Swish Swish

"Swish Swish" is widely interpreted as a diss track and an anthem of empowerment, primarily aimed at Taylor Swift. The song was released during a well-publicized feud between the two pop stars, which reportedly began over a dispute involving backup dancers and was escalated by Swift's 2014 song "Bad Blood," believed to be about Perry. Although Perry has been cryptic, she has stated the song is a "liberation from all the negative that doesn't serve you" and an "anthem for people to use when someone's trying to hold you down or bully you." The lyrics are laden with basketball metaphors to convey a message of overcoming haters and celebrating victory. Phrases like "Swish, swish, bish, another one in the basket" symbolize effortless success, while the opponent is dismissed as a "joker" and a "sheep." The reference to a 'sheep' is seen as a direct callback to a previous tweet by Perry calling someone a "Regina George in sheep's clothing," which was believed to be about Swift. Nicki Minaj's verse adds another layer, addressing her own beefs and dismissing "fake love," which fans have connected to her past drama with other artists, including Remy Ma and Taylor Swift.

The song unfolds as a taunt-filled declaration of superiority and resilience, framed through the metaphor of a basketball game. The narrator begins by establishing her unbothered and powerful nature, comparing herself to a tiger that doesn't lose sleep over the opinions of insignificant others, referring to them as "shellfish or a sheep." She warns her adversary not to challenge her, asserting her status as a "courtside killer queen" who demands respect. The central message is one of inevitable victory and the futility of her opponent's efforts. The recurring chorus, "Swish, swish, bish, another one in the basket," serves as a triumphant chant, likening each of her successes to a perfect shot in basketball. This is immediately followed by "another one in the casket," a stark, confident statement that her wins spell the end for her competition. This dual metaphor of a basket and a casket emphasizes the finality of her dominance.

The narrative continues with the idea of karma, portraying it as an infallible record-keeper. The line "Karma's not a liar, she keeps receipts" suggests that the rival's past actions and deceptions are known and will have consequences. The narrator is confident that she will remain successful and relevant for a long time, telling her hater to get used to her presence. She mocks her rival's obsession, noting how her name is constantly being mentioned by them, which only solidifies her own winning status. The basketball imagery is consistent, with phrases like "lay 'em up" reinforcing the game-like dynamic of their conflict.

Nicki Minaj's verse enters with a powerful and dismissive tone, directly addressing her own detractors while reinforcing the song's themes. She boasts about her wealth and success, stating that petty conflicts ("silly rap beefs") only increase her earnings. She calls out the fake love and insincerity of her rivals, making it clear she sees through their facade. Her verse elevates the song's confrontational energy, portraying both her and the main narrator as untouchable figures in their respective fields. The song concludes by reinforcing the central hook, a relentless and catchy reminder of their ongoing triumphs and the opponent's repeated failures. The overall story is one of confidently facing down a calculated and disliked rival, using the fast-paced, competitive world of basketball to illustrate a decisive and ongoing victory in a public feud.

"Swish Swish" was written by Katy Perry, Onika Maraj (Nicki Minaj), Sarah Hudson, Brittany Hazzard (Starrah), and its producer, British DJ Duke Dumont. Additional production was handled by PJ "Promnite" Sledge and Noah "Mailbox" Passovoy. The song was recorded for Perry's fifth studio album, Witness, and was released as a promotional single on May 19, 2017, before being issued as the album's third official single. The creation of the track was heavily influenced by the public feud between Perry and Taylor Swift. When asked if the album contained a response to Swift's "Bad Blood," Perry stated, "You can't mistake kindness for weakness and don't come for me. Anyone." The song features a prominent sample from "I Get Deep" by Roland Clark, which was famously used in Fatboy Slim's "Star 69". The house beat also drew comparisons to Maya Jane Coles' 2010 track "What They Say." Perry mentioned that she and Minaj had wanted to collaborate for a while and that Minaj loved "Swish Swish" the most out of a few tracks Perry sent her.

"Swish Swish" is set to a steady, danceable tempo of 120 beats per minute (BPM) in a 4/4 time signature, typical of house and EDM music. This consistent, driving rhythm creates a hypnotic and energetic feel perfect for clubs. The rhyme scheme in Perry's verses is relatively straightforward, often using couplets (AABB) and simple end rhymes to maintain a catchy, sing-along quality (e.g., "around"/"mouth", "tired"/"expired"). The chorus is built on repetition and a simple, impactful rhyme: "bish" is paired with "this," and "basket" with "casket." This repetition makes the hook extremely memorable. Nicki Minaj's rap verse introduces a more complex rhythmic and rhyming structure, employing multi-syllable rhymes, internal rhymes, and a varied, syncopated flow that contrasts with Perry's more straightforward delivery. The interplay between the song's steady house beat and the vocal rhythms creates a dynamic texture, with Perry's lines often falling squarely on the beat, while Minaj's verse dances around it with more intricate patterns.

"Swish Swish" is a house-inspired EDM and hip-hop track, marking a departure into '90s club music for Perry. Musically, it is characterized by a four-on-the-floor kick drum pattern, a prominent organ bassline reminiscent of Chicago house, and the use of samples. The primary sample is the spoken-word line "They know what is what, but they don't know what is what, they just strut" from Roland Clark's "I Get Deep," popularized by Fatboy Slim. The beat also bears a strong resemblance to Maya Jane Coles' "What They Say." Perry's vocal delivery is often restrained and talk-singing, conveying a sense of detached, cool confidence that matches the song's sassy lyrics. This contrasts with Nicki Minaj's fiery, dynamic rap verse, where she shifts her flow and demonstrates her vocal range, adding a layer of aggression and technical prowess to the track. The song follows a standard verse-chorus structure, but its production, handled by house DJ Duke Dumont, gives it a distinct club-ready and voguing-friendly atmosphere.

Upon its release, "Swish Swish" was immediately engulfed in media speculation as Katy Perry's response in her feud with Taylor Swift, making it a significant pop culture moment in 2017. Critically, the song received mixed reviews; some praised its house production, empowering vibe, and Nicki Minaj's strong feature, while others found the lyrics and the diss track angle to be clumsy. Despite debuting at a modest number 46 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US, the song became Perry's 18th number-one hit on the Dance Club Songs chart. The song's music video, directed by Dave Meyers and released on August 24, 2017, garnered significant attention. It featured a comedic, star-studded basketball game with cameos from numerous celebrities and internet personalities, including Molly Shannon, Terry Crews, Rob Gronkowski, Gaten Matarazzo (from Stranger Things), and Russell Horning ("Backpack Kid"), whose "flossing" dance in Perry's SNL performance of the song went viral. The video was seen as a parody of the celebrity-filled video for Swift's "Bad Blood." The song's legacy is tied to the Perry-Swift feud, its embrace of 90s house music, and its meme-heavy, influencer-packed music video.

The song is built around an extended basketball metaphor to symbolize a conflict and Perry's confident assertion of victory.

• The Basketball Game: The entire lyrical framework represents the feud as a competitive sport. Perry positions herself as a dominant player who cannot be defeated.
• "Swish, swish, bish / Another one in the basket": A "swish" is a perfect shot where the ball goes through the net without hitting the rim or backboard. This symbolizes an effortless, perfect victory against her rival. The aggressive "bish" (a slang form of "bitch") emphasizes the defiant and confrontational tone.
• "Another one in the casket": This line directly follows the basketball metaphor, creating a stark and darker image. It implies that her victories are fatal to her opponent's career or reputation, effectively ending them.
• "A tiger / Don't lose no sleep / Don't need opinions / From a shellfish or a sheep": Perry references her own song "Roar" by identifying as a tiger, a symbol of strength and fierceness. The "sheep" is widely believed to be a direct reference to Taylor Swift, linking to a past tweet where Perry called out a "Regina George in sheep's clothing."
• "Karma's not a liar / She keeps receipts": This line personifies karma as an honest bookkeeper who holds proof of wrongdoing. It alludes to the idea of holding evidence against someone, a theme that was also central to the Kanye West/Kim Kardashian feud with Taylor Swift, where Kardashian released "receipts" (recordings) of a phone call.

The most significant recurring motif in "Swish Swish" is the titular phrase and hook: "Swish, swish, bish / Another one in the basket." This line is repeated multiple times throughout the song, functioning as a powerful, memorable, and defiant chorus. Its repetition serves to drill the song's central message of effortless victory into the listener's mind. The word "swish" itself, a sound associated with a perfect basketball shot, becomes a sonic emblem of success. This is immediately followed by the darker line, "Another one in the casket," which also recurs and solidifies the song's aggressive, almost threatening undertone. Another key recurring idea is that of karma and receipts. The line, "Karma's not a liar, she keeps receipts," appears in the pre-chorus, reinforcing the theme of accountability and inevitable consequence for the antagonist. This motif taps into a wider pop culture narrative about exposing truth and holding people responsible for their actions.