The Katy Perry-Taylor Swift feud (Long post)
Hey everyone, got bored and decided to revisit the Taylor-Katy feud. I based most of this post on two articles, this one and this one
2009
They apparently met in 2008, but their public interactions picked up steam in 2009.
In August, they get dinner together and we get the most staged pictures I’ve ever seen but slay I guess.
After the VMAs Kanye fiasco, Katy defends Taylor and calls her a kitten (?) in a tweet
A month later, Taylor attends Katy’s birthday party and tweets about how great it was
Just a reminder that at the end of this year is when Taylor allegedly started dating John Mayer.
2010
Just a reminder that at the beginning of this year is when Taylor allegedly broke up with John Mayer.
Katy invites Taylor to perform Hot n Cold with her at her tour stop in Los Angeles, giving us one of the top 10 most cursed videos on the internet
They have fun together at the Grammys
2011
They tweet each other about cats
2012
In August, Katy starts dating John Mayer, awks.
2013
Interview gets published with one of Katy’s (Taylor’s?) backup dancers. Originally Katy’s dancer, he agreed to join the Red tour, but when Katy started touring again he quit.
Obviously we were with Katy for two and a half years, she’s like family to us. So we were, like, ‘Absolutely’. We weren’t really dancing in Taylor’s tour anyway, so I had got a little bored and I really wanted to do a promo tour.
This interview gets pretty much ignored by everybody until…
2014
Before 1989 comes out, Taylor gives an interview to Rolling Stone and talks about Bad Blood, she says
For years, I was never sure if we were friends or not, she would come up to me at awards shows and say something and walk away, and I would think, ‘Are we friends, or did she just give me the harshest insult of my life?’ She did something so horrible. I was like, ‘Oh, we’re just straight-up enemies.’ And it wasn’t even about a guy! It had to do with business. She basically tried to sabotage an entire arena tour. She tried to hire a bunch of people out from under me. And I’m surprisingly non-confrontational – you would not believe how much I hate conflict. So now I have to avoid her. It’s awkward, and I don’t like it.
People start connecting the dots....
A day later Katy gives us the iconic Regina George in sheep's clothing tweet
2015
In May, the music video for Bad Blood comes out, there’s speculation that Selena’s character is based on Katy… Taylor and her model friends are trying to kill her :( feminism
A month later, it’s VMA’s nominations day! Bad Blood gets nominated for Best Music Video. Nicki Minaj doesn’t get nominated and tweets
If your video celebrates women with very slim bodies, you will be nominated for vid of the year
Taylor takes offense and responds in a now deleted tweet
I’ve done nothing but love & support you. It’s unlike you to pit women against each other. Maybe one of the men took your slot..
Nicki responds
Huh? U must not be reading my tweets. Didn't say a word about u. I love u just as much. But u should speak on this. @taylorswift13
Gagged her I fear...
Again, Taylor responds, in a now deleted tweet
If I win, please come up with me!! You’re invited to any stage I’m ever on.
Katy perry seeing this mess chimes in
Finding it ironic to parade the pit women against other women argument about as one unmeasurably capitalizes on the take down of a woman
Bonus: Camilla Belle, yes the Better Than Revenge girl, agrees with Katy’s tweet
@katyperry Couldn't have said it better…
In October, in a GQ Interview, Taylor says that there has been some misunderstandings about Bad Blood and her 1989 Rolling Stone interview
“You’re in a Rolling Stone interview, and the writer says, ‘Who is that song about? That sounds like a really intense moment from your life.’ And you sit there, and you know you’re on good terms with your ex-boyfriend, and you don’t want him – or his family – to think you’re firing shots at him. So you say, ‘That was about losing a friend.’ And that’s basically all you say. But then people cryptically tweet about what you meant. I never said anything that would point a finger in the specific direction of one specific person, and I can sleep at night knowing that. I knew the song would be assigned to a person, and the easiest mark was someone who I didn’t want to be labeled with this song. It was not a song about heartbreak. It was about the loss of friendship.”
2016
Katy releases a perfume called “Mad Love” lol
In July, the “This is what you came for” mess happens, Taylor is revealed as a writer, Calvin Harris freaks out, mentions Katy in one of his tweets
I know you’re off tour and you need someone new to try and bury like Katy ETC but I’m not that guy, sorry. I won’t allow it.
Millennial Katy Perry responds with a Hillary Clinton gif
In October, Katy goes to Kanye’s concert, posts a video singing “Famous”
Bonus: Apparently, both of them (plus John Mayer) were at Drake's birthday party, but didn’t interact.
2017
Before her Witness era, Katy is asked about Bad Blood in an interview, she responds
“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.”
Then, Swish-Swish comes out. Scary stuff.
On Jimmy Falon Katy says it’s not a diss track
I think it’s a great anthem for people to use whenever someone’s trying to hold you down or bully you
Katy goes on Carpool with James Corden and talks about the Taylor feud for the first time, here are some quotes
There’s a situation. Honestly, it’s really like she started it, and it’s time for her to finish it
It’s about backing dancers. I tried to talk to her about it and she wouldn’t speak to me.
I do the right thing any time it feels like a fumble. A full shutdown, and then she writes a song about me … that’s how you want to deal with it? Karma. There’s the law of cause and effect: you do something, there’s going to be a reaction.
In June, Katy gives another interview and talks about the feud again
I wish that I could turn the other cheek every single time, but I’m also not a pushover, you know? Especially when someone tries to assassinate my character with little girls. That’s so messed up!
Same day Witness drops, Taylor puts her entire catalog back on spotify lol
After Witness’ release, Katy does that crazy 72-hour livestream, talks about feud again
I forgive her and I’m sorry for anything I ever did, and I hope the same from her. I think it’s actually like, I think it’s time. There are bigger fish to fry, and there are real problems in the world. You know what I’m saying? And I love her, and I want the best for her. And I think she’s 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, ‘Yeah, well we can do this.’ I don’t know. Like maybe I don’t agree with everything she does and she doesn’t 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. There’s 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.
In August, Taylor releases Look What You Made Me Do, with the beat maybe (?) being sampled from a Mean Girls scene
Soon after, the Look What You Made Me Do music video premieres at the VMAs (Katy is presenting btw). Possible reference to Katy Perry: Taylor with a Witness era inspired haircut holding a Grammy… Katy has never won a Grammy :(
2018
In May, during the Reputation tour, Katy sends Taylor a LITERAL OLIVE BRANCH and a letter saying sorry. Taylor took a picture and posted on her Insta stories, you can read a bit of the letter
Hey old friend, I’ve been doing some reflecting on past miscommunications and the hurt feelings between us…deeply sorry…”
2019
In June, Katy posts friendship cookies on Instagram, tags Taylor. Taylor comments 13 (lol) pink hearts.
Couple days later, You Need to Calm Down video drops, Taylor realizes we all got crowns or whatever I’m tired
In September they both talk about becoming friends again
Katy on Ellen
It was really unfortunate, but we made amends and I’m all about redemption and forgiveness and for setting an example for those younger people that it can be cool to ask for forgiveness and confront someone that you may have an issue with or a problem with and talk it out.
Taylor on Rolling Stone
We were talking about our signs because we had this really, really long talk when we were reconnecting and stuff….We were talking about how we’ve had miscommunications with people in the past, not even specifically with each other. She’s like, ‘I’m a Scorpio. Scorpios just strike when they feel threatened…. And I was like, ‘Well, I’m an archer. We literally stand back, assess the situation, process how we feel about it, raise a bow, pull it back, and fire.
2020
In September, Katy’s daughter is born and Taylor sends her a cute hand-embroidered blanket, very cute
And that’s pretty much it, there are a few more interactions after this point but they are all nice and not very interesting so yeah that’s the Katy-Taylor feud. Was this about back-up dances? John Mayer? Competition over charts and sales? All of the above? Who knows I just miss the days when pop-stars would just feud on Twitter, fun times. Sorry about any mistakes, english is not my first language.