Remember when Katy Perry was gleefully judging on American Idol for a while, leaving music making full time on an extended hiatus? We would go years without a release after she drops the disastrous album, 'Witness' to a massive flop. Then, all we had to do is watch her chuckle it up with her partners in crime Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie on American Idol. Now, she releases a new single "Woman's World," and it makes me yearn for those days back.
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I'm not sure we need Katy Perry the artist back. Evidently, we see Perry devoid of interesting ideas, sloppily co-opting different pop star aesthetics to compensate for her lack of identity. For every Kim Petras, SOPHIE, or Charli XCX, you get Katy dishonestly trying to sell it under some of her most sterile production to date.
Then, she leans on feminism as a crutch to give the single some sort of weight. However, it's far too vague to truly have any impact with listeners. It relies on cheap, faux inspiration, stating how a woman is winner, a champion, sister, mother, sexy, smart, confident. Moreover, Katy flails in her satire; there's no bite in her critiques of patriarchy. Rather, she flatly displays images of women doing 'manly' work, as if it was ever in doubt from anyone who isn't a ghoulish, cartoonish misogynist.
Katy Perry's Releases Flimsy Feminist Statement Single,"A Woman's World"
This isn't mentioning the deep irony lying behind her vapid feminist statement. The producer Dr. Luke is her go-to in her attempts to rake in pop success. Luke grapples with rape accusations from fellow pop star Kesha stemming from 2005 that come to light in 2014. They scrap it out in court for years, finally culminating in a settlement in 2023.
Katy Perry the feminist has no business turning her back on her fellow woman in favor of an alleged rapist. Yet, she aligns herself with him anyway because she's desperate to make her comeback. With Dr. Luke still leading with success in the shadows, she's clearly attempting to find allegiance with someone who strongly helped her career. Still, she tries to peddle the feminist narrative. It's lousy and lazy. But that was never in question when the song sounds the way it does.
So please Katy. Don't try and position yourself as this righteous ally. Not only is it dishonest, but it also doesn't work. It didn't work in 2017, it's not working now. When that American Idol slot opens back up, I'm begging you. Take it back. Kick your feet up and don't worry about trying to carve that pop lane for yourself again. If "Woman's World" is the kind of records that come from it, leave it alone.
