Taylor Swift unleashed “Bad Blood,” the star-studded fourth video from her album “1989,” to kick off the 2015 Billboard Music Awards. Was it a triumph?
To be sure, it was explosive: Taylor plays a futuristic commando who tumbles out of skyscraper windows, fights with bad-ass enemies, and hangs with a group of superstar adventurers. Selena Gomez, Lena Dunham, and Cindy Crawford (!) number among them. Based on the sheer starpower at play, you'd expect the video to be six or seven minutes long. Strangely it wasn't, and that's the video's downfall: It's too top-heavy with marquee names and doesn't wow us beyond some cool outfits and gnarly special effects.
If the song is meant to be a rally against Swift's reported non-friend Katy Perry, it's kind of effective. Seemingly everyone who's been on the cover of “W” magazine is here, excepting Katy. I only wish Swift could've launched a few high kicks against Left Shark.
Make no mistake: “Bad Blood” is not lacking in fabulous moments. Here was our favorite breakout segment, a GIF-worthy strut from Mariska Hargitay and Ellen Pompeo.
#BadBloodMusicVideo has every twenty-something in existence and THIS was the moment that slayed me pic.twitter.com/7aoYGPM8i0
– Jarett Wieselman (@JarettSays) May 18, 2015
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What'd you think of Swift's much-hyped vid?