Katy Perry released her third single, “Swish Swish,” from upcoming album Witness late on Thursday night and it looks like it might just be the reaction to “Bad Blood” that she addressed in loose terms in an recent interview.
The song, which features rapper Nicki Minaj, takes clear shots at an unknown someone with lyrics like “Don’t you come for me/No, not today/You’re calculated/I got your number/’Cause you’re a joker/And I’m a courtside killer queen” and “funny my name keeps comin; outcha mouth/’Cause I stay winning.”
Given the fraught history between Perry and singer Taylor Swift, which includes a tiff over backup dancers, a mutual ex in John Mayer, some seemingly pointed tweets, and of course, Swift’s song “Bad Blood” that some fans see as a thinly veiled diss track towards Perry, “Swish Swish” could be read as the latest development in the pop princess feud of our time.
During a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Perry spoke about whether she addresses the supposed diss track on Witness. “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 general explanation.
“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 bears mentioning that Perry tapped Nicki Minaj as a collaborator, who had a public disagreement with Swift on Twitter following the MTV Video Music Awards nominations in 2015, an incident that prompted Perry to post the following tweet.
There was one person who appears to have read Perry’s lyrics as shots fired and that was Ruby Rose, Orange Is the New Black star, DJ, and a friend of Taylor Swift’s.
Rose took to her Twitter on early Friday morning to slam Perry and her song.
Rose did have compliments for collaborator Nicki Minaj, however.
Previously, Rose has publicly criticized Khloé Kardashian after a series of tweets related to Kim Kardashian West’s Snapchat reveal of Swift’s telephone conversation with Kanye West about his song “Famous.”
Listen to the song below.
- Florence Pugh Might Just Save the Movie Star From Extinction
- Why You Can't Remember That Taylor Swift Concert All Too Well
- What to Know About the History of the Debt Ceiling
- 10 Questions the Succession Finale Needs to Answer
- How Four Trans Teens Threw the Prom of Their Dreams
- Why Turkey’s Longtime Leader Is an Electoral Powerhouse
- The Ancient Roots of Psychotherapy
- Why Rich People Aren't Using Phone Cases
