Katy Perry’s New Song Criticized Pre-Release
Katy Perry, known for her role as a judge on “American Idol,” recently announced her new single, “Woman’s World,” set to release on July 11. The pop star shared a brief snippet of the song on TikTok, hinting at a theme of female empowerment. However, despite the song’s official release being weeks away, it has already faced significant criticism.
On Monday, Perry revealed the cover art and title for “Woman’s World,” which will be the lead single for her sixth album with Capitol Records. “Get ready to pop off,” Perry wrote, signaling her return to the music scene. This upcoming album will be her first since 2020’s “Smile,” which received a lukewarm reception from both critics and fans. Business Insider’s music team rated “Smile” a mere 4.6 out of 10.
“Smile” was marketed as a rebirth following the backlash to Perry’s 2017 album “Witness.” Since then, Perry has kept a relatively low profile for a superstar. She gave birth to her first child with Orlando Bloom, a daughter named Daisy Dove, in August 2020. In 2021, she launched “Play,” an 80-show Las Vegas residency. Perry has also been a judge on “American Idol” for seven seasons, wrapping up her final episode in May.
As these projects concluded, Perry began hinting at a major comeback. Over a decade has passed since Perry released a widely celebrated album, 2013’s “Prism.” Her last charting hit was “Daisies,” which peaked at No. 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2020.
A pop culture commentary account on X, @mazzypopstar, noted, “Last two albums flopped, no hits since bon appetit and swish swish, harleys in hawaii streams aren’t paying the bills anymore, landlord knocking on the door, she has ONE chance…”
When Perry kicked off her new era this week, she paired the announcement with a short snippet of “Woman’s World” on TikTok. The video shows Perry lip-synching to lyrics that emphasize female empowerment, individuality, and strength — themes she has explored in songs like “Firework” (2010), “Roar” (2013), and “Resilient” (2020). “Sexy, confident / So intelligent,” Perry sings. “She is heaven-sent / So soft, so strong.”
However, Perry’s return to familiar themes has not inspired confidence among many listeners, judging by early reactions on social media. One user on X wrote, “New Katy Perry snippet is the worst thing I’ve ever heard,” while another commented, “I was rooting for Katy but these lyrics are so dated, it’s giving 2016 Hillary Clinton presidential campaign material.”
Some people mocked the song’s production and overall sound, leaving harsh comments on TikTok. The top comment on Perry’s own video reads, “Get in the studio right now and re-record this song.” Another user questioned, “Are these AI lyrics??”
Various creators on TikTok described the clip as “cliché drivel” and “an ARTPOP reject track,” referring to Lady Gaga’s 2013 album. Some fan accounts even speculated that Perry shared the video as a prank and that the snippet was generated by AI, though there’s no evidence to support this theory.
Many others criticized Perry’s new visual direction, accusing her of copying aesthetics from niche pop musicians like Charli XCX and the Venezuelan producer Arca. One disapproving post on X, which garnered over 57,000 likes, accused Perry of manufacturing a certain look to appeal to “the lowest common denominator gay guys.”
A significant amount of the backlash was fueled by a rumor that “Woman’s World” was co-produced by Dr. Luke (Łukasz Gottwald), whom Kesha publicly accused of emotional and sexual abuse. Kesha herself added to the controversy by simply writing “lol” on X shortly after Perry’s announcement.
Rolling Stone confirmed Dr. Luke’s involvement on Wednesday. He is one of several producers who collaborated with Perry on her forthcoming album, joining hitmakers like Max Martin and Stargate, according to a label source. “Katy knew exactly the album she wanted to make and put together the team to make it happen,” a Capitol Records source told Rolling Stone.
A representative for Perry did not immediately respond to Business Insider’s request for comment.
