With a new style, a sunny feminist battle song, and a full-length album planned for the fall, Katy Perry was supposed to make a grand comeback after the "Smile" album from 2020. Now, instead, it's being talked about as a huge flop.
What really happened? We summarize the debate.
In the spring, pictures emerged of the 39-year-old pop star wearing cyborg-like metal legs, and fans began speculating about a rebranding – something like the futurism seen in Arca or Charli XCX.
Instead, on July 11, a feminist battle song about women's empowerment, "Woman's World", was released, along with a now-notorious music video.
Katy Perry dances in a construction worker-inspired bikini with glittering tools, drinks "whiskey for women", rides a monster truck, and makes a helicopter exit. Everywhere, feminist symbols and oiled, lightly-clad female bodies are visible.
Both the single and the video were panned by a united critical corps – The Guardian's Laura Snapes asked "what is this backward, overheated hell?" while music magazine Pitchfork simply called it "awful". The Cut describes Katy Perry's effort as "an album that will almost certainly flop".
Criticized Collaboration
Something that both critics and fans are pointing out is that "Woman's World" is also produced by longtime collaborator Dr. Luke – who has previously been accused of raping and drugging artist Kesha. After a nearly decade-long legal process, in which Dr. Luke also sued Kesha for defamation, it ended with a settlement in 2023.
Vulture magazine writes in a review that Dr. Luke's involvement contradicts the entire message of the song, and instead recommends other pop artists who portray femininity: Sabrina Carpenter, Billie Eilish, and Chappell Roan, among others.
The Defense: Satire
Now, Katy Perry has published a video on social media that has been interpreted as a response to the harsh criticism. In a sarcastic tone, she explains that they are playing with the concept of "the male gaze".
"We're really going over the top, it's 'on the nose' because we're about to get crushed, which is like a reset for me and my idea of feminine divinity", she says, and continues:
"We're going to a whole new world after this". To the post, she writes "You can do whatever! Even satire!"
It's unclear whether she means by "reset" and the "new world" upcoming songs or the second part of the single "Woman's World". The notorious music video is directed by Charlotte Rutherford, who has a long history of feminist music videos and provocative portrayals of bodies.
Katy Perry was born in 1984 in Santa Barbara, USA.
In 2008, she released the album "One of the Boys", which includes hit singles "I Kissed a Girl" and "Hot n Cold".
Two years later, the successful album "Teenage Dream" was released, with songs like "Firework" and "California Gurls".
Since then, Katy Perry has released the albums "Prism" (2013), "Witness" (2017), and "Smile" (2020). She is one of the best-selling artists in world history.
Throughout her career, Katy Perry has worked with several Swedish producers, including Max Martin, Klas Åhlund, Oscar Görres, and Ilya Salmanzadeh. Another long-time collaborator is American Dr. Luke, who produced the new single "Woman's World".
For several years, Katy Perry has also been a judge on "American Idol". In February 2024, she announced that this year's season would be her last.
Katy Perry is now current with the single release "Woman's World". The album "143" will be released on September 20.
