Is Katy Perry stuck in a "Teenage Dream?"

When pop icon Katy Perry announced her comeback to pop music after four years, it felt like the cherry on top of an already stellar year of music, but her new era may not be off to the best start.

When I say the name Katy Perry…what is the first word that comes to mind? For me, it would have to be icon. Yes, I said it…ICON. Sure, she has not had the most successful last two album cycles (Witness and Smile) but we cannot forget the impact she has had on pop music in the last decade. When Perry announced that she was stepping down from being a judge on American Idol, and coming out with new music, the pop music world went into a frenzy. “KP6 IS COMING” was trending worldwide, and rightfully so. But when new details emerged of her new single “Woman’s World” and upcoming album 143, it all went downhill.

One could say that the rollout for Perry’s new album has been messy, but that would be an understatement. After revealing the title of her new single, “Woman’s World” and sharing a few snippets online, not long after, details of her upcoming album were leaked. The major detail being that pop producer Dr. Luke was producing her new album. For those of you who don’t know Dr. Luke, I’m not going to spare you the details because that would be another post itself, but just know that he has had some serious sexual abuse allegations brought against him, the most high profile one being his court battles with singer-songwriter Kesha. The general public and fans of the singer were quick to call Perry out for coming out with a feminist anthem while working with someone who is the complete opposite. When Perry’s new song dropped on July 11th, many were not impressed. Some saying that she is stuck in the sound of the 2010s, while others calling Perry a hypocrite. Pitchfork did not shy away, giving an absolutely scathing review of the song, saying, the song’s empowering message “rang false, simply because it was co-written and co-produced by Dr. Luke”, and that was one of the nicer reviews.

I will admit, I have been a “KatyCat” (her fandom name) for my entire life. When she first came on the scene with “I Kissed A Girl” it was during a period of my life where I was exploring music for the first time. Being a fan of her music, I really want her to succeed…but it just seems like she keeps making misstep after misstep. Although I am a fan, that doesn’t mean that I shy away from giving criticism, and in this case, it may be needed. After listening and sitting with the lead single, I so desperately want to see Perry get the success she once had with her (now DIAMOND certified) album Teenage Dream, but I do understand and happen to agree with some of the criticisms. The production isn’t anything special or unheard of, the lyrical content could be a lot better, and the visual she released didn’t add anything to the song. All of that aside, maybe that is why Katy Perry seems not be as successful as she once was…maybe she is stuck living in a “Teenage Dream.” Now the question on my mind is…can she do anything to revive her career back to her peak pop days?

Katy Perry is known for being bombastic, campy, and inspirational with her music. Songs like “Firework” and “Roar” are some of the biggest pop hits in history. For a while, it worked for her, because it came across as authentic. It seems these days, that while she still may be trying to create those inspirational pop bangers, for some reason, it comes across less and less authentic. There is proof that you can still have those big pop hits, while still being authentic and vulnerable. Artists like Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, and Charli xcx have been doing a superb job at that this year. That’s what I want to see more of from Perry: vulnerability, because when you’re vulnerable, you’re also being authentic. Maybe even an album where she strips back the big pop persona, and instead of being Katy Perry, gives us a little glimpse into the life of Kathryn Hudson.