Katy Perry has officially entered her post-breakup pop era, and Bandaids might just be her most emotional (and kinda savage) track yet.
The best-selling singer dropped the song and its music video on Thursday (Nov. 6), and fans have immediately started connecting the dots. Even though she’s currently loved up with her new man, Justin Trudeau, Katy is getting real about a previous relationship that just couldn’t be saved—aka, her ex, Orlando Bloom.
Despite the wild conspiracy theory about Katy’s split from Orlando, it seems there was a legit reason (duh) for her breakup and now, she’s spilling all the tea in her new single.
So, let’s break down the lyrics and visuals because, honestly, this song feels like a therapy session set to a bop.
Katy Hints at the Reason for her Split
Right from the jump, Katy’s baring her soul with the line, “Hand to God, I promise I tried / There’s no stone left unturned.”
Translation: She bent over backwards trying to make things work with Orlando. But then comes the real dagger…
“It’s not what you did / It’s what you didn’t / You were there, but you weren’t.” That line hits like a punch in the gut. It’s giving relationship burnout energy, meaning, Mr. Bloom wasn’t fully committed in this relationship. Ouch.
By the time Katy sings, “Got so used to you letting me down / No use tryna send flowers now,” it’s clear she’s past the denial stage and well into acceptance. She’s calling out Orlando’s empty gestures and she’s done waiting for apologies.
Katy Tried Everything to Fix Her Relationship with Orlando
Then Katy really goes there with, “Tried all the medications / Lowered my expectations / Made every justification / Bleeding out slow.” She did the work, took the meds, but sometimes, even emotional self-care can’t fix a partner who won’t show up.
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Katy then calls out Orlando’s bare-minimum behavior with the lyric, “It’s not that complicated / To ask me how my day is.”
Katy Still Appreciates Her Ex
Even though the relationship didn’t last, it wasn’t for nothing. The song closes with nostalgia as Katy sings, “If I had to do it all over again / I would still do it all over again.”
That’s growth. She’s saying yeah, it hurt, but it was worth it. They shared love, a home, and most importantly, Daisy, their 5-year-old daughter.
Breaking Down the “Bandaids” Music Video
Of course, Katy didn’t stop with emotional lyrics. She served symbolism on a silver (and slightly bloody) platter in the Bandaids video. Each visual is basically a metaphor for the collapse of her relationship with Bloom. Let’s decode.
The Ring Down the Drain — Letting Go (Literally)
The video opens with Katy washing dishes, yes, those dishes. You might remember her viral Call Her Daddy moment last year, where she said she rewarded Orlando for cleaning up around the house.
So when she accidentally drops her ring down the drain in the video, it’s hard not to read that as symbolic. The ring slipping away while she’s trying to clean up the mess? That’s a breakup metaphor wrapped in dish soap.
The Garbage Disposal Scene — Brutal (and Brilliant) Metaphor
Things take a dark turn when Katy tries to fish the ring out and ends up turning on the garbage disposal with her hand still inside. Her hand gets bloodied, and it’s a little horrifying, but also genius symbolism. She’s literally bleeding for love that’s already gone.
The Daisy Moment — Emotional and Heartwrenching
At the end, we see a daisy, a sweet nod to her daughter, Daisy Dove Bloom. Even through all the heartbreak, it’s a reminder that something beautiful grew from the mess.
Bandaids is Katy Perry at her most vulnerable. It’s raw with a touch of savage humor, and let’s admit, it’s better than anything from her 143 era (I said what I said!). Whether the song is directly about Orlando Bloom or just inspired by him… she definitely didn’t hold back.
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