Ever since Taylor Swift revealed that “Bad Blood” was written about another female artist, some speculated that Katy Perry was the subject in question.
“She basically tried to sabotage an entire arena tour. She tried to hire a bunch of people out from under me,” Swift told Rolling Stone of the unnamed foe in 2014, leading some to believe she was referencing her and Perry’s shared backup dancers.
Perry has never directly responded to Swift’s song or subsequent comments. However, during a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, the “Chained to the Rhythm” artist spoke about whether she addresses the supposed diss track on her upcoming album. “I think [my new album is] a very empowered record,” she said. “There is no one thing that’s calling out any one person.”
Perry continued by offering a somewhat ambiguous answer to the question.
One thing to note is: You can’t mistake kindness for weakness and don’t come for me. Anyone. Anyone. Anyone. Anyone. And that’s not to any one person and don’t quote me that it is, because it’s not. It’s not about that. Honestly, when women come together and they decide to unite, this world is going to be a better place. Period end of story. But, let me say this: Everything has a reaction or a consequence so don’t forget about that, okay, honey. We got to keep it real, honey. This record is not about anyone else! This record is about me being seen and heard so that I can see and hear everyone else! It’s not even about me! It’s about everything that I see out there that I digest. I think there’s a healing in it for me and vulnerability. If people want to connect and be healed and feel vulnerable and feel empowered and strong, God bless and here it is.
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Write to Megan McCluskey at megan.mccluskey@time.com