Katy Perry has released the star-studded music video for “Swish Swish,” the third single from her latest album, Witness, just days after teasing that it would be the “hottest mess in history.”
Nicki Minaj, Game of Throne’s Hafþór Björnsson, Stranger Things’ Gaten Matarazzo, Glee‘s Jenna Ushkowitz, and viral stars Russell Horning “Backpack Kid” and Christine Sydelko are among the eclectic mix of celebrities who joined the pop star on the basketball court for the highly anticipated music video. Molly Shannon and Terry Crews also make special cameos as the teams’ coaches in the meme-ready clip.
? TUNE IN TO THE MOST ABSURD GAME OF THE CENTURY: ? vs. ? STARTS NOW❗#SWISHSWISH ?https://t.co/ZgneesNyQd pic.twitter.com/t7VN2GD7n2
— KATY PERRY (@katyperry) August 24, 2017
Director Dave Meyers and Perry seemingly didn’t shy away from some references to Swift in the basketball-inspired video. The teams playing against each other are The Tigers vs. The Sheep, whose team mascot is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. The wolf costume is likely a reference to the “Roar” singer’s 2014 tweet about the 1989 singer that said: “Watch out for the Regina George in sheep’s clothing.”
Watch out for the Regina George in sheep’s clothing…
— KATY PERRY (@katyperry) September 9, 2014
Bill Walton and Rich Eisen serve as Swish Center’s announcers, and when introducing the Tiger’s team captain, Eisen says, “And then there is Kobe Perry. Despite her best efforts, she just seems to keep falling flat on her face.”
???♀❗COUNTDOWN TO CATASTROPHE ❗??♀?#swishswish #thisweek ?@nickiminaj ? pic.twitter.com/vpEgP6ChLp
— KATY PERRY (@katyperry) August 21, 2017
Minaj appears during halftime to perform her verse on the song, throwing a basketball at the “Firework” singer at the end and telling her, “Get it together, Katy!” The Tigers’ energy is revitalized in the second half of the game, and they go on to take the trophy.
Hours before the release, Perry shared a photo of her jumping over a pyramid of basketballs on Instagram with a message to her fans who have been waiting for the video for months, writing: “SITTING ON A PYRAMID OF YOUR PATIENCE FOR THE DEBUT OF #SWISHSWISH #MOMENTSAWAY”
The song was first released on May 19, ahead of the album’s June 9 release, following the videos for “Chained to the Rhythm” and “Bon Appétit.” The “Swish Swish” video comes a day after Swift announced her new album Reputation, slated for a November 10 release and a new single dropping August 24. Perry will be hosting the MTV Video Music Awards this Sunday, and Garrett English, the executive producer for the show, addressed rumors that a reunion between the two pop stars might take place on stage to end their long feud.
“No, that’s not happening as far as I — I have certainly seen all the rumors flying around but no, that’s not happening,” English told ET Online.
Watch Perry’s celebrity-filled video for “Swish Swish” above.
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