Lorde Brings Out Charli XCX for "Girl, So Confusing" at Lollapalooza, Then Charli Takes Her Own Headline Slot

Lorde headlined Lollapalooza at Chicago's Grant Park on Thursday, July 30, 2026, and brought out Charli XCX mid-set for a duet of "Girl, So Confusing," from the remix edition of Charli's 2024 album Brat. Footage of the appearance quickly spread online. Charli returned the following night, Friday, July 31, for her own headline set, performing material from her new album Music, Fashion, Film. The festival runs through Sunday, August 2.

The song and their history together

"Girl, So Confusing" originally appeared on Charli XCX's 2024 album Brat, inspired by her complicated feelings toward Lorde — she has said she once felt "very envious" of the New Zealand singer, and the two had faced similar pressures in the industry. Lorde herself proposed doing a remix; Charli has said, "It wasn't me who reached out, it was her." Since the remix's release, the two have performed the song together on multiple occasions, including at Coachella in 2025 and during a stop on Lorde's Ultrasound world tour in Los Angeles last fall. Lorde has also performed a solo version of the track at festivals this year, including New York's Governors Ball.

What's next for both artists

Charli XCX heads to the UK next month for her first-ever headline slot at Reading & Leeds, followed by a North American venue tour in September. Lorde will headline London's All Points East on Saturday, August 22, with additional dates that same week at Forwards Presents in Bristol and Edinburgh Summer Sessions.

Also making news

NME gave Charli's new album Music, Fashion, Film four stars, describing it as feeling "urgent and enduring" in its celebration of art. Meanwhile, Lorde has publicly criticized Spotify's newly launched AI-generation feature, saying artists "don't want this."