What will a good Katy Perry song look like in 2024? Will it be a mishmash of her past work fused with her current pop sensibilities? A sonically throwback or a forward-thinking one? Perry’s latest, “Woman’s World,” is neither of those things. If anything, it’s evidence of her diminished cultural presence and her lack of drive to keep up with an ever-changing world.
Katy Perry was once unavoidable; 2010’s “Teenage Dream” earned her five No. 1s on the Billboard Hot 100, a record previously held by Michael Jackson. The early 2010s were hers. She carved out a bright, candy-like image that offered an escape from post-recession America, unashamedly chronicling the frivolous joys of youth at a time when pop music was supposed to be hollow fun.
The second half of the decade saw Perry’s artistic life in trouble. As pop music progressed and audience expectations changed, she faded away from presence. Radio, where Perry had found most of her success, was replaced by streaming. Her 2017 album, Witness, was marred by strange developments: its release weekend featured a bizarre 72-hour livestream, an embarrassing performance of “Bon Appétit” with Migos on SNL, and, of course, pixie cuts around the world. Most notably, Perry deemed the album her “era of pop with a purpose.”
An early hint of Perry’s political message through pop appears in the dance-pop song “Chained to the Rhythm,” which seems to warn us to break the repetitive cycle that lures us into social conformity. The message is trite and superficial. Was this the maximum of her political message?
Seven years later, Perry seems to have returned to weaving hollow political messages into her songs with her latest single, “Woman’s World.” The dance-pop song is an attempt at a feminist anthem. “It’s a woman’s world, you’re lucky to live in it!” she croons over synthesizers. But in a post-Barbie world (2023), the song’s vague notions of empowerment ring hollow. It doesn’t offer or even reflect anything new about our modern understanding of feminism or womanhood. For the most part, it’s just… ok. It’s harmless at best, simplistic at worst.
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Perry, like other pop stars of the past, seems most interested in pandering to an online clique with the social capital to make herself seem “cool” and therefore marketable. This poses an interesting dilemma for Perry, whose radio success in the early 2010s didn’t require appealing to an internet niche.
But with streaming services and algorithms disrupting the monoculture, the rules of engagement are different: Perry has to work harder to gain public support, and because the internet is unpredictable, much of her success depends on chance.
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Perry’s strategy appealed to the white gays on X (formerly Twitter), who call every female pop star “mother” on a daily basis. (Meghan Trainor famously took the bait.) With her new audience in mind, she undertook a subtle rebranding: Perry changed her logo to shiny metallic typography and gave her single covers the legs of giant robotic horses. This easy pastiche of alternative electronic artists like Arca and Charli XCX is misleading when the songs involved lack substance and artistry.
The video features controversial internet personality Trisha Paytas(?) and two men kissing(?). Perry responded to the initial criticism by releasing behind-the-scenes footage describing the video as satire. She used the word “slapstick.” But is it a joke if you need clarification?
Has Perry forgotten who he is?
The song was produced by longtime collaborator Dr. Luke (Lukas Gottwald), who was sued by Kesha for sexual assault, sexual harassment, sexual battery and emotional abuse. Gottwald denied the allegations and countersued for defamation. Kesha’s lawsuit was dismissed in 2016. Working with Dr. Luke diminished the song’s meaning.
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This partnership and the songs that came from it are on Perry’s path to reclaiming her former glory, but it’s clear she’s forgotten who she is. In an interview with Zane Lowe, Perry concluded that people recognized her most because she made “empowering songs” and “songs with a message.” Audiences connected with Perry’s music not because of its shocking messages or radical politics, but because it offered an escapist fantasy. She created a world where California was the place to be. She made people stuck at home dream of nights filled with Project X-esque house parties and crazy adventures, only to wake up hungover and bald the next morning.
Whether it’s any consolation or not, this is the most attention Perry has gotten in years. Have you heard her 2020 album Smile? Probably not. The tracklist and snippets we’ve heard from her upcoming album 143 aren’t very promising either. Is there a place for Perry in today’s music landscape, or has she become a relic of the past?
Kofi Muhlama is a columnist and digital producer for USA TODAY and the USA TODAY Network.
