Bad Blood has an intentional history before reaching your ears. The song is written by Taylor Swift with close collaboration with the Swedish songwriters and producers, Shellback and Max Martin. It was recorded by Michael Ilbert at the MXM studio in Stockholm, Sweden, and Sam Holland at the Conway in Los Angeles. The song was part of the fifth album 1989, released in 2014. Furthermore, before release, Bad Blood was mixed at the Mixstar Studios in Virginia Beach by Serban Ghenea. Swift’s album is filled with upbeat and hip-hop songs that stole the hearts of her loyal fans.
How to Download Taylor Swift – Bad Blood ft. Kendrick Lamar
You can download Bad Blood from a digital music store. Click on the Download button at the end of this review.
The Song Review
Bad Blood by Taylor Swift – the Lyrics
Bad Blood is a song about bad blood between Taylor Swift and another female artist. The singer implies an unnamed fellow female vocalist attempted to hire the same people working on the Taylor Swift tour. It was allegedly Katy Perry, but no sources have confirmed tensions between the ex-friends.
The unnamed female decided to poach Swift’s backup dancer to delay her tour. The alleged female artist was very close to Swift at the time. Therefore, the action hurt her more. Swift decided the pain would not go away unnoticed and wrote a song about it. She hopes people who have suffered from betrayal can relate to the music.
The chorus is filled with repetitive lyrics, “Now we got bad blood. You know it used to be mad love.” She questions herself for letting someone so close to her when Taylor says, “These kinda wounds, they last and they last.”
It appears the wounds are every lasting in “Band-Aids don’t fix bullet holes / You say sorry just for show.”
However, it is somewhat confirmed the singer in question was Katy Perry. The two artists fell apart unexpectedly without any apparent reason. Taylor decides to release the song on her arena tour when a few dancers abandon Swift’s tour to join Katy’s performances. Therefore, it is evident the sudden quitting of the backup dancers is the inspiration to the song.
As for the featured performance, the original version did not contain a performance by Kendrick Lamar. Unfortunately, the original version was not well-received by the music critics. However, the remixed version with Kendrick Lamar received endless praises. As a result, Bad Blood was the tenth most listened-to song in 2015.
Bad Blood by Taylor Swift – the Video
The music video mimics the same feud-like scenario where actors play Taylor Swift and her ex-friend. Swift is played by Catastrophe, and Karlie Kloss plays the best friend. Joseph Khan takes the credit for forcing Taylor to push out her real feelings to convey pain.
Bad Blood music video also features appearances from Hailee Steinfeld, Mariska Hargitay, Ellen Pompeo, Selena Gomez, and Gigi Hadid. These names are not average names. These are pop icons, and supermodels whose ability to influence young minds is unmatched. Swifts invited everyone to make cameos in the video for a united front.
She showcases her support system and is not afraid to stand up for herself if someone dares to betray her. We also see Catastrophe and Arsyn eliminate men in suits who are seen as threats. When Arsyn pushes Catastrophe out of a high-rise building window, the story takes a turn. She falls to the ground, weak and hurt. This is where Catastrophe invites her friends to fight against the hypocrites. The ultimate female force is ready to rule the world.
Betrayal Makes You Stronger
If you have been wronged by someone close to you, the song will make you feel less isolated. Betrayal is a harsh truth of the world we are significantly less accustomed to. Therefore, if you are going through similar circumstances, it might be helpful to talk to someone. Believe in yourself, just like we believe in you!