The feud between Taylor Swift and Katy Perry started around 2013 and involved a dispute over backup dancers. Taylor alleged that Katy had "sabotaged" her tour by hiring dancers who were originally working with Taylor. The tension escalated with subtle jabs in their respective music and interviews. In 2018, Katy extended an olive branch by sending Taylor an actual olive branch and a note, signaling a reconciliation. Since then, they've publicly expressed their friendship, with Katy even appearing in Taylor's music video, signaling the end of their feud.
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Things appear to be more than fine between burgeoning young pop princesses Swift and Perry â you might even call it a mad love affair. In a now-deleted tweet reported by People, Swift shares how much she loves Perryâs âWaking Up in Vegasâ video â so much that she wants to hang a poster of the âI Kissed a Girlâ singer on her wall. Perry responds by extending an invitation to write a song together âabout the subject we know bestâ for an upcoming album.
Things continue to be friendly and mutually flattering between the two in the months following, judging from a glowing social media exchange in which Perry made plans to catch up with Swift at the MTV Video Music Awards after the latter tweeted a photo at her.
During the VMAs, Perry takes Swiftâs side in a tweet after Kanye West jumps onto the stage and commandeers her âBest Female Videoâ acceptance speech with his now infamous lines, âYo, Taylor, Iâm really happy for you and Imma let you finish, but BeyoncĂŠ had one of the best videos of all time. One of the best videos of all time!â
Swift tweets about Perryâs epic birthday party (which she attended), adding an affectionate âHappy bday, pretty girl!!â to an already effusive post about the event.
Perry graces Swiftâs stage during a stop in Los Angeles for an surprise duet performance of her hit âHot N Cold.â In a now-deleted tweet, People reported that Swift wrote, âSurprise guest at Staples Center: @katyperry!! We sang Hot N Cold and jumped up and down a lot. Katy! LA! I will always love you!â
The lovefest continues online nearly a year later when Perry replies to Swiftâs tweet about her new cat, Meredith. Swift responds that she misses Perry in a now-deleted tweet, reports People.
A seemingly innocuous interview with a dancer named Lockhart Brownlie is published by Australiaâs The Examiner ; however, Swifties and KatyCats alike point to this interview as the Rosetta Stone of making sense of how the two might have fallen out.
According to Brownlie â who toured with Perry for her California Dreams world tour in 2011 and was a part of her Piece of Me documentary â he and two of Perryâs other former dancers left Swiftâs Red tour to join Perry for her Prism tour. Brownlieâs justification is that he was closer to Perry and that he wasnât dancing much on Swiftâs tour.
âObviously we were with Katy for two and a half years, sheâs like family to us,â he said. âSo we were, like, âAbsolutelyâ. We werenât really dancing in Taylorâs tour anyway, so I had got a little bored and I really wanted to do a promo tour.â
In a Rolling Stone interview, Swift reveals that her song âBad Blood,â off her upcoming album 1989, is about a female musical artist who she wonât name, who âtried to sabotageâ her tour by hiring people on her staff. From there, onlookers draw a straight line to Brownlieâs account of leaving the Red tour for Perryâs Prism tour.
In case anyone had any doubt which âunnamed female artistâ Perry believed Swift was referring to, Perry sends out a cryptic tweet â referring to Rachel McAdamsâ bullying character in Mean Girls â the day after the article is published.
Swift debuts âBad Bloodâ and its accompanying music video, featuring her âsquadâ of very famous, very good-looking friends. The songâs lyrics are widely interpreted as Swiftâs narrative about how her relationship with Perry went awry. Additionally, many fans point out that Selena Gomezâs appearance in the music video was similar to Perryâs look at the time.
The MTV VMAs present a source of conflict for Swift yet again, but this time with a different entertainer. After Nicki Minaj took to her Twitter to sound off about not getting a nomination for her âFeeling Myselfâ video with BeyoncĂŠ and not receiving a âVideo of the Yearâ nomination for her viral hit âAnaconda,â Swift reads Minajâs tweets about the underlying racism towards women of color as a personal affront.
Swift accuses Minaj of pitting women against each other in a now-deleted tweet that TIME reported on which read: âIâve done nothing but love & support you. Itâs unlike you to pit women against each other. Maybe one of the men took your slot..â
While Minaj and Swift settle their differences over the next couple of days, Perry weighs in with a subliminal tweet that uses the term that Swift used against Minaj.
While Minaj and Swift reconcile, itâs worth noting that Minaj sends a supportive tweet in response to Perryâs cryptic message.
A few days after the incident, one of Swiftâs backup dancers appears to be dressed like, and possibly mocking, the viral âleft sharkâ from Perryâs Superbowl performance.
While Minaj and Swift reconcile, itâs worth noting that Minaj sends a supportive tweet in response to Perryâs cryptic message.
A few days after the incident, one of Swiftâs backup dancers appears to be dressed like, and possibly mocking, the viral âleft sharkâ from Perryâs Superbowl performance.
While she doesnât attend the Grammy Awards ceremony herself in 2016, Perry throws a pre-Grammys bash with Spotify. When asked by the The New York Times whether or not Swift will attend, Perry responds by confirming that an invite was extended and âitâs just up to their schedules,â an apparent move of goodwill on her part. (Itâs worth noting that Swift infamously pulled her music from Spotify, which could also explain, at least in part, her reported absence from the party.)
Perry releases a new perfume, which she names âMad Love;â some fans see this as a backhanded reference to Swiftâs diss track âBad Blood,â the chorus of which is âBaby, now we got bad blood/you know we used to be mad love.â
After it comes to light that Swift co-wrote âThis Is What You Came For,â her ex-boyfriend Calvin Harrisâ hit with Rihanna, Harris takes to his Twitter to criticize Swift in a series of now-deleted tweets, as well as her relationship with new beau (and now ex) Tom Hiddleston.
Things get more explicit, however, when he references the then-alleged feud between Swift and Perry, writing, âI know youâre off tour and you need someone new to try and bury like Katy ETC but Iâm not that guy, sorry. I wonât allow it.â
In response, Perry merely tweeted a GIF of Hillary Clinton (who she campaigned for during the 2016 election) to express how she was feeling â apparently some variation on âI told you soâ â and retweeted a tweet she had written over a year prior.
When queried by a fan as to whether or not she would collaborate with Swift, Perry responds by saying that she would if Swift apologizes.
While attending Kanye Westâs concert, Perry snaps herself dancing to âFamousâ as West raps lyrics referencing Swift, which she condemned.
Ahead of the release of her album Witness, Perry touches on her alleged feud with Swift in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. When asked if the project will respond to âBad Blood,â her answer is vague.
âOne thing to note is: You canât mistake kindness for weakness and donât come for me,â she said. âAnyone. Anyone. Anyone. Anyone. And thatâs not to any one person and donât quote me that it is, because itâs not. Itâs 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 donât forget about that, okay, honey.â
A week later, Perry drops âSwish Swish,â an apparent diss track to Swift that enlists Nicki Minaj, whose beef of her own with Remy Ma made her a prime candidate to be on a track about a longtime feud. Itâs also worth noting that Perry chose to collaborate with Minaj, who previously sparred with Swift in 2016 over VMA nominations.
A few days after Roseâs tweets, Perry appears on âCarpool Karaokeâ with James Corden, where she addresses the feud head-on.
âShe started it,â Perry said. âAnd itâs time for her to finish it. I tried to talk to her about it, and she wouldnât speak to me. I do the right thing any time it feels like a fumble. [I got] a full shutdown, and then she writes a song about me [âBad Bloodâ]⌠thatâs how you want to deal with it? Karma. Thereâs the law of cause and effect: you do something, thereâs going to be a reaction. Trust me daddy, thereâs gonna be a reaction.â
The day before Perryâs album drops on June 9, she reveals in an interview with NME that aside from âSwish Swish,â she still has more to say about her feud with Swift. âNo one has asked me about my side of the story, and there are three sides of every story: one, two, and the truth,â she said. âI mean, Iâm not Buddha â things irritate me. I wish that I could turn the other cheek every single time, but Iâm also not a pushover, you know? Especially when someone tries to assassinate my character with little girls [her fans]. Thatâs so messed up!â
The same day, Swift announces that she is celebrating 1989 selling over 10 million copies worldwide and receiving the 100 million song certification from the RIAA by returning to streaming services. But Swift returns her back catalogues to streaming services on the same day as Perryâs album launch, driving the internet wild.
Following the release of Witness, Perry hosts a 72 hour livestream, during which she does an interview with Arianna Huffington for her Thrive podcast. In the interview, Perry expresses a desire to forgive Swift and move on.
âI am ready to let it go,â she said. âI forgive her and Iâm sorry for anything I ever did, and I hope the same from her. I think itâs actually like, I think itâs time. There are bigger fish to fry, and there are real problems in the world. You know what Iâm saying? And I love her, and I want the best for her. And I think sheâs a fantastic songwriter, and I think that, you know, if we, both her and I, can be representatives of strong women that come together despite their differences, I think the whole world is going to go like, âYeah, well we can do this.â I donât know. Like maybe I donât agree with everything she does and she doesnât agree with everything I do, but I just really truly want to come together in a place of love and forgiveness and understanding and compassion. Thereâs a lot of other things out there in the world that people need to be focused on, and I truly, like, God bless her on her journey. God bless her.â
The same day, Perry does an interview with the Today Show where she insists that âSwish Swishâ isnât âabout anyone in particular.â
The livestream concludes with Swift giving an outdoor concert for her fans. During the concert, she performs âSwish Swish,â but changes the lyrics of the first line from âDonât you come for me,â to âGod bless you on your journey, oh baby girl.â
In an interview with Australiaâs The Today Show, Perry doubles down on her desire to make amends with Swift by stating that she loves her despite their differences. âI love her, I always have,â she said. âWeâve had our differences but I just continue to say, âGod bless her on her journey.'â
However, some people see it as an affront to Swift when Perry teams up with Swiftâs ex Calvin Harris on âFeels.â
Perry drops her Space Jam-inspired music video for âSwish Swishâ a day after Swift announces the release date and reveals the art for her new album, Reputation. Coincidence? With these two, who knows.
The next day, Swift drops the first single off Reputation, a song called âLook What You Made Me Do.â Fans pointed to lyrics and a beat that seemingly reference scenes in the movie Mean Girls as possible shots to Perry, who had previously sent a tweet referencing the character Regina George.
At the MTV Video Music Awards, which is being hosted by Katy Perry, the music video for âLook What You Made Me Doâ debuts. While the video contains plenty of shots at those who Taylor feels have attacked her reputation, Swift appears to impersonate Perry in one scene with a similar haircut and by wearing leopard print with a pet leopard (a veiled reference to Perryâs fans who are called âKaty Catsâ); she also holds a Grammy award, which some think points to the fact that Swift has won multiple Grammys, while Perry hasnât won any despite multiple nominations. Later, Perry makes a cheeky reference to Taylor Swiftâs zombie-like persona in her new music video during a monologue as the host.
Taylor Swift releases her long-anticipated album Reputation and while the bulk of the songs center around her love life, her song âThis Is Why We Canât Have Nice Thingsâ includes a closing lyric that could reference Perryâs vocal address of their longtime association. Additionally, Taylor released two zines to accompany the album, one of which revealed that the extras in the âLook What You Made Me Doâ video during the paparazzi scene (where many Swifties felt that Taylorâs persona bore a striking similarity to Perry) were dancers from her 1989 tour, in what might be a sneaky wink at how it all began.
A contestant on American Idol apologizes before telling judge Katy Perry that his musical idol is Taylor Swift, going so far as to say: âI love Taylor Swift.â Perry responds by praising Taylorâs musical talent, which many interpret as shade. âOh, you donât have to be sorry, I love her as a songwriter as well.â
Perry doubles down on her various statements that she wants to end the feud with Taylor Swift by sending Swift a literal olive branch and a handwritten note ahead of Swiftâs first concert for her Reputation tour, which Swift shared on her Instagram story on Tuesday, May 8. Swift captioned the video âThank you Katy.â
More than a year after Perryâs olive branch gesture, she posts an Instagram picture of a plate of cookies with the words, âpeace at lastâ written on the plate in frosting. In the caption to the image, Perry writes âfeels goodâ and tags Taylor Swiftâs Instagram handle. In the comments, Swift replies with a comment of her own, a bunch of pink emoji hearts. for Perryâs presence at Swiftâs notorious Fourth of July festivities if theyâre coming back.
Less than a week later, Perry has a cameo in Swiftâs music video for âYou Need to Calm Down.â The celebrity-studded video is a call for inclusivity, and Swift ends the video with a hugging reunion between Perry, dressed in her show-stopping Met Gala after party burger look (and yes, it fulfilled all the requirements to be camp), and Swift, dressed as a box of fries. Since media coverage of their complicated association peaked with the âBad Bloodâ music video, it seems only appropriate that it resolved with a music video of its own.
In an interview with BBC Radio after the music video debuted, Swift explained that she asked Perry to make a cameo in the video after the two reconciled.
âWhen I thought of this concept for the video, and I wrote the treatment, I thought of this idea and was like, Iâm just going to ask her if sheâd be interested in this, but I would be totally fine if sheâd rather keep it private and keep it between us,â she said. âBut I sent it to her and she was like, âI would love for us to be a symbol of redemption and forgiveness.â And I feel the same way about it.â
Perry officially addresses her truce with Swift during an interview on KIIS 1065âs âThe Kyle and Jackie O Show.â During the interview, Perry revealed that she came to the realization that she and Swift have much more in common than she previously thought, which is why she sent her an olive branch ahead of the Reputation tour.
âI just thought, you know, she was about to embark on something new and big and needed the support,â Perry said. âAnd truly, it was like, as I was finishing [my tour], I realized how much we have in common. And maybe thereâs only five other people in the world that can have the same type of conversations and understand where weâre coming from, and that we should celebrate our commonality and our friendship and to be able to be there for each other.â
Perry said that they had been running in the same social circles, so she asked for Swiftâs number, which eventually led to Perry appearing in the music video for âYou Need to Calm Down.â She noted that she had one stipulation for her appearance in the video: she wanted to cuddle Swiftâs new cat, Benjamin Button. It was during this visit that the âPeace at Lastâ cookies were presented.