back”
Easily the aspect of this song that melts my heart the most is when Lorde says at the end of the second pre-chorus, “You know I’d ride for you, Charli,” and then within the last few seconds of the song, Charli quickly adds, “You know I’d ride for you too.” Yes, sometimes female friendships can be confusing, and hostile, and competitive — but one I thing I know for certain about girls is that they’re loyal. When it comes down to it, we will have each other’s backs. At the end of the day, we will always look out for one another.
This song doesn’t just show the complexity and nuances of female friendship, it also demonstrates the power of female friendship. Charli and Lorde settled their differences and decided to combine their strengths to create an incredible song together. After hearing them each individually share their side of the story, it’s so satisfying to hear their voices come together as they sing in synchrony, knowing that they’re now on the same page. Thank god for them working it out on the remix.