Yes, Charli xcx has been meme-ified following the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards ceremony on Sunday (Sept. 27). But the memed expression in question, despite what you may have seen being claimed on social media, has nothing to do with Taylor Swift.
Amid X posts repurposing the Music, Fashion, Film artist’s pairing of subdued hand-to-knee applause with a decidedly inscrutable facial expression, some were quick to erroneously claim that the moment arrived while Swift was up on the stage at the Snoop Dogg-hosted ceremony. As previously reported, Swift won Video of the Year and was presented with the first-ever Artist Director Honors award on Sunday. Charli was up for four Moon Persons.
Charli’s 2024 BRAT track “Sympathy Is a Knife” was widely speculated to be about Swift, at least in part, though Charli herself has denied this. At any rate, the VMAs meme making the rounds right now most certainly does not feature a Swift-spurred reaction from Charli. It was actually captured while surviving Nirvana members were accepting this year’s Video Vanguard Award.
![Charli XCX - Wuthering Heights [VINYL LP] Black, Colored Vinyl, Green](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0638/2659/1966/files/2c9be9cd284a7544a225852fb9ef8b130f0333bf.png?v=1781557170&width=2048&quality=75)
![Charli XCX - BRAT [VINYL LP] Colored Vinyl, Gatefold LP Jacket](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0638/2659/1966/files/1ca9e05e03db6db327cc67af27d4404ce310c894.jpg?v=1781557170&width=2048&quality=75)
