Katy Perry: Another Pop Diva in Peril
Can Katy Perry pull off the comeback?
The pop divas are currently having a moment. Miley Cyrus won her first Grammy, Taylor Swift and Beyonce reinvented live performances with their record-breaking tours and Sabrina Carpenter, Charli XCX and Chappel Roan’s careers are skyrocketing. However, some of the ghosts of pop icons past are having a harder time. Justin Timberlake was recently arrested for a DWI and Jennifer Lopez had to cancel her stadium tour due to abysmal ticket sales. However despite the turning tides, Katy Perry seems determined to reclaim her spot on the Mount Rushmore of pop music with her new single “A Woman’s World.”
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The single is Katy’s first release since her 2020 album “Smile,” which debuted at #5 on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart but dropped to #54 in week two. She teased a snippet of the song on June 17 via TikTok, in which she revealed the pithy lyrics: “Sexy, confident. So intelligent. She is heaven sent. So soft, so strong.” The comment section was unfiltered, with fans writing things like “are these AI lyrics???” and “why does this feel like the sims music?” (Fair.) However, Katy then deleted the original TikTok (and later re-posted…) and posted a new teaser on June 22, with a different song of the same title, featuring the lyrics, “it’s a woman’s world and you’re lucky to be living in it,” telling fans “that’s all you get.”’
In addition, Rolling Stone revealed that the track, among others, was produced by Dr. Luke, who is the same producer who allegedly “sexually, physically, verbally and emotionally” abused Kesha throughout the duration of their professional relationship. Kesha first formally accused Dr. Luke of abuse in a 2014 lawsuit, and only reached a settlement last year on June 22, 2023. Fans continue to point out the discrepancy between the song’s central theme and the history of the producer on the track. However, X/Twitter user @electricrafik claims that Katy Perry is contractually obligated to complete three more albums with Dr Luke.
Only time will tell if Katy Perry can overcome the obstacles that have thwarted her peers’ attempts at comebacks to the pop game. What do you think?