Katy Perry vs. 'the culture'

[@Chuuzus]

we as a society failed Katy Perry's Harleys in Hawaii.. that song was the adult version of Teenage Dream and people slept on it

[@naomi.cannibal]

@@Chuuzus honestly I think we slept on Smile as a whole but that’s just me

[@IsabEla-tf5lt]

Who is we? The album was the only decent hit from smile

[@OpticalSorcerer]

Definitely deserved to be a concept album with an animated movie. Someone mentioned that a big issue with "Smile" was the confusing promotion; it didn't consistently have a clown theme except for one of the singles and the album cover. Nothing else really sold that image, plus NRO and HIH were realeased too far before the album dropped.

[@JulianSteve]

@@Chuuzus “Harley’s in Hawaii” definitely a good song. It should’ve performed better💯

[@NoirChatt]

@@OpticalSorcereryeah the clown really threw me off. Didn’t hear it until a year or two later and I enjoyed more songs that I thought I would.

[@johngablesmith4671]

“Sapphistication” is a word I’ve never seen used before but I’d now one of my favorite words.

[@tylerhackner9731]

Katy was in step with the times until she wasn’t (2016-2017) and she hasn’t been able to catch up despite some good songs

[@naomi.cannibal]

@@tylerhackner9731 witness really was the turning point

[@Peterrdee]

There’s no versatility or evolution with Katy Perry that’s why we are bored of her

[@GeteMachine]

Since then, she has always just been cringe. Like a mom trying to look cool to her children.

[@hunterjanzzz]

@@naomi.cannibalI love the singles from witness then and now I just think that it was not her best and the hair threw everyone off

[@SK-mg8md]

@@Peterrdee yeah, i kissed a girl and dark horse sound the same et and tsunami sounds the same

[@kelfincher5232]

Katy making comments about her ex that she wrote that song about wearing eyeliner and such then going and dating/ marrying Russell Bran is quite hilarious.

[@naomi.cannibal]

@@kelfincher5232 also I know some ppl considered guyliner and whatnot “gay” back then and still do, but I feel like when she was more in the pop rock scene that would have been relatively normal for a lot of guys she was around- at least some artists? Maybe I’m wrong

[@n4t4shaaaa]

She was literally with Travis and he wore eyeliner. She’s mocking the non white ppl who hopped on the trends around that time in my opinion.

[@honeybee347]

​@@n4t4shaaaathat gave me flashback on the random fact i know that katy perry is in the cupid choke hold video.

[@kelfincher5232]

@@naomi.cannibal Oh yes completely. I just find it ironic how that was her “dig” to someone in a song then turned around and dated a man who wore more eyeliner than Britney. 😂 full on real life pirate.

[@msnewsenior]

@@n4t4shaaaaIt’s not racial at all and if we’re mocking trend theft I’m certain there’s a better case for the reverse

[@phillinsogood]

Whew that Justin Timberlake clip was so hard to get through “don’t you think that’s funny” 😂

[@essaly7969]

that clip wasn't ironic???

[@naomi.cannibal]

@@phillinsogood *silence* “I think it’s funny 😁 “

[@catherinew7387]

I IMMEDIATLY thought of that one part in Britney's book when I saw his lil braids!

[@cannibalisticrequiem]

​@@catherinew7387 Fo shizz! Fo shizz!

[@stellamobley9682]

as someone who is bi and was raised in an extremely religious household, when i kissed a girl came out, it made me feel so validated in how i felt. it did good too

[@puppydoglove-b3o]

Yea same

[@LemonadeSour]

Which is LITERALLY Katy’s situation, she was bi raised in an incredibly rigid Pentecostal household.

[@stellamobley9682]

@@LemonadeSour my dad is a pentecostal free-will baptist preacher. i understand her sm😭 and will always stand up for her during that era bc it is who she is and HELPED those of us in the same situation who felt like an abomination from the EXTREME religious beliefs that are crooked and cherry picked anyways

[@CC-sg1ff]

A KZbinr named Princess Weekes (a bisexual woman herself) did a really good video about I Kissed A Girl and why it feel it did feel it empowering despite all the messiness in it and the legacy of it.

[@Malcolmblacc2024]

Did you kiss a lot of girls

[@OpticalSorcerer]

Either Katy isn't being pushed to try new things or her label is telling her to just stick to the same thing. It's a shame; I don't wanna see her star fade.

[@AnneettaLife]

We can’t always blame her label. She’s established enough to have a say. And she doesn’t strike me an artist who will bend over and do as anyone says. Her taste is music is clearly outdated and cringe.

[@OpticalSorcerer]

@@AnneettaLife I mentioned the label as a possibility. They haven't really been advertising her latest work over the past few years, and they will ALWAYS have a day about what their artist does. Maybr Katy isn't pushing herself and they're letting her do her own thing, or perhaps they're giving her poor advice. I remember a few years ago a video was discussing KP and that Capitol at one point had met circa "Witness" to figure out why she wasn't as popular as she once was.

[@sowhat1674]

Its her decision to not wanting to be katy perry which turned her fans off.

[@Kevin-rg3yc]

I remember back in early 2020 her label had a big meeting to why she isn’t a massive superstar following the underperformance of witness and her 2019 droplet singles era

[@OpticalSorcerer]

@@Kevin-rg3yc I mentioned this just above you! 👍

[@meganchapa7615]

It's also worth noting that she was accused of sexual misconduct by Josh Kloss, the main guy from the Teenage Dream video. According to him, she yanked off his underwear without his consent at a party, and he felt quote "pathetic and embarrassed". And TV host Tina Kandelaki also claimed that Katy drunkenly tried to kiss and touch her without her consent. She was asked about this in and interview one time, and her response was basically "oh anyone can say anything nowadays, i don't wanna add to the noise, blah blah blah" and she never actually denied any allegations. (ive also heard she was weird with contestants on American Idol as well but i dont watch that show so maybe its not true idk). I'm surprised that people aren't bringing this up more when talking about her working with Dr. Luke. With this and her response as to why she wasn't working with him on her Witness record, maybe she just doesn't care about victims as much as she seemed to.

[@miserych1ck]

woah im surprised I didn’t know about that. her pr team must be working overtime to get rid of any allegations targeted towards her 😭

[@meganchapa7615]

@@miserych1ck honestly, i dont think so. even back when these allegations were first brought up, no one really seemed to notice. everyone kinda just moved on. im seeing a few more people talk about it today, but still not nearly as much as i'd expect. maybe her pr team really was working back then, but to me it seems more like people just didnt really care as much, either bc a) shes a woman, and people tend to take SA commited by women less seriously or b) the people who accused her werent very big, like if ed sheeran or angelina jolie or someone big were to accuse her it'd prob be a whole thing

[@GeteMachine]

I believe that, because of the American Idol incident where she kissed a young contestant just randomly.

[@meganchapa7615]

@GeteMachine yeah I heard about that, I haven't seen it, though, so I didn't mention it cuz I thought maybe I missed context or sm. If that's what happened, then it's sus for sure

[@FernandoSD]

​@@meganchapa7615the constant was asked for consent prior to the kiss but it was not shown, AI actually mocked Katy's image for controversy a lot throughout the show

[@joseribamarjr5164]

That Hillary duff clip was too funny

[@ParentalDiscretionIsAdvised]

The vocal fry of it all!🤣

[@angelcamargo1589]

She literally ended homophobia

[@SNOWQueen87-v1g]

@@angelcamargo1589No she didn’t homophobia is still around. Two women recently got attacked because they went out on a date night.

[@KorbinJones]

You’re So Gay is so terrible that it comes back around to being good again, at least in a campy or ironic way. A time capsule from a different era.

[@therockbottom5256]

It’s like 212 from Azalea Banks but on xannax instead of crack 😅

[@Peterrdee]

And nobody listening still lol

[@Peterrdee]

@@therockbottom5256212 is still way better than anything Katy can do

[@KorbinJones]

@@Peterrdee not everything is for you, including that comment ❤️

[@eeeggg33]

I remember hearing it as a teen and being like, "this guy sounds cute idk what her deal is". found it unironically catchy for that reason lol

[@calvinkhumalo9780]

This era seemed so promising and it looked like she was really committing to it, even quitting Idol. So to release a song titled 'Woman's World', and have it produced by Dr. Luke of all people makes absolutely no sense to me (quality of the song aside). It's mind-boggling! Like she and her entire team saw those optics and still chose to ignore it? I feel like she could have still worked with him (since it seems like that's the hill she's willing to die on) but released any other song besides 'Woman's World'.

[@calvinkhumalo9780]

@@alexanderbayarea I don't think Idol in 2024 would give the same boost as Idol in 2011. I'm not American so I don't really know but people just don't seem to care about the show anymore so it was really just a nice paycheck gig and likely did little for exposure. Unless the next single is phenomenal, the quality of the first single released and the Dr Luke connection/controversy has probably killed any good will she had going into the era. It'll likely be an uphill battle to recover.

[@tarotsushima3332]

If there's sth that's stayed consistent with Katy's music is that she never really stops being tongue in cheek with it when she really shouldn't be, so tracks that are supposed to come off as serious never really do. The fact that she had to backtrack with calling Woman's World satirical bc apart from the Dr Luke stuff it was so 'You go girl!' levels of dated just shows this.

[@Fucorii]

Lifetimes is not helping btw

[@calvinkhumalo9780]

@@Fucorii Just saw she's also being investigated for the video as well for some reason. If she wasn't in so deep, I'd say scrap the era, have a major overhaul of her creative team, and then try again later. This project seems to be DOA at this point.

[@Fucorii]

@@calvinkhumalo9780 oh I just saw it too lol. I just meant that lifetimes is also not helping since it's flopping miserably but oh well now it's doing more than just flopping in the charts 💀

[@highro13]

I remember back in like 2011 maybe 2012, Katy Perry made fun of Lady Gaga for being really dedicated to her fans (possibly saying she would die for them, I can’t remember) & said something like “I mean I wouldn’t die for them” & this I think is a huge part of why she has been flopping hard. She doesn’t seem authentic & relatable unlike someone like Lady Gaga or Taylor Swift. Music has changed so much since she first appeared in 2007/2008, people want some kind of authenticity with their favorite artist & she never really has. During any “comeback” or “rebrand” you need your core fans first before trying to grab the general audience. She did the opposite while trying to pander to the gay audience, which has never been her core audience. This is ESPECIALLY true when you’re nearly 2 decades into your career. But now there’s Billie Ellish, Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Rodrigo and Chappelle Roan who are all taking the stage now. And her peers are either still going strong (Taylor Swift and Beyoncé), begun to switch focus (Lady Gaga), finally getting their long earned success (Charlie XCX or Miley Cyrus) or are making much stronger comebacks (Kesha) & Katy Perry is getting pushed out. It’s crazy because she was unarguably the biggest star & just suddenly fell off & seeing her try to make a comeback has been sad.

[@jinorastattoos7489]

taylor swift? authentic? seriously 😭?

[@hmfoden]

Katy is the new Britney…. I remember when Brit used to be on top…

[@shawnbay2211]

I don’t think Taylor’s authentic. I think she’s successful bc she’s an object her fans can impose their speculations on & invest in her lore. Beyoncé is arguably also the same but she capitalises on her statements rather than her life. Fully believe Katy would’ve been big if her rollout wasn’t so dissonant with everything. The moment a tired, stain of a creature, Dr Luke got involved, she lost. Katy was rlly building up her comeback successfully until the drop. I think what would fix it now is if Katy made an apology about various things & redo the songs. Idk if that’s even possible. Honestly hope the best 4 her bc I’m rooting 4 her.

[@dadcelo]

​@@hmfoden I would argue Katy is unique. She has 9 #1 songs within 6 years, and then no more. Britney for comparison has 2 #1 songs between her debut in 1998 and her second #1 in 2008. Her last #1 came 3 years later in 2011, 13 years after her debut. Her era with the best performing singles overall was her 7th album in 2011, Femme Fatale. Britney has had a top 10 song every decade since the 90s (#6 in 2022 with Hold Me Closer). Katy hasn't had a top 10 this decade yet. It's weird.

[@rexmarz]

@@jinorastattoos7489 She is authentic and vulnerable, whether you disagree with that, it is the truth.

[@BlackGritsDoesIt]

That was a marine recruitment video though 😂

[@kriskross6934]

Made want to protect and ✨serve✨ tho 💅🏻

[@kriskross6934]

Made want to protect and ✨serve✨ tho 💅🏻

[@caseyw.6550]

​@@kriskross6934 made who want to?

[@JulianSteve]

I think whenever Katy Perry appropriated, it led to her career downfall. “Chained to the Rhythm” was a promising hit. It performed well within the first couple of weeks. However, it didn’t hit 1 on the U.S. Hot 100. Then, it went down from there with the rest of the “Witness” singles. Skipping “Smile”, “143” might be her comeback depending on the next singles. Dr. Luke definitely has to be dropped, but it looks like he produced majority of “143” songs. We’ll see how this album goes… Great video as always Naomi🙌🏾⭐️!

[@naomi.cannibal]

@@JulianSteve thank you! And I agree, first seeing/ hearing Chained to the Rhythm the era felt so promising, I kinda didn’t expect it to unfold how it did but Witness was definitely oversold/ overexplained

[@sunfastrose]

Chained to the Rhythm definitely should have done better than it did. The video was also great.

[@DavidPuckArtist]

I don’t think she thinks or cares deeply enough about the meaning and impact of what she does. And that’s why she’s constantly in controversy cus she’s not self aware

[@davidpuckdrag]

And that's also why she's at her best when she's doing inoffensive candy cane silliness. When she tries to handle content of substance she doesn't seem intelligent enough to do it well

[@simonswrldtaylorsversion5028]

The problem is think katy has is that she so desperately wants to be a gay icon and taylor swift level fame but umfortunately she is not very self aware that all this comes across really forced. She actually made a pretty good record with smile and the recent droplets were great too but seemingly she was not pleased with the numbers they did. I honestly dont think she has it in her to get back to her popularity back in like 2010 cause that era is simply over so she should rather focus on making great music and building a strong fanbase. I think that would work very well cause she obviously has it in her to make great music eg harleys in hawai or never really over so she should stick to that sound instead of trying to chase the sound of an era that is long gone. Also releasing a song about female empowerment that is produced by dr luke is probably one of the most brainless things she couldve done.

[@amekaoua6006]

TF from where you came with Taylor level ?? She is literally a mother now and older by four or five years and has never indicated especially recently that she want to go back to her 2010s level of success so stop with your biased assumptions, she already made it and a simple Wikipedia search of her will show her career. she is just having fun now as she will be 40 this fall and as she said she feels more confident and happy as ever as a woman plus she has major two events around the release of the album and that tells me she wanted a new record to refresh things a little. not any one is obsessed or unhinged Madonna type or Taylor to want to dominate forever desperately. she has actually a family of her own, a history of mental health struggles and uncessary stress literally after achieving everything she just wants to continue releasing what she wants while having a normal human balanced family life.

[@alexanderbayarea]

What are you even talking about ? You Taylor fans are so delusional that you guys think every artist wants to be her. You guys are literally in a delusional state of mind it’s very sad & embarrassing. Taylor swift every song is about a man so grow up. Katy desperately wants to be a gay icon ? How ? There’s Madonna and mostly lady Gaga take the cake. She is a grown married women with kids while you’re Taylor swift is literally creating a cult wise fan base

[@alexanderbayarea]

@@amekaoua6006 honestly love he’s a Taylor fan. Don’t even bother arguing with him she or it. Taylor’s fan base are so delusional and cult like it’s embarrassing. Katy Perry and Taylor swift are no where similar 😂😂😂

the comment is spot on and and it's funny how the replies are obsessed with a small mention of taylor that wasn't even the main point. i guess katy isn't the only one who lacks self awareness

[@amekaoua6006]

@@alexanderbayarea exactly 💯

[@johnadams7145]

When looking at Bon Appetit in a purposeful way I always see it as a satire for how woman are treated in the music industry but also real life. Where while the song is very sexual, it’s also critiquing how women are seen or are treated in this more sexual way when men usually aren’t. Because the lyrics are just so overt that it could be seen as Katy mocking the concept almost.

[@louka43]

that and the final scene, i've always interpreted it as katy taking back her power from the public who sexualise her, represented by the people who are there to consume her (literally). kind of like a wake up call to the listener.

[@12thWardGator]

Her career has been on a major decline since an elderly nun died in court during that lawsuit over the old convent. The nun’s dying words were “Katy Perry please stop”

[@deaditeera]

Wait… what?

[@g100-w6j]

?????

[@12thWardGator]

@@deaditeera She purchased a convent from the LA Archdiocese & the elderly nuns who once lived there ended up in a lawsuit over it. During one of the phases of the case one of the elderly nuns dropped dead in the middle of the courtroom due to all the stress involving the case. Her last words on record were “Katy Perry please stop” before she collapsed in the middle of the courtroom

[@deaditeera]

@@12thWardGator 🤯

[@juliagiles1547]

@@12thWardGatoroh my god, her flop era is an act of GOD 💀💀💀

[@BLHAIRsammich]

As a person who was a big fan of BOTH Katy and Kesha I’m beyond disappointed with the new era (I’m not buying any singles or the album cause Dr Luke) and I’m glad you did this run down

[@MonsterMode2011]

Katy is that girl that peaked in high school (Teenage Dream) and now finds life as an adult difficult (Witness) so she keeps trying to go back to that high school glory (Teenage Dream) but fails (Woman’s World).

[@BellesView]

@@MonsterMode2011 You sound like a legit music critic.

[@rin-eri]

I remember seeing seen as a bisexual person because, at the time the song came out, I'd never heard any mainstream pop person endorse bisexuality before. I mean, maybe they had, but as a 14 year old in 2008, it was the first time I'd heard it. And I felt affirmed by the song. Looking back I can see it being trivializing. But I feel like for its time it wasn't bad.

[@Chuu_Vault]

I'll be somewhat fair and gave the album a chance maybe.....idk. But there's no other way to describe this era than the Tyra Banks quote: *_I WAS ROOTING FOR YOU, WE WERE ALL ROOTING FOR YOU, ¿¡HOW DARE YOU?!_*

[@naomi.cannibal]

@@Chuu_Vault Right and if ppl were rockin w this era it likely would have eventually inspired a revisit of Smile and Witness… but I guess we’ll see atp

[@Greybell]

honestly idk if she is being real or not having self aware for releasing Woman's World knowing very well that the public perception of dr luke is still poor. Even if she is under contract to work with him, wouldn't it make more sense to not write that song in the first place? Unless it's a scrapped song from a decade ago and they thought it would work well in TikTok music landscape.

[@bib2045]

@@Greybellagain tho, I bet most of these people that have an issue with dr luke have no issue streaming some of the biggest hits produced by this terrible man from the last 4 years. So in a way I think they are very much a hypocrite. I think it’s dumb for her to work with him, but I don’t see how she got THAT much hate comparing to other artists that did the same thing. Idk

[@shawnbay2211]

⁠​⁠@@bib2045I think a good portion is criticising any1 who recently worked with dr Luke. he definitely hurts reputations. I think the biggest failure of the comeback is just sounding bad & coming across bad. From every way, he shouldn’t’ve participated in this album.

[@Qwerty-lq2op]

@@bib2045he literally take part in almost all of doja & kim petras hits and also take part in nicki minaj's newest album including super freaky girl, which everyone celebrated when it hit number 1. If i was katy i would be confused too😂

[@ismaeelali9485]

One thing about this channel is that they will always do their research

[@prismatizism]

exactly

[@10Bendog]

Smile should’ve been a hit. That album is so slept on and it’s really sad that it flopped; Harleys in Hawaii, Tucked, Champagne Problems, Teary Eyes, Cry About It Later, etc. So many bangers and only Harleys in Hawaii got any kind of recognition. Also, I know they were most likely done for pragmatic reasons due to lockdown and Katy’s pregnancy, but I absolutely adore all the various animated music videos they had for that album, and to me they’re the defining feature of that era. I was excited for KP6, even more so when I was seeing so many others online missing her fun pop songs and anticipating her comeback. Then the news of her working with Dr. Luke destroyed all the excitement and, on top of that, Women’s World was just bad and perhaps her most tone-deaf song. :(

[@kylokev]

I really like Teary Eyes and Cry About It Later. Still in my Spotify library today! ❤

[@yomomacatchfire]

joyride by kesha out now :)

[@jess_a_yo]

She has a video with the album’s breakdown/reaction

[@shawnbay2211]

I’m so excited 4 her full album!! I sense Kesha is working very hard on her indie era. I think the BIG theme of the album is freedom. Songs, freedom, joyride, cathedral, etc., it’s all her reclaiming herself !!! Aaa it already hits so hard !!

[@yomomacatchfire]

@@shawnbay2211 girl me toooo, can not wait

[@jammyintears]

✨it’s Naomi’s world and we’re lucky to be living in it✨

[@weslleyfj]

The saddest part is she didn't need any of this, she's achieved some records that won't be broken again any time soon (if ever). She'd become a legend and could have died one. She could take her career anywhere, yet she insisted she wanted another Teenage Dream and that'll simply never happen again. And by doing so she's proved everyone who'd called her a 'fad' right (that gif is hilarious, look it up if you haven't seen it). She's hardly the TD singer anymore, but the Witness and WW singer. It's like those stories of making a prophecy or curse become true by trying to prevent it. Fascinating really.

[@SK-mg8md]

When she made songs like never really over, 365 and harleys in hawaii y'all paid it dust and now complaining. Everyone here give should smile a second chance.

[@alvafairchild13]

Accurate i didn't like witness but smile is great daisies forever

[@kylokev]

I loved 365, the video was so good. And “teary eyes” and “cry about it later” were great from Smile. For some reason, I didn’t connect with Harleys in Hawaii, though.

[@neodica5967]

365 was my favorite of Katy's droplet singles between Witness and Smile, so I'm glad to see someone else appreciates it. As for Smile itself, I know a lot of people praise Harleys in Hawaii, but I think Tucked also deserves some recognition. I'm probably biased since the music video takes such a wild turn that it's stuck in my brain, but even without the video the song is sleek, sensational, and catchy.

[@aimstar11]

365 got leaked, so the label said “too bad, no promo for you!!” Esp since this was after witness which was a disaster. The same with never really over and Harley’s in Hawaii. The label decided she was too much of a risk and gave them zero promo ☹️

[@igorlour]

i saw katy perry at fucking warped tour in 2008 which is so cursed and it was so wild to see how famous she got within just a couple years after

[@kaitlynmarie5545]

I know what you mean. I saw her at a small indoor venue right after I Kissed a Girl came out!

[@nicoyazawa5195]

Same here, it’s so wild lol. I wanted to see a band that was performing on the same stage after her, so I caught the end of her set and not many people were there at all. Her music didn’t seem to fit the tour so we were all just like “uh what?”.

[@vacuumblink2300]

Yo! I saw her at warped tour in 2008 too! This was at the merriwaather in Maryland. I was 15 lol.

[@ismaeelali9485]

Katy perry was ahead of her time with chianed to the rhythm

[@rubaiyatnayem560]

Omg, you're so real for it

[@ParentalDiscretionIsAdvised]

That song will ALWAYS slap!

[@bib2045]

She actually was. And witness as a whole has no issue. The hate train during that era came out of nowhere. I remember people simply hate her for her haircut like what 😂

[@aimstar11]

Fun fact Sia was a co-writer which makes total sense - the production is top-notch too - unfortunately the gp took the way Katy singing it like “okay, you’re insulting us for being vacant robots!” A song in which the artist insults their fans (intended or not) isn’t going to do well 🤷‍♀️

[@LemonadeSour]

A major issue I have with a lot of the IKAG critiques: it is a very real experience for a lot of bi people who come from the same background as her. People don’t even realise they’re being biphobic by discounting her experience as a bisexual woman. Unrelated, but I also admire her for owning up to her mistakes during Witness (especially during the Witness World Wide livestream).

[@zucchinigreen]

Katy's problem was that she's not that deep, far less than she thought she was. She seemed to want a Madonna-esque career while hoping that everyone liked her work. Those two things don't go together. People got bored of her real fast. And her continued cultural appropriation is just cringe. She committed the same misstep Jewel did when she tried to "satire hotness" while relying on her looks to fuel her entire career. 🤷🏽‍♀️

[@riteshram74]

I feel like if she did an album with the sound that circle the drain from teenage Dream had, she'd have a good rock-pop album which would do so much better in my opinion

[@alptraum7644]

circle the drain was such an underrated teenage dream track 😭

[@fortyshorty2459]

One of my Katy faves 🎸

[@witchywoman2008]

Circle the Drain was the best song on that album and no one talks about it

[@BlackCanaryJBKP]

I truly believe Katy leads with good intention but sometimes her roots, and innocence, lead her to a bliss kind of art. Meaning she was raised in a super super religious and traditional and whilst she had always tried to break free from it, she has a lot to learn and a lot on where to educate herself. She was a small town girl who catapulted herself into the biggest pop star in the wolrld and that brough the spotligh on her, for good and bad. I truly believe the hate she gets is unmatched and undeserved and i believe you see in her art that she leads with love and purpose, but it is also necessary to still point out when she has something to learn and to do better. Rooting for her and her next era!

[@louka43]

I agree that Witness could've very much been saved by choosing different singles. Like you said the title track would've been a great choice. In an ideal world Chained To The Rhythm would've stayed as the lead, following with the release of Witness as the second official single when announcing the album of the same name. She could've taken advantage of a slower/mid-tempo track as a promo single such as Save As Draft, and on album release use Roulette as the third official single. Roulette would've been the "tonight, we're having fun since the album is releasing" in the midst of the more serious tracks. Swish Swish could've been used to promote the tour as a fourth single, the Nicki Minaj collaboration would push the song regardless of how people feel about it, and the final single could've been a hopeful fun pop song, such as Pendulum or Bigger Than Me, to sumn up what Katy has learned through her journey of growth. The message of the album wouldn't have been lost that way and might've resonated better with audiences.

[@Zenmasterzzz]

I tuned out after she made fun of Britney on multiple occasions.

[@nicolesherman8974]

You eat the color purple up bestie 💜

[@naomi.cannibal]

@@nicolesherman8974 thank u bestiiie

[@mimik222]

4:24 trying to gain her independence/power and joins the military 😭😭

[@krissybee2484]

If you look into the story behind the guy she wrote “Ur so gay” about… wooo… it gets dark.

[@tokyoyoongi5538]

Is it not about Pete Wentz from Fall Out Boy?

[@raphael7357]

Are you talking about that dude she briefly dated and then ended up actually killing someone? I remember seeing a true crime video about it

[@angele22]

This video just proved to me that thee Ms. Katy Perry is truly CAMP

[@jamesdaly9016]

Katy’s best was Teenage Dream album era.

[@tlg-]

This was an excellent commentary from start to finish! Thank you.

[@naomi.cannibal]

@@tlg- thank you 💕

[@lalaycoco9467]

This was an excellent look into the music of Katy Perry and the intersection it had with the culture at the time. Well done.

[@yassercastillo2607]

Like Alyssa Edwards said "you are that girl i knew you were"

[@Tenshii_Artii]

I felt like one song from her that I wished would get noticed a bit more, was ‘Unconditionally’ from her Prism Album. I felt like that was one of the few songs that had more depth than her other more surface-level energetic and party songs. It even felt a bit different to her other songs too. A bit more cinematic, more poignant. Not even remotely sexual actually. A narrative about how no matter the flaws or difference a person has. You are free to open up and just be free with me. For I will not judge. Back then I resonated with that song the most, because I grew up in a religious family. I just thought that song really was just a comforting way to just pray and think of God.

[@BlackGritsDoesIt]

HERE!!!

[@rubaiyatnayem560]

I think ppl love to disrespect katy perry just out of trend like, if she had a deeper meaning-ish discography, they wouldn't. But that is the exact idea of KATY PERRY. She is the reason fun pop music was celebrated the way it was. She's an era defining artist and she deserves her flowers whatsoever.

[@yepppppyyyyy2508]

right? POP should be FUN even the lyrics are DUMB! like we should dance to it not because we can dissect the lyrics but because it makes us move.

[@kriskross6934]

I disrespect her because she kissed a minor on live television, took his first kiss even after he said he was saving it for someone special. She decided she was special enough and he should feel lucky and literally kissed a minor. If a man did that everybody would make sure his career is dead. Let’s have the same energy we have for Drake kissing minors for Katy too.

[@karisno7798]

shes trash, she's had her flowers and seemingly cbb to do anything creative that doesn't involve her appropriating one culture or another. also the thing with Kesha's grap*st .... then wants to do a feminism. i could give af about her music, there's loads to disrespect her for.

[@bedshaped85]

I have always appreciated Katy as a pop hitmaker, but at the same time she always seemed prefabricated as an artist. In order to build a sustainable pop career that lasts over decades (ala Madonna, Janet, Beyoncè, Taylor) you have to meld your personality/life into the music. She attempted a reinvention in Witness, but it didn't land because it felt inauthentic to her entire brand. She pigeonholed herself as a fun animated pop girl, but tried to pivot to "purposeful pop" with music that did not reflect that reality. Her inability to be authentic and growing alongside her fanbase is what prevents her from achieving any loyalty from a fickle pop audience.

[@shawnbay2211]

Hard disagree. Witness was very left field & ppl didn’t like that era bc she was weird. That was 1 of her most authentic records & its downfall is that she was putting herself out there 2 much. That album was clearly not supposed 2b a hitmaker, rather a deep cut. Smile is obvi also an authentic record if u listened 2 it. Katy’s big issue is that she doesn’t know how 2b in tune with the culture, & have the educated confidence 2 trendset. Being a pop star is an artform that requires a huge amount of social & artistic finesse. U could have a cult fanbase who buys everything u sell bc they’re obsessed with u, or u could make good music. Or u can b Britney Spears & do both without even trying,

[@bedshaped85]

@shawnbay2211 I never meant to imply Witness wasn't Katy's most personal record but more so how it was perceived by the PUBLIC to be her least authentic record. Obviously, Katy watchers from the start will recognize the artistic freedom Katy presented w/ that record as her most forward artistically. But how did that translate to the general population? Not well based on the data. I agree with you regarding pop longevity being an art form not even the greatest of all time (Whitney, MJ, Elvis, Prince) navigated it perfectly.

[@tarotsushima3332]

​@@shawnbay2211That's the thing about her. No matter what she does, she really can't sell that authenticity which is why her more cheeky big blowout style songs keep getting hits. I don't think anyone doubts that she was vulnerable making Witness or that its failure to chart didn't affect her, but if you're making a heel turn to 'purposeful pop' and still make it sound hokey, it's gonna come off as shallow, no matter how you try to show it. That and the timing of it really did feel like Katy was trying to rebrand to fit the climate at the time than out of any genuine self reflection and it bombed even worse. And then proceeded to learn nothing from that and put out Woman's World

[@charnelveil669]

I swear that WW are constantly trying to sarcastically justify themselves when they're called out for Cultural Appropriation instead of holding themselves accountable..

[@Missjunebugfreak]

It makes sense since that accountability would mean admitting they did something wrong and are part of the problem. And most WW don't want to deal with the level of awareness about their privilege.

[@eponymouscharacter]

I go “urgh” every time a Katy Perry song starts playing but I will give her credit for putting on an amazing show in South Africa a few years ago. I went along because we don’t get many big artists come, especially while they’re still relatively popular (fun fact: an upcoming major music festival is being headlined by Green Day, The Offspring and Robbie Williams. I’m not even joking). And often when artists come, they don’t put on the full show with the sets and costumes. Katy did it all. I still don’t willingly listen to her music but that concert was a great night out and glad I went.

[@jaylaalle5827]

i like katy’s older songs, but i think the downfall of her career is upsetting but not surprising. ‘witness’ is truly her fall from grace.

[@Dannatella]

It’s so insane to me how people forget that Katy sexually assaulted a person on American Idol…. She also was accused of a similar thing by a model in her video for teenage dream

[@kyliem9227]

She also was inappropriate with Justin Bieber while he was a teenager

[@Bluestarferies]

Don’t you think that such accusation shouldn’t be thrown around so lightly?

[@kyliem9227]

@@Bluestarferies it's on video. it's not an accusation. Look it up.

[@Bluestarferies]

@@kyliem9227 if it’s there’s evidence online that she actually did what you’re accusing her of then why isn’t she facing a lawsuit or persecution? Maybe because y’all like to exaggerate and throw serious accusations around like it’s nothing taking away from actual sexual assault victims and the severity of the situation.

[@kyliem9227]

@@Bluestarferies or maybe stans can't take the fact their celebrity gods aren't who they think are. She's a pr3dator. Argue with the wall.

[@hocejorn]

maybe she should've look at Carly Rae's career decisions. Carly may no longer have chart topping songs but she's continuously evolving and perfecting her own artistry while maintaining a solid following.

[@dinasilva9263]

Naomi thank you for all these amazing videos. I appreciate your hard work so much❤

[@naomi.cannibal]

@@dinasilva9263 thank you so much 🫶🏾

[@5196Tpffan]

Recently I heard a song by a singer named Fletcher that samples "I Kissed A Girl" and it changes it to make it more LGBT-friendly [Fletcher I believe is also gay]

[@Stphndotexe]

If she attached 365 to the witness or smile era, I PROMISE she would’ve seen more success with those albums cause that song was slept on! As was Never Really Over! There seems to be a certain pocket and type of song that falls right into Katy’s bag and those two songs of recent years definitely showcase what she can excel in to me. Im really curious to see what this new album will give cause the lead single flopped so fucking hard, it’s disappointing

[@BlackStarrTurnsHeel]

Prism and Witness was Katy Perry's heel run. Smile is when she turned back into a babyface. 😂

[@BlackGritsDoesIt]

I mean: 🗣️ PRESENT

[@curly75]

I was under the impression that You’re So Gay was saying he’s in love with/“gay” for himself, hence “and you don’t even like boys”

[@sunsetpov824]

UR so Gay is such a bop tho pls and the TRUMPETS NEAR THE ENDDHDHSJS

[@closetedopinions1185]

I appreciate your thoughts and I can agree with a lot of your points. I will give my thoughts on Woman’s World and it is that the MV is too short for the message to be clear. The first half it’s about how feminism was viewed in its early days: women trying to be equal to men in every way and how it was viewed as women trying to replace men in the world. The second half is how the environment is currently, how women are different in a lot of ways and how feminism is defined by the individual and not much by the collective. That’s why I feel that it seems chaotic in the second half. I think the MV would’ve been served better by being longer and fleshing out a lot of those ideas. The clear examples of this is having Trisha pulling a 4x4 truck with huge tires while still being overtly sexy in her dressing style and contrasting that with the woman that is washing dishes in her house, with a more subdued outfit choice, which can be seen as the stay at home mom or the “traditional” woman role. To wrap up this long comment, I feel Katy is a victim of people just wanting to h8 on her. She works with Dr. Luke and it’s an issue but the same was not said about Nicki, Doja and the countless of other mainstream pop artists that have worked with him since the Kesha trials. Even if this album doesn’t do well, Katy will always have a legacy that is unmatched by a lot of pop artists. I will still listen to her new album because I enjoy her work and she’s a fellow Scorpio, so of course imma support 🤣

[@johnshepard1427]

Damn. This video is so thorough and articulates my thoughts to T. Great work!

[@studionine4587]

I never heard of the Smile album but it looks cool. Honestly I'm one of those who weren't checking for Katy. I'm rooting for her to get back to her roots so I'll give it a listen.

[@orangespark2340]

Honestly i think a problem with Katy's career is that ever since Prism, every single album has felt like a reset, a full rebrand of her identity, while other artists do change their style up a bit with different albums but have trademarks. Think Ariana Grande, she went from hiphop influences to r&b influences to house influences but you could still tell it was an Ariana record. Or Miley who changed from country influences to pop-punk to standard pop ballads, but whatever she made you knew it was Miley. Katy just doesn't really have that, all her projects in the last 10 years have felt like an attempt to change who Katy Perry is.

[@jovic_sawyer]

No way James Corden finded a way to invade even the Katy's transmission

[@Aeunax123]

1:33 weirdly i dont remember people disliking IKAG, but I remember the other kids in my middle school and I just thinking she was a lesbian

[@meghansullivan6812]

I feel like most of the criticism came a couple years after!!

[@V2080Remixes]

Wow it's so strange to think that 143 might be the last Katy Perry album ever. I don't think she can ever come back to this after fumbling 3 eras back to back unless a miracle happens. One thing is for sure tho, she left a huge mark on pop culture with Teenage Dream and no one can deny its importance in 2010s pop music

[@DM-br7vt]

Never really over and Harleys were amazing singles

[@salt3685]

I think a big thing about her is just that she’s from a very conservative background and even though she’s definitely trying to liberate herself from that scene, she does so by trying to force herself into conversations and spaces that she has very little true understanding of so it often comes off at best just a little disingenuous, and at worst extremely shallow.

[@emigramsh9209]

Katy Perry seems like the type who wanted to be a pop star. I think she doesn't care about her art much she just wants to sing and it must be frustrating for her that that's not enough for her audience. Her songs lack depth. Even generic pop songs usually have a theme but her songs seem to mainly want to appeal to a vibe. It kinda stays surface level. Which is fine but she probably still wishes a popstar only had to sing and dance to reach that stardom that she wants.

[@shaneclawson5854]

Great video, Naomi! I think your statement KP keeps telling us how to feel sums up most of people's reception to her recent music roll outs. Why can't KP just release her projects and we experience them without her having to over explain or label her work for us to digest ?

[@mydogdoesntlikeu]

Been a KatyCat since One Of The Boys. Katy was the very first concert I attended (California Dreams Tour). It saddens me that she doesn’t seem to have the stardom she deserves since Witness, an album that I adore and can’t believe it’s her “downfall”, it’s so underrated it hurts, same thing goes for Smile.

[@crystalcastillo7575]

its so crazy to me that for an ENTIRE ERA gwen stefani walked around with a couple asian women as accessories.. like bruhhhhhh

[@jurassicstaff8639]

I still love chained to the rhythm 🤍🩷🤍🩷🤍 loved the video and theme ( had.no idea or was a political song ) lol but loved her outfits while performing it! Then she just did the same thing as miley for bangers like 2 years prior, and bon apatite was a good song until I saw the video , her facial expressions then swish swish and the snl performance after that , the facial expressions killed it for me , at least we got backpack kid and now I know what flossing is lmfao

[@meghansullivan6812]

This is such an engaging and well done video!!!!!

[@toyosibee.mp3]

SMILE IS SUCH A FEEL-GOOD SONG!!

[@asapling]

I was watching Todd In The Shadows's vid of Witness when I saw this pop-up in my recommendeds.

[@funde19]

Great vid. Your makeup is fantastic (in every video I've seen of you but also today).

[@shakurelisa]

She had so much going for her back in the Teenage Dream era, I don‘t even know how she messed that up but it still seems to be getting worse

[@melsglued]

i just want the best for katy perry, why is it so hard to ask😭😭

[@izzieb.2926]

I've said it once and I'll say it again: Katy needs to make a rock-inspired album. She has the perfect voice for it and it would've been slightly reminiscent of her debut 'one of the boys' era (although I might be a bit biased since I think most artists should make a rock album or pull a demi lovato and release a collection of rock versions of their hits, but my point still stands).

[@realSimoneCherie]

I sense she’ll always have an audience because there has always been bubblegum, unserious feel-good pop in our retail stores and commercials but I don’t think Katy, Meghan or anyone similar can expect to avoid criticisms like this when that is the work they produce

[@luvmdna666]

Great video, thank you for this

[@Ripley._.]

I really wish the concept of orientalism was more widely discussed at the time of the VMA performance and dark horse music video. I feel like it's an element of critique that's missing and is something people were getting at but didn't really know what to call other than cultural appropriation.

[@ricardobezerra2712]

Witness visuals were pretty much a rip off of Kylie Minogue's X era

[@mlkcartonangel]

Chained to the Rhythm takes me back. All of this does, but in dance class we used that song for jumps!

[@startlestarfish]

I feel like she means well with trying to be more “political” or trying to ignite more serious conversations, but I don’t think she goes as deep as she should with certain topics, it’s like she doesn’t inform herself enough to have a better grasp at certain topics, like feminism, cultural appropriation, and so on. It’s like she’s not cut out for those conversations.

[@tager-b9c]

Katy is just too easy to bully, she's not shrewd enough, so everyone can judge her. She's often criticized for doing someting, but others can't be blamed for the same thing.

[@cheslxy]

She just doesn’t have the musical transition like Mariah’s Daydream to Butterfly or Xtina’s Debut to Stripped. Or Miley’s Hannah Montana to Can’t Be Tamed 😅

[@MT-yn5yn]

Another banger ❤

[@aryxn0]

Smile definitely had some bops in there, i never listened to that album in full, just the singles cuz i just didnt like the clown aesthetic but recently spotify shuffled played teary eyes and im obsessed with that song

[@chriscriss25]

I am so sorry. I know this is off topic. I came for the topic but, I must say you are stunning!

[@dgk6661]

I mean Woman’s World is good background noise at Hollister

[@msnewsenior]

Thanks for your commentary on Katy. I couldn’t remember why I didn’t 100% like the Prism era, music was fine but the videos sucked. Witness should’ve never happened as an album but three singles as a gap time could’ve worked. Loved Harley’s in Hawaii and wished she’d kept that sound. That being said KP6 looks grim but I’m hopeful.

[@sceetsceet03]

Naomi: Welcome or welcome back to my channel Me: Hey giiiiiiirl! Love your vids 🎉

[@naomi.cannibal]

@@sceetsceet03 Heyyyyy

[@vovabarnard6174]

Looking back on some of these music videos from the PRISM era, there were better ways to portray/use symbolism without appropriating other cultures

[@dali722]

baby 365 is that girl! If you haven't heard it, please do... Smile literally saved my life. I was so sad and depressed and it kept me going the music inspired me, and made me dance!

[@twist_of_lemon]

My fav katy perry era actually is the one before she even was katy perry, with songs like 'simple' and 'the box' In my opinion she could actually rebrand to that, or more like going back to being herself, and she would succed

[@samiliciou_s]

I’m low key excited for her new album....

[@eisaalhammoud5214]

i]I really want her new album to work, she doesn't deserve all that hate and criticism