Katy Perry is making a grand return to the music scene with her new single “Woman’s World,” set to release on July 11. The music video will follow a day later on July 12. This marks Perry’s first new music since her 2020 album “Smile.”
The 39-year-old pop sensation shared a teaser of the track on TikTok and Instagram, where she lip-synced to the lyrics, “sexy, confident/so intelligent/she is heaven sent/so soft, so strong.” In the video, Perry donned a white mesh bikini and metal boots, which also feature in the single’s artwork.
Perry’s announcement comes shortly after her emotional farewell on the season finale of “American Idol” on May 19. She hugged fellow judges Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie as the season’s winner, Abi Carter, performed Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?”
Earlier this year, Perry revealed on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” that the 22nd season of “American Idol” would be her last. “I love Idol so much,” she said. “It’s connected me with the heart of America, but I feel like I need to go out and feel that pulse to my own beat.”
Perry joined “American Idol” as a judge in 2018 and remained for seven seasons. She mentioned that her fellow judges were aware of her plans to leave and that she had “some things planned for this year.”
“They figure I’ve been in the studio for a while, so they figured something is coming,” Perry explained. “I love the show so much, but I wanna go and see the world and maybe bring new music.”
“Woman’s World” is now available for pre-save and pre-order. The single’s cover art, shot by Jack Bridgland, features Perry in metallic armor-like pants and a bikini top. She also shared a brief clip of the song on TikTok, captioned in all caps, “WOMAN’S WORLD SONG JULY 11 VIDEO JULY 12 PRE-SAVE + PRE-ORDER GET READY TO POP OFF KATYPERRY.COM.”
Details about Perry’s upcoming sixth studio album remain scarce, with no title or release date announced yet. It’s been nearly four years since her last album, “Smile,” which debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 but was her weakest-performing album in years.
Since “Smile,” Perry has been busy with her Las Vegas residency, “Play,” which ran from 2021 to 2023. The final performance in November hinted at her new era, with a message on the screen reading, “See you next year.”
Outside of music, Perry has also been a judge on “American Idol” for seven seasons. In February, she announced that the 22nd season would be her last, and she wrapped up her stint on the show in May. In September, she sold her music catalog for $255 million to Litmus Music, a Carlyle-backed company that also acquired Keith Urban’s master recordings.
Fans are eagerly awaiting the release of “Woman’s World” and the new era of music that Perry is about to unveil. With her return to the music scene, Perry is set to make waves once again.
