Katy Perry Gave Taylor Swift A Pretty Backhanded Compliment On ‘American Idol’

On a per-episode basis, Katy Perry may be the most headline-grabbing judge in American Idol history. On her first episode last week, Perry planted a kiss on a contestant who really didn’t want one. The second episode of the new season aired yesterday, and again Perry found a way to raise some eyebrows: By maybe throwing some shade at Taylor Swift, with whom she has been feuding for quite some time now.

In the clip from the episode above, a contestant is asked, “Who do you look up to as an artist?” The musician, apparently knowing about the Swift-Perry beef, responds, “I’m sorry for this, Katy: Taylor Swift.”

“Oh, you don’t have to be sorry,” Perry responds before the contestant says, “I love Taylor Swift.” Katy has her own response — “I love her… as a songwriter, as well,” she says, before flashing a grin of her own. The clip cuts to the contestant cracking a big smile, then back to Perry, looking down, tilting her head to the side, and making a face that suggests that there’s more meaning to what she said than what’s on the surface.

Whether or not this feud is still going on, Perry at least seems willing to squash it: Last year, she said she would be willing to Facetime with Swift and get on good terms, saying, “By the way, I am ready because I think when women unite, the world is going to heal.”

Watch the American Idol clip above.