Charli XCX, Lorde move beyond past feud with surprise 'Girl, So Confusing' performance on tour

What's one thing Charli XCX and Lorde are going to do? Work it out on the remix, over and over again.

After the chancellor of Brat Summer released her original version of album track "Girl, So Confusing" as a complicated take on her complex feelings toward an unnamed fellow pop star earlier this year, XCX enlisted Lorde for a remix of the track that confirmed its lyrics were inspired by the New Zealand-born "Royals" hitmaker. Now, with the past feud firmly behind them, XCX shocked fans when she brought Lorde out on stage with her to perform the tune during a Monday night's tour stop at New York City's Madison Square Garden arena.

In fan-shared video from the show (part of XCX's joint Sweat tour with Troye Sivan), XCX begins the song while wearing an all-white ensemble at the back of the stage.

"Let me hear you!" the 32-year-old yells, just as the crowd cheers when Lorde, 27, pops up at the front of the stage to launch into her verse, while wearing an all-black look to contrast her duet partner's.

The pair eventually join forces on stage as the lights begin to flash and they trade off singing the song's lyrical thesis: "How do you feel being a girl?" they sing while looking at each other, eventually embracing as they finish the song.

"Make some noise!" XCX says, before hugging Lorde at the end of the set.

Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.

Shortly after the Brat album debuted in June, XCX courted fan speculation with album cut "Girl, So Confusing," a chronicle of her turbulent entanglement in a chaotic web of emotion with another entertainer. In the original track, XCX sings about her perception that the other woman wanted to watch her peer "falling over" and "failing," and recounted an instance in which the musicians made halfhearted plans to make music together amid "awkward" meetings.

Naturally, internet rumors swirled that the track was about Lorde — particularly after many interpreted XCX singing "[I] think you should come to my party and put your hands up" to her unnamed counterpart as a light nod to Lorde's "Team" lyrics, in which the New Zealand-born performer laments "getting told to throw my hands up in the air." Listeners further noted that Lorde was the likely subject after XCX included a bit in "Girl, So Confusing" that pointed out their similar appearances — namely, their hair, which XCX openly spoke about in an interview with Rolling Stone that included context about a 2014 on-camera moment (above) that saw a video host mistake XCX for Lorde.

On the remix, Lorde admitted that she was "speechless" to wake up to a raw voice note from XCX, in which she told her how she felt about their relationship. Lorde then vowed to "work it out on the remix" of the tune. "You always say, 'let's go out,' but then I cancel last minute. I was so lost in my head and scared to be in your pictures, because for the last couple years I've been at war with my body. I tried to starve myself thinner, then I gained all the weight back," Lorde sang. "I was trapped in a hatred and your life seemed so awesome. I never thought for a second my voice was in your head."

In addition to Lorde, XCX has released several other remixed Brat songs featuring notable guest stars, including Billie Eilish on "Guess" and Sivan on "Talk Talk."