Charli XCX defends ‘out of context’ Taylor Swift comments about her fanbase

Pop star Charli XCX has defended herself against backlash from Taylor Swift fans after she said performing at the You Need to Calm Down hitmaker’s tour back in 2018 felt like “getting up onstage and waving to five-year-olds.”

Taking to Twitter on Tuesday, 6 August, the Boys singer claimed that her comments had been taken “out of context” and that she meant “absolutely no shade” with the comparison.

Read more: Charli XCX slammed for saying she felt like she performed for '5-year-olds' on Taylor Swift's tour

"As I say in the article and have said many times before, I am extremely grateful to Taylor for inviting me to open for her,” the 27-year-old added.

"She's one of the biggest artists of my generation and the Reputation tour was one of the biggest tours in history."

Charli XCX went on to say that the quote was lifted from a “much wider conversation” with music publication Pitchfork, and that her answers were “boiled down into one kind of weird sentence.”

She continued: “Leading up to that tour I’d been playing a tonne of 18+ club shows, and so to be on stage in front of all ages was new to me and made me approach my performances with a whole a new kind of energy.”

"Any tour I’ve been on with any other artist as an opening act has always taught me so much. It’s always wonderful to watch other artists do their thing, own their stage, and speak their language to their dedicated fan bases.

“Hope this gives clarity to what was a great interview!”

Read more: Ed Sheeran supports Taylor Swift through feud with Scooter Braun and Justin Bieber

After Charli XCX’s comments initially started circulating online, fans of hers took to Twitter to say that they felt let down by the singer’s attitude.

“I’m actually so disappointed regarding the recent comment made by Charli XCX,” one wrote. “I’ve been a fan of Charli’s for such a long time including seeing her way back on the Sucker tour before seeing her support Taylor’s rep tour.

“The comment is hurtful, unnecessary and incredibly false.”

The remarks didn’t go down with Swifties either.

“Charli is over,” one tweeted, while another said: “So let me get this straight... Charli opens a global superstar's tour themed completely around false reputations and then later further contributes to the inaccurate narrative of said artists' reputation that all her fans are children... ok.”