This was originally going to be a newsletter about Charli XCX vs. Tinashe. They’re not feuding, but they’re both in the race for song of the summer after years of sitting on the sidelines. Tinashe and Charli have both been putting out music for over a decade (real heads remember their forgotten collaboration with Ty Dolla $ign, “Drop That Kitty”), but they’ve yet to rise the ranks of main pop girl. But they’re finally getting their due with the popularity of “Nasty” and BRAT, and now everyone’s making a TikTok about finding somebody to match their freak or their plan for Brat Girl Summer. They seemed like a good match for an astrological investigation, since they’re born about six months apart and have opposite Sun signs (Charli’s a Leo, Tinashe’s an Aquarius). Which transit was giving them this extra boost in fame? Was it Saturn finally coming to their aid after a rough few years opposite and conjunct their Suns? A positive aspect from Jupiter, raising their profile and likely the numbers in their bank account? But then Charli dropped the “girl, so confusing” remix a little over a week ago and well, I had bigger astrological fish to fry. Sorry Tinashe! “Bouncin’” was still my 2021 song of the summer!
Did we know Charli and Lorde had beef? I’ve been a fan of both since the early days of their careers, and I’m pretty up-to-date on celeb goss, but I had no idea there was any bad blood. If no one really knew about this, was Charli being a messy Leo with the initial release of the song by fueling speculation that she was frenemies with an unnamed popstar? Maybe! But also, when I think about it, it makes sense that the two would feel pitted against each other. The both came onto the scene around the same time and had the same witch-y, Tumblr-y aesthetic that was popular in 2013. But while Charli got popular via her features or songwriting, Lorde became a global superstar in under a year. I could see how jealousy could start to grow and fester, watching one your peers get the accolades and attention that you wanted as well. Lorde disappeared for a little bit, only to climb even higher with the release of Melodrama in 2017. I LOVE Charli, but at the time, she hadn’t released an album that was universally acclaimed like Pure Heroine or Melodrama. To give some more context, I saw Charli and Lorde within the same year, and one show was at a smallish venue in the West Village and other was at Barclay’s Center. But as of now, Melodrama was the height of Lorde’s career. Charli has the benefit of a consistent output of music that shows how she’s pushed herself and grown as an artist in the last seven-ish years. And BRAT might be her best album, the one that finally crosses her over into mainstream success. But enough of the career retrospectives! It’s time to dig into their astrological synastry to find out why they were feeling so confused about each other.
Let’s start with their Sun signs. Charli’s a wild child, here-for-a-good-time Leo who likes throwing parties, and Lorde’s a brooding, introspective Scorpio who prefers writing poems. Leo and Scorpio are two of the four fixed signs and square each other, which is an uncomfortable aspect that sets the two up for some friction. The Scorpio might think the Leo is too self-involved and over-the-top, and the Leo might think the Scorpio is too controlling and cynical. Leos and Scorpios are both incredibly dedicated, hard-working, and creative, but a Leo is going to project everything outwards for that external validation, while a Scorpio is going to scheme in secret until they’re ready to release their masterpiece. I also mentioned jealousy before, and I believe both of these signs can struggle with this seemingly shameful emotion. Even though I’m a Virgo, I have multiple Leo planets in my chart, and I’ve suffered from many iterations of jealousy towards friends, boyfriends, and even total strangers in my life. The Leo strain of jealousy comes from wanting what others have because deep down you’re insecure that you’re not good enough as you are. The Scorpio strain of jealousy is more about being possessive and territorial, not wanting what’s theirs to be taken away. So maybe that’s what Charli was sensing from Lorde, that she wasn’t willing to share her piece of the fame pie.
Another area where we find potential tension is their rising signs. Charli’s an emotional, sensitive Cancer rising, while Lorde is a stoic, buttoned-up Capricorn rising. Opposite signs! Two sides of the same coin the industry loves to spend (sorry)! Between Lorde’s Scorpio Sun and Capricorn rising, she’s going to give off a much more serious and reserved vibe. These are two signs that love to have control, especially around how they present themselves and how they’re perceived. Charli’s Cancer rising gives her a softer edge, a greater willingness to wear her feelings on her sleeve. Their opposite rising signs gives them the experience of mirrors to each other, which can foster connection, or can be off-putting if you don’t like what you see. And since we’re talking feuds, we have to discuss their Mars signs. Charli’s a wordy Gemini Mars who can use the pen as a sword, and Lorde’s an uptight Virgo Mars who will keep her mouth shut until she explodes. Once again, two signs that square each other, bringing their Mars in uncomfortable conflict. It’s not looking great for our girls!
But we’ve seen how the story ends, and it’s much brighter than my negative-ass analysis would suggest. We know that Charli offered Lorde a (very public) olive branch, and they were able to work through their ambiguous animosity towards each other on the “girl, so confusing” remix (while generating more press and attention for both of them, lol). What was their astrological saving grace?? Despite all of their tense aspects, they share a major placement in their charts: they both have moons in Virgo. No wonder these two weren’t able to vocalize their feelings sooner! Our moon sign shows us what we need to feel safe, nurtured, and comfortable, and those are all words that are foreign to a Virgo placement. Virgo moons would rather take care of your needs than their own, and would rather make an impossible to-do list before taking a good, hard look at what their needs are in the first place. They’re both striving for unattainable perfection and likely being extremely hard on themselves in the process. Ultimately, these two are much more alike than they realize. Another great piece of astrological synastry is that Lorde and Charli’s moons are almost exactly conjunct on Lorde’s Midheaven. The Midheaven is the angle in your chart that rules your public perception and your legacy, so it’s fitting that this played out for all of us to witness. And I know that it was meaningful to me to here two women confront their complicated feelings towards each other, something I’m extremely familiar with. Saturn is currently stationing retrograde in opposition to their Virgo moons, so this was a prime to get real and honest with each other. It might’ve just taken the bolder Leo to bring the reluctant Scorpio out into the limelight.
I hope you enjoyed this round of “versus astrology,” my new?? series?? where I look at two opposing forces and compare their astrology. It can be signs, planets, famous people, whatever I want basically, so stay tuned for more. And I hope you have a very Brat Girl Summer, whatever that means to you.
xx
ET
P.S. I sat across from Lorde on the E train last November and had nowhere to share it until now LOL.
P.P.S. The Williamsburg BRAT wall is across from my Tuesday night AA meeting, which is appropriate for a room full of ex-365 party girls.