By Melody Chiu From People

Taylor Swift headed to the Caribbean with her girlfriends for some rest and relaxation before performing in New York City on Wednesday

Last week was a tough one for Taylor Swift, but the superstar is spending quality time with her loved ones.

Days after the Grammy winner, 29, sparked a heated debate among heavy hitters in the industry over music rights and bullying, Swift flew with her girlfriends to the Caribbean for a beach getaway, PEOPLE confirms.

“Taylor loves a good sun vacation. One of her favorite spots to visit is the Caribbean islands,” says a source. “She has been many times in the past, and her July 4th vacation was long-planned. It had nothing to do with her getting away from any drama.”

On Wednesday, the star will make her first public appearance since going to battle with Scooter Braun and her former label head Scott Borchetta over the manager’s $300 million purchase of Big Machine Label — and her music catalog — at Amazon Music’s Prime Day Concert in New York City.

For several years in a row, the “You Need to Calm Down” singer was the queen of Independence Day, throwing a massive bash packed with her famous pals and childhood friends at her Rhode Island home.

Scott Borchetta, Taylor Swift and Scooter Braun RICK DIAMOND/GETTY IMAGES; LARRY BUSACCA/GETTY IMAGES; JEFF KRAVITZ/FILMMAGIC

Since 2017, however, the star has kept a lower profile and kept any Fourth of July celebrations under wraps. Last year, Swift headed to Turks and Caicos for a relaxing vacation with her boyfriend Joe Alwyn.

On New Year’s Eve, Swift — who has become much more private about her personal life and friendships over the last couple years — gave fans a glimpse into a star-studded party she threw at her home in New York City.

The musician rang in the new year by inviting her friends to dress up as their childhood heroes, and they certainly delivered.

Attendees, including Blake Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, Gigi Hadid, Iris Apatow and childhood pal Abigail Anderson, honored a wide range of characters, from Dorothy of The Wizard of Oz and Mary Poppins to Nancy Drew, Steve Irwin and Mr. Toad. Swift dressed up as Ariel from The Little Mermaid.

Hours after news broke of Braun’s purchase, Swift wrote in a Tumblr post that she was “grossed out” by Braun’s acquisition of Big Machine Label Group and her catalog, accusing him of “manipulative bullying.”

Borchetta, who worked with Swift from 2006 until she left Big Machine for Universal Music Group late last year, responded with his own lengthy statement on the label’s website, essentially accusing Swift of bending the truth and denying her claims of bullying by Braun.

Swift’s peers — including Halsey, Lily Allen, Todrick Hall and more — rushed to defend her with impassioned statements on social media while others, including Demi Lovato, Sia and more backed Braun.

For more on Taylor Swift, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday.

For more on this story go to; https://people.com/music/taylor-swift-spent-july-4-caribbean-vacation/