If you were anywhere near a radio in 2015, you couldn't escape it. That "stomp-stomp-clap" beat, the futuristic music video, and the sudden, sharp verses from Kendrick Lamar. It was a cultural reset. But looking back at the bad blood lyrics ft kendrick lamar, the song is more than just a catchy "nyah-nyah" playground taunt. It was a calculated, high-stakes collision between the biggest pop star on the planet and the most respected lyricist in hip-hop.
Most people remember the "Bad Blood" remix as the peak of the Taylor Swift vs. Katy Perry saga. Honestly, that’s only half the story. While the song definitely served as a "poison letter" to a former friend, Kendrick’s involvement changed the DNA of the track. He didn't just phone in a guest verse. He turned a repetitive pop anthem into a chart-topping juggernaut that gave him his first-ever Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The Story Behind the Bad Blood Lyrics ft Kendrick Lamar
The original version of "Bad Blood" appeared on Taylor’s 1989 album in 2014. It was... fine. Critics actually called it one of the weakest tracks on the record. It felt a bit thin, a bit petulant. Then, in May 2015, Taylor dropped the remix.
Kendrick Lamar’s verses added a layer of actual grit. He starts the track with a vibe-check: "I can't take it back, look where I'm at / We was on D like DOC, remember that?" He’s using hip-hop shorthand to talk about loyalty and history. "D" stands for defense; "DOC" refers to The D.O.C., a legendary West Coast figure. Right out of the gate, Kendrick is framing the "bad blood" not as a schoolyard spat, but as a deep, professional betrayal.
Taylor wrote the core of the song with Max Martin and Shellback after a "fellow female artist" (widely confirmed to be Katy Perry) allegedly tried to sabotage her arena tour by hiring away backup dancers. You can hear that bitterness in lines like:
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"Band-aids don't fix bullet holes / You say sorry just for show / If you live like that, you live with ghosts."
It’s harsh. It’s dramatic. It’s peak 2015 Taylor Swift.
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Why Kendrick?
Taylor was a massive Kendrick fan before they ever met. She famously posted a video of herself lip-syncing to his "Backseat Freestyle" to celebrate her album sales. When she reached out to him for the remix, he jumped on it. He later told Howard Stern that he just "vibed" with her lyrics. He finished his verses in just a few takes at a studio in L.A.
Funny enough, when Rolling Stone asked Kendrick in 2017 if he knew he was jumping into the middle of a massive pop beef, he claimed he was totally unaware. He was just there for the music. Or the paycheck. Or both.
Breakdown of the Remix Lyrics
The remix differs significantly from the album version. Producer Ilya Salmanzadeh stripped away most of Taylor's original verses to make room for Kendrick’s two massive contributions.
- The "Backseat Freestyle" Easter Egg: Kendrick actually references his own work in the second verse. He raps, "It was my season for battle scars, I better cast / Overlapping, the vulturous, the projects and the glass." It’s a nod to the "battle scars" line in his previous hits, linking his own narrative of struggle to Taylor’s narrative of betrayal.
- The "Mad Love" Flip: The chorus is the hook that won’t leave your head. "’Cause baby, now we got bad blood / You know it used to be mad love." Kendrick plays with this in his verses, questioning how things got so "rusted" when they used to be "shiny."
- The Ending: The way Kendrick delivers the final lines—"You forgive, you forget, but you never let it... go!"—became a staple of The Eras Tour. Fans scream those words back at Taylor every night. It’s a moment of catharsis.
Did it Actually Work?
Oh, it worked. The song jumped from Number 53 to Number 1 in a single week. It broke Vevo records. It won a Grammy nomination.
But not everyone was a fan. Some critics felt the collaboration was "musical clickbait"—a way for Taylor to get "street cred" and for Kendrick to get a pop hit. Drake even tried to use this collaboration as ammunition against Kendrick during their 2024 feud, rapping that Kendrick had to "drop and give him fifty" for a Taylor Swift verse.
Despite the haters, the bad blood lyrics ft kendrick lamar remain a fascinating artifact. In 2023, Taylor even had Kendrick come back into the studio to re-record his verses for 1989 (Taylor’s Version). She called the experience "surreal and bewildering," showing that even nearly a decade later, the "mad love" for this collaboration is still there.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Listeners
- Listen to the Production: If you have good headphones, listen to the 2015 remix vs. the 2023 Taylor’s Version. The drums are heavier in the re-record, influenced by modern trap styles.
- Check the References: Look up Kendrick’s "Backseat Freestyle" to see how he pulls his own history into Taylor’s world. It makes the verse feel much more intentional.
- Context Matters: The song hits differently when you realize it’s about business sabotage (tour dancers) rather than a breakup. It’s a song about professional integrity, not just "boy problems."
The reality is that "Bad Blood" changed how pop-rap collaborations were handled. It wasn't just a rap bridge tacked onto the end; it was a total reimagining of the song's soul.