Reviewed by Ramona Prioleau

The video for the chart-topping “Bad Blood,” a song by Taylor Swift that features Kendrick Lamar, was released in May of 2015. Set in a fictional London, the video features Swift, Lamar and a huge ensemble cast consisting of musicians and models in Swift’s “squad,” in a hyper-stylized, action heavy music video. All of the artists featured have a code-name they picked out themselves, and each of them have their own moments, all of which are reminiscent of scenes from a Mission Impossible or James Bond film.

Part of the fun, or maybe all of the fun, with “Bad Blood” is picking out all the cameo appearances. Because of this, it’s worth it to see them all listed out: Selena Gomez, Lena Dunham, Hailee Steinfeld, Gigi Hadid, Ellie Goulding, Martha Hunt, Cara Delevingne, Zendaya, Hayley Williams, Lily Aldridge, Karlie Kloss, Jessica Alba, Mariska Hargitay, Ellen Pompeo, and Cindy Crawford all make appearances in the video, and it’s their inclusion that makes the video what it is. For fashion and music fans alike, it’s a whole who’s who.

But there’s something else that makes “Bad Blood” special. It’s just so damn fun. You can tell that the reason so many of these women agreed to work on the project was because it seemed like a blast, and even though the song and video are based on a “beef” or argument, it’s clear that Taylor and her gang are just enjoying themselves. Their fun is infectious too, and the silly, campy vibe of the whole video is simply a joy. It’s also notable that Lamar is the only man featured, almost as if there’s an element of “Bad Blood” that involves these women taking back these action-oriented roles typically reserved for men. Of course, we know Lamar knows a little something, something about bad blood diss tracks.

“Bad Blood” is silly, pop-culture fun. It’s not groundbreaking, it’s not particularly artistic, but it was novel enough upon release to see such a star-studded, elaborate music video. It’s worth a re-watch too if for no other reason than to see just how much some of the guest-stars have blown up in popularity themselves in the years since the video release. M

May 2024