"Bad Blood" is the eighth track from American singer and songwriter Taylor Swift's fifth studio album, 1989, released on October 14, 2014, through Big Machine Records. A version of the song featuring Kendrick Lamar became the fourth single from the album on May 17, 2015. It is also the eighth track from Swift's fourth re-recorded album, 1989 (Taylor's Version), released on October 27, 2023, through Republic Records. The re-record of the Kendrick Lamar remix is the twenty-second track on the digital deluxe edition of 1989 (Taylor's Version), released a few hours after the standard album.
Background[]
The song is rumored to be about Katy Perry "stealing" three of Swift's backup dancers. Someone in Perry's camp told the gossip site TMZ that the dancers worked for Perry first, and they only joined Swift's tour because Perry was on a break. The dancers reportedly arranged contracts with a 30-day out so they could rejoin Perry later, but when they tried to give notice, Swift allegedly "fired them on the spot." The drama was confirmed over in 2018 when Perry sent an olive branch to Swift on the opening night of the Reputation Stadium Tour, and the two were seen together later in 2019 when Perry appeared in the music video for "You Need to Calm Down" dressed as a burger. Taylor appeared dressed as fries in the same scene to match Katy's outfit.
Critical reception[]
"Bad Blood" peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, after being released as a single, making it Taylor's third number one and fourth top ten song from 1989, and her fourth number one overall. Preceding the remix featuring Kendrick Lamar, the original track had peaked at number fifty three.
Music video[]
The music video for "Bad Blood" was directed by Joseph Kahn and produced by Taylor Swift. It features an all-star cast including Selena Gomez, Gigi Hadid, Paramore's Hayley Williams, Kendrick Lamar, Lily Aldridge, and other friends of Swift's. Each cast member got to choose their own character name and theme.
The video broke Vevo's 24-hour viewing record by accumulating 20.1 million views in its first day of release, beating the 19.6 million 24-hour record previously held by Nicki Minaj for the music video of her song, "Anaconda," in 2014. The video premiered during the 2015 Billboard Music Awards on May 17, 2015.
Fans could tell that the "villain" of the video, Arsyn, very closely resembled a look that Katy Perry once wore.
Cast[]
- Arsyn (Selena Gomez)
- Welvin da Great (Kendrick Lamar)
- Lucky Fiori (Lena Dunham)
- The Trinity (Hailee Steinfeld)
- Dilemma (Serayah McNeill)
- Slay-Z (Gigi Hadid)
- Destructa X (Ellie Goulding)
- Homeslice (Martha Hunt)
- Mother Chucker (Cara Delevingne)
- Cut-Throat (Zendaya)
- The Crimson Curse (Hayley Williams)
- Frostbyte (Lily Aldridge)
- Knockout (Karlie Kloss)
- Domino (Jessica Alba)
- Justice (Mariska Hargitay)
- Luna (Ellen Pompeo)
- Headmistress (Cindy Crawford)
Posters[]
Faux movie posters were made for the release of the music video.
Behind the scenes[]
Multiple behind the scenes clips were posted to Swift's Instagram following the release of the music video.
Re-recording[]
Bad Blood, along with "Message in a Bottle," was featured in DC's League of Super Pets. Dwayne Johnson confirmed that the version used in this film was the re-recording.[1] This seems to be the re-recorded version of the solo version from the album, 1989, rather than the feature with Kendrick Lamar. Before Taylor announced the re-recording of 1989 on August 2023, it was unclear if she was going to release the full version of the song to streaming services after the film release, like she did with the other promotional singles of the album. (listen)
The version with Kendrick Lamar was surprise-released on October 27, 2023. Despite the song not being labeled "(From The Vault)" on streaming services due to its original release in 2015, Taylor's website originally referred to it as a vault track in the product description. This issue was fixed by November 9, 2023.
Hidden message[]
Hidden message: She made friends and enemies.
This part of the hidden message storyline ties into the song well, because "Bad Blood" was written about Katy Perry. Their feud has since been resolved, ever since the opening night of the Reputation Stadium Tour, where Katy sent Taylor a woven basket with an olive branch to symbolize peace, and a letter with a sticker of Katy's dog, Nugget, on the envelope.
Lyrics[]
[Chorus]
'Cause, baby, now we've got bad blood
You know it used to be mad love
So, take a look what you've done
'Cause, baby, now we've got bad blood, hey!
Now we've got problems
And I don't think we can solve 'em
You made a really deep cut
And, baby, now we've got bad blood, hey!
[Verse 1]
Did you have to do this?
I was thinking that you could be trusted
Did you have to ruin what was shiny?
Now it's all rusted
Did you have to hit me where I'm weak?
Baby, I couldn't breathe
And rub it in so deep
Salt in the wound, like you're laughing right at me
[Pre-Chorus]
Oh, it's so sad to
Think about the good times
You and I
[Chorus]
'Cause, baby, now we've got bad blood
You know it used to be mad love
So, take a look what you've done
'Cause, baby, now we've got bad blood, hey!
Now we've got problems
And I don't think we can solve 'em
You made a really deep cut
And, baby, now we've got bad blood, hey!
[Verse 2]
Did you think we'd be fine?
Still got scars on my back from your knives
So, don't think it's in the past
These kinds of wounds, they last and they last
Now, did you think it all through?
All these things will catch up to you
And time can heal, but this won't
So, if you're coming my way
Just don't
[Pre-Chorus]
Oh, it's so sad to
Think about the good times
You and I
[Chorus]
'Cause baby, now we've got bad blood
You know it used to be mad love
So, take a look what you've done
'Cause, baby, now we've got bad blood, hey!
Now we've got problems
And I don't think we can solve 'em
You made a really deep cut
And, baby, now we've got bad blood, hey!
[Bridge]
Band-Aids don't fix bullet holes
You say, "Sorry" just for show
If you live like that, you live with ghosts
Band-Aids don't fix bullet holes
You say, "Sorry" just for show
If you live like that, you live with ghosts
If you love like that, blood runs cold
[Chorus]
'Cause, baby, now we've got bad blood
You know it used to be mad love
So take a look what you've done
'Cause, baby, now we've got bad blood, hey!
Now we've got problems
And I don't think we can solve 'em (Think we can solve 'em)
You made a really deep cut
And baby, now we've got bad blood, hey!
'Cause, baby, now we've got bad blood
You know it used to be mad love
So, take a look what you've done (Look what you've done)
'Cause, baby, now we've got bad blood, hey!
Now we've got problems
And I don't think we can solve 'em
You made a really deep cut
And, baby, now we've got bad blood, hey!
[Intro: Kendrick Lamar & Taylor Swift]
'Cause, baby, now we've got bad blood
You know it used to be mad love (Uh)
So, take a look what you've done (Uh)
āCause, baby, now we've got bad blood (Uh)
Hey (Hey)
[Verse 1: Kendrick Lamar]
I can't take it back, look where I'm at (Uh)
We was OG like D.O.C., remember that? (Remember that?)
My TLC was quite OD, ID my facts (ID my)
Now POV of you and me, similar Iraq
I don't hate you, but I hate to critique, overrate you
These beats of a dark heart, use basslines to replace you
Take time and erase you, love don't hear no more
No, I don't fear no more
Better yet, respect ain't quite sincere no more, ah!
[Pre-Chorus: Taylor Swift]
Oh, it's so sad to
Think about the good times
You and I
[Chorus: Kendrick Lamar & Taylor Swift]
'Cause, baby, now we've got bad blood
You know it used to be mad love
So, take a look what you've done
'Cause, baby, now we've got bad blood, hey!
Now we've got problems
And I don't think we can solve 'em (Uh)
You made a really deep cut (Uh)
And, baby, now we've got bad blood, hey! (Hey!)
[Verse 2: Kendrick Lamar]
Remember when you tried to write me off? (Uh-huh)
Remember when you thought I'd take a loss?
Don't you remember? You thought that I would need ya
Follow procedure, remember? Oh, wait, you got amnesia
It was my season for battle wounds
Battle scars, body bumped, bruised
Stabbed in the back; brimstone, fire jumping through
Still, all my life, I got money and power
And you gotta live with the bad blood now
[Pre-Chorus: Taylor Swift]
Oh, it's so sad to
Think about the good times
You and I
[Chorus: Taylor Swift]
'Cause, baby, now we've got bad blood
You know it used to be mad love
So, take a look what you've done
'Cause, baby, now we've got bad blood, hey!
Now we've got problems
And I don't think we can solve 'em
You made a really deep cut
And, baby, now we've got bad blood, hey!
[Bridge: Kendrick Lamar & Taylor Swift]
Band-Aids don't fix bullet holes
You say, "Sorry" just for show
If you live like that, you live with ghosts
You forgive, you forget, but you never let it go
Band-Aids don't fix bullet holes
You say, "Sorry" just for show
If you live like that, you live with ghosts (Uh, uh)
If you love like that, blood runs cold
[Chorus: Taylor Swift]
'Cause, baby, now we've got bad blood
You know it used to be mad love
So, take a look what you've done
'Cause, baby, now we've got bad blood, hey! (Bad blood)
Now we've got problems
And I don't think we can solve 'em (Think we can solve 'em)
You made a really deep cut
And, baby, now we've got bad blood, hey!
'Cause, baby, now we've got bad blood
You know it used to be mad love
So, take a look what you've done (Look what you've done)
'Cause, baby, now we've got bad blood, hey!
Now we've got problems
And I don't think we can solve 'em
You made a really deep cut
And, baby, now we've got bad blood, hey!
Lyric video[]
Taymoji pack[]
Awards and nominations[]
"Bad Blood" received 15 awards from 32 nominations.
Year | Organization | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2015 | American Music Awards | Collaboration of the Year | Nominated |
MTV Europe Music Awards | Best Song | Won | |
Best Video | Nominated | ||
Best Collaboration | Nominated | ||
NRJ Music Awards | Video of the Year | Won | |
Teen Choice Awards | Choice Break-Up Song | Won | |
Choice Music Collaboration | Won | ||
Choice Summer Song | Nominated | ||
Telehit Awards | Video of the Year | Won | |
UK Music Video Awards | Best Pop Video ā International | Won | |
Best Styling | Won | ||
2016 | American Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Song | Nominated |
Favorite Collaboration | Nominated | ||
BMI Pop Awards | Award-Winning Songs | Won | |
Publisher of the Year | Won | ||
Grammy Awards | Best Pop Duo/Group Performance | Nominated | |
Best Music Video | Won | ||
iHeartRadio Music Awards | Best Collaboration | Nominated | |
MTV Video Music Awards | Video of the Year | Won | |
Best Collaboration | Won | ||
Best Art Direction | Nominated | ||
Best Cinematography | Nominated | ||
Best Direction | Nominated | ||
Best Editing | Nominated | ||
Best Visual Effects | Nominated | ||
Song of the Summer | Nominated | ||
Much Music Video Awards | International Artist of the Year | Nominated | |
Most Buzzworthy International Artist or Group | Nominated | ||
Myx Music Awards | Favourite International Video | Won | |
People's Choice Awards | Favorite Song | Nominated | |
Radio Disney Music Awards | Song of the Year | Won | |
Best Breakup Song | Won |