Taylor Swift's 'Bad Blood' Music Video: All The Models, Musicians And Stars Featured
Taylor Swift’s hotly anticipated music video for “Bad Blood,” the fourth single off her chart-topping album “1989” made its debut yesterday, opening up for last night’s Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas. Though the song is about a falling out with a former friend in the music industry (rumored to be Katy Perry), the futuristic dystopian music video directed by Joseph Kahn and produced by Swift features several cameos by Swift’s real-life best friends, role models, and friends-who-are-models.
Here’s the rundown of who’s still in Swift’s good graces and made the cut for "Bad Blood":
Selena Gomez
Sporting a short bob-haircut, 22 year-old Gomez is nearly unrecognizable. Gomez, an actress and singer in her own right, got her start as an actress on the Disney Channel. In the video, Gomez’ character, Arsyn, double-crosses Swift’s character, Catastrophe. Swift and Gomez have been friends for several years, and Swift was reportedly part of Gomez’s support system after her high-profile split from fellow pop-star Justin Bieber.
Lena Dunham
The 29-year-old writer and actress Lena Dunham first became friends with Swift through Twitter, when the pop star tweeted about being a fan of HBO television show “Girls,” which Dunham produces and stars in. In an interview with the Guardian last year, Swift credited Dunham for her recent “feminist awakening.” Additionally Dunham’s boyfriend, musician and producer Jack Antonoff, was also a producer and co-writer of several tunes on Swift’s critically acclaimed “1989,” including a bonus song written about Antonoff and Dunham’s relationship called “You Are In Love.”
Kendrick Lamar
Rapper Kendrick Lamar’s cameo and guest verses on the new remixed version of track were perhaps the most surprising contribution to the video. Lamar, 27, reached mainstream success with his album “good kid, m.A.A.d city” in 2012 but was popular within the genre prior to that. Swift told Rolling Stone that Lamar’s song “Backseat Freestyle” has been a go-to favorite for her for going “from feeling victimized to feeling awesome,” even posting an Instagram video of her lip-synching to the song. In exchange, Lamar gave a nod to Swift’s talent during an interview with Fader. “Shout out to Taylor Swift,” he said. “I enjoy great music outside of my own music all the time, so I definitely can see where she's coming from when she says that she listens to the record, and it's a great thing for her to acknowledge that and put that good energy out into the world like that." Swift is also a fan of his newest album, “To Pimp A Butterfly,” which dropped earlier this year.
Serayah McNeill
The triple threat singer-model-actress found her break starring as Tiana Brown on FOX’s hit TV show, "Empire." Though Serayah stars in Taylor Swift’s video as Dilemma, McNeill will likely be making music videos of her own soon. The multi-talented powerhouse already has original music in the works, according to her Soundcloud page, and has the support of one of the world’s biggest pop stars.
Gigi Hadid
Gigi Hadid is one of the fashion industry’s most sought-after supermodels and is one of several models in Swift’s clique. At just 20 years old, the American-Palestinian model has appeared in shoots for Sports Illustrated, Guess, and Tom Ford, as well as several fashion magazines and has walked the runway for designers such as Jean Paul Gaultier and Chanel. In an interview with Glamour UK, she dubbed Hadid one of her “women of tomorrow.”
Ellie Goulding
Goulding, a 28-year-old British pop star, has been spotted with Swift at award shows and parties. The two artists have even shared the stage: At her Los Angeles show at the Staples Center in 2013 during the Red Tour for her previous album, Taylor invited Ellie on stage to sing Goulding’s hit song “Anything Could Happen.”
Martha Hunt
At 26, Martha Hunt was just signed as one of Victoria’s Secret’s newest Angel supermodels. Swift told Glamour magazine she first noticed Hunt when she modeled for clothing brand Free People and says her new title as Angel matches the kind of person she is in real life.
Cara Delevigne
The 22-year old British super model-actress has distinguished herself in the industry not only as a model, but also as a style icon and personality. Delevigne can be seen on the covers of Vogue magazine, runways, and snapping selfies to her massive social media following. She has also been spotted frequently with good friends like Swift all over the world.
Zendaya Coleman
Zendaya cut her teeth in the business as a Disney star, but quickly broke out of the mold after releasing her own music and made a big splash as a contestant and runner-up on the ABC reality show “Dancing With The Stars.” Taylor also named Zendaya as one of her “women of tomorrow,” saying she was impressed with the way she handled herself after criticism about her looks when she attended the Oscars.
Hayley Williams
The red-headed lead singer of Grammy-winning pop-rock band Paramore was actually introduced to Taylor thanks to Swift’s mom, Andrea. According to an interview with MTV, Williams says the two first met in 2008 at a Grammy party after being introduced and began hanging out together in Nashville not long after that.
Hailee Steinfeld
“She brings natural instincts and subtle sophistication to the screen,” Swift says of the 18 year-old actress in Glamour. The actress, who landed a part in "Pitch Perfect 2," was already an Oscar-nominated talent at 14. Steinfeld got her start in the Coen brothers’ version of "True Grit," where she starred alongside Josh Brolin and Jeff Bridges. “I know there’s so much more to come from her,” Swift said.
Lily Aldridge
For Swift, Aldridge is a hybrid role model and supermodel. To the public, the 29 year-old model is one of the faces of Victoria’s Secret, but her role as a working mother is what impresses Swift the most. “She balances being one of the busiest career women in the world with being her little girl’s best friend, doting mother, favorite playmate and constant companion,” Swift told Glamour UK, noting Aldridge as one of 10 women who changed her life. “I look at her and see the best-case scenario for how I’d hope to be if I ever had children.”
Karlie Kloss
“Karlie is pure sunshine, and anyone who has met her would tell you that,” Swift says of Kloss, who she also included as one of 10 women who changed her life. The two met at one of Kloss’ fashion shows for Victoria’s Secret where Swift was performing, and they have been inseparable since. Most recently, the model and musician and self-described “BFFs” shared the cover of Vogue.
Jessica Alba
At 34, Alba is an actress, mother, entrepreneur -- and now a video girl. Swift’s “Bad Blood” music video took inspiration from Frank Miller’s neo-noir series “Sin City,” in which Jessica Alba starred. Alba revived her former “Sin City” character in the similarly noir-aesthetic music video as Domino.
Mariska Hargitay & Ellen Pompeo
Swift is a big fan of NBC’s “Law & Order: SVU,” where Hargitay, 50, stars as Detective Olivia Benson, and ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy,” where Pompeo, 45, stars as Dr. Meredith Grey -- so much so that she even named her two cats Olivia and Meredith after the two fictional characters.
Cindy Crawford
Considering the number of supermodels cast in the video, it makes sense that the mother of all supermodels be featured. At 49, Crawford still stuns as an international celebrity who has had roles on television, movies and as a spokesperson.
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