Entertainment Music Pop Music Charli XCX and Lorde Unpack Their Complicated Friendship on Vulnerable 'Girl, So Confusing' Remix "I was trapped in the hatred / And your life seemed so awesome," sings Lorde in response to Charli feeling uncertain about their bond on the original track By Jack Irvin Jack Irvin Jack Irvin has over five years of experience working in digital journalism, and he’s worked at PEOPLE since 2022. Jack started in the industry with internships at Rolling Stone and Entertainment Tonight, and he worked as a freelance writer for publications including Bustle, MTV News, Shondaland, L’Officiel USA, Ladygunn, Flood and PopCrush before joining PEOPLE. In his current role, Jack covers daily music news and has interviewed both up-and-coming and established artists including Dolly Parton, Michelle Branch, Ashanti, Cyndi Lauper, Normani, Carly Rae Jepsen and Coco Jones. People Editorial Guidelines Published on June 21, 2024 01:40PM EDT Close Fans previously speculated Charli XCX was singing about Lorde on the Brat album track, "Girl, so confusing"Now, the pair has teamed up for "The girl, so confusing version with lorde" — on which they unpack their complicated friendshipCharli has previously opened up about feeling jealous of Lorde in the past Charli XCX and Lorde are working it out on the remix. After Charli sang about a tense, complicated friendship with a fellow pop star on her Brat album track "Girl, so confusing," fans speculated she was talking about Lorde — and it seems like they were right. On June 21, the two musicians teamed up for a vulnerable remix of the song, titled "The girl, so confusing version with lorde," on which they each unpack their feelings toward one another. Charli XCX Recalls Feeling 'Super Jealous' of Lorde's Early Success and Thinking 'That Could Have Been Me' Charli XCX; Lorde. Steve Granitz/FilmMagic; Michael Kovac/Getty The original song finds Charli, 31, wondering how another musician truly feels about her despite both of them claiming to be friends. "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 wanna be me," she sings on the first verse. Throughout the track, released June 7 on Brat, the "Von dutch" performer addresses she and Lorde, 27, failing to follow through on hanging out and collaborating, as well as them garnering comparisons to one another for having "the same hair." Lorde responds to Charli's thoughts on the remix, explaining that she didn't realize her actions made such an impact. "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," she sings. Lorde and Charli XCX in Los Angeles in August 2014. Kevin Mazur/MTV1415/WireImage The "Green Light" performer admits to canceling on their plans in the past due to feeling "so lost in my head" and not wanting to take photos with Charli because she was dealing with body image issues at the time. "'Cause for the last couple years / I've been at war with my body / I tried to starve myself thinner / And then I gained all the weight back," sings Lorde. "I was trapped in the hatred / And your life seemed so awesome / I never thought for a second / My voice was in your head." Later in the Grammy winner's verse, she reflects on building defensive traits as a child and realizing they still impact her today — to the point where Charli feels rejected as a result. Charli XCX Jokes She's 'Such a Bitch' to Fiancé George Daniel When They Work Together Because They're 'So Close' Lorde. Joseph Okpako/WireImage "She believed my projection / And now I totally get it / Forgot that inside that icon / There's still a young girl from Essex," concludes Lorde's verse, before they duet the rest of the track. "I ride for you, Charli," declares the "Royals" singer before the final chorus. Throughout their careers, Lorde and Charli have received comparisons — mainly for having similar looks and coming up in the industry around the same time. Charli XCX Reveals 'Talk Talk' Is About Nearly Following Fiancé George Daniel to the Bathroom at 2020 NME Awards Charli XCX. ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty While they've praised each other's music in the past, Charli recently told Rolling Stone UK she was "super jealous" of Lorde's success with "Royals" in 2013. "You piece all this stuff together in your brain, like: ‘She was into my music. She had big hair; I had big hair. She wore black lipstick; I once wore black lipstick,'" she told the outlet. "You create these parallels and think, ‘Well, that could have been me.’" Charli XCX. Jed Cullen/Dave Benett/Getty Images Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Upon the release of Brat earlier this month, Lorde praised the album in an Instagram Story post. "Charli just cooked this one different," she wrote at the time. "So much grit, grace and skin in the game. I speak for all of us when I say it’s an honour to be moved, changed and gagged by her work. There is NO ONE like this bitch," she added.