Is Katy Perry right to worry about her new album, or was "Woman's World" just a bad first single?

I happened upon a press release a couple of weeks ago, extolling to me and the wider media circle that Katy Perry was back - with “Woman’s World” being her new single.

At that point, I honestly thought that this was an unusual, if not quite amusing marketing strategy upon seeing the single artwork. There she was - Perry, with a cybernetic exoskeleton around her legs, in what honestly felt like artwork you’d find airbrushed on a T-shirt, or the side of a stereotypical ‘70s van, “Dazed and Confused” style. 

“Ah! Maybe she’s trying to become a meme to cast herself to a wider audience that perhaps wasn’t born or coherent enough when the controversial “I Kissed a Girl” was released, marking her first number #1 on the US singles charts. 

I thought, as a confessed fan of Perry, that it was a clever move that subverted her usual approach to promoting a new release. But alas, when the single finally dropped and the music video released - well… more fool me for thinking this was some elaborate prank.

It still could be, but it’s hard to think that way considering the detriment the single has had on the goodwill Perry has fostered. Now reports from the likes of Daily Mail are suggesting that Perry is in “crisis mode” over the backlash, ridicule and poor first-week charting of the lead single from “143.”

For some, it would appear that Katy Perry’s time has come and perhaps she should set off into the sunset, happy with her accomplishments. But that could come across as ageist; why should she shuffle off into the sunset when plenty more female artists have had lengthy careers?

Well, given the sour taste of the single and the producer in question, perhaps after this album now might be a good time to evaluate if putting herself in front of the court of public scrutiny once again is worth it.

So why has Katy Perry so sharply turned from one of America’s most beloved pop stars to now a singer who has almost lost all her goodwill for the variety of producers involved in her new works? Should she be worried about the low ranking of “Woman’s World” compared to her other lead singles? 

Leave it to me to take an analytical look at the cause celebre surrounding Katy Perry this week. 

What is the controversy behind Katy Perry’s new album?

Where to begin here - perhaps the biggest issue with Katy Perry’s forthcoming album is that it’s produced by Dr Luke (Łukasz Sebastian Gottwald), who was also a key producer for “Woman’s World.” 

Dr Luke was part of an embittered lawsuit with pop star and previous collaborator Kesha initiated in October 2014. In the initial lawsuit, the “Tik Tok” singer accused Dr. Luke of emotional distress, sex-based hate crimes, and employment discrimination. 

In response, Dr. Luke sued Kesha and her mother for defamation and breach of contract, denying the allegations and claiming the suit was an attempt to force him to release Kesha from her recording contract.

The legal battle involved lawsuits in both New York and California. Kesha's claims included sexual harassment, abuse, and emotional distress. A preliminary injunction request by Kesha was denied in February 2016, and her counter-claims were dismissed by a New York judge in April 2016. Kesha's appeal efforts included a deposition in June 2016 where she detailed her allegations.

On June 22, 2023, Kesha and Dr. Luke announced that they had settled, but fans of Katy Perry point to this lawsuit as a very bad look regarding her work, especially with a single regarding “female empowerment.”

Though Perry was not directly involved in the suit, she was subpoenaed to provide testimony in the case relating to the claims about Dr Luke's behaviour and practices.

Then, there’s the single “Woman’s World” itself.

What have critics and fans said of her first single, “Woman’s World?”

It’s been pretty much universally panned; critics have felt that the song seems incredibly dated despite having that “hot girl summer” vibe that other pop artists have extolled between Perry’s last album and her upcoming work, “143” (code for “I Love You.”) 

Its themes of female empowerment were seen as cynical, owing to Dr Luke’s involvement in producing the work, with the music video itself derided as trying to “steer clear” of the male gaze and at the same time leaning into it - with at one point Perry “refuelling” her dystopian future self with petrol by inserting the nozzle of the petrol pump where the son doesn’t shine. 

Moreso, many just felt like the single sounded dated: Laura Snapes of The Guardian called “Woman’s World” “garbage" which "made me feel stupider every sorry time I listened to it,” with Shaad D'Souza of Pitchfork calling the track "unfathomably tepid" and "too dispiriting to even approach camp."

Is “Women’s World” the worst-ranking lead single by Katy Perry?

Not at all, if Billboard’s estimation of “Woman’s World” is correct. Perry has a history of entering the singles charts low and ending up in pole position. Don’t believe it? I made a graph to prove it, for empirical evidence. 

For the most part, Perry’s singles that have entered the Billboard Top 100 do chart quite low but have always managed to garner a surge up the charts in the following weeks. While Billboard estimates that “Woman’s World” will enter at #52, it’s not the lowest one of her lead singles has charted.

“I Kissed a Girl,” her first single from her debut album (as Katy Perry, not Katy Hudson), entered the Billboard Top 100 at #76 but climbed to the number one spot seven weeks later. However, while many of her songs ended up climbing the charts, her last lead single, “Daisies,” peaked at #40 and started to fall shortly afterwards.

It might demonstrate a lack of interest in Perry’s new works, considering the likes of Sabrina Carpenter are flying the flag for fun, upbeat pop music that still has an element of edge to it. It might just be that Perry’s latest single is dated - or that her next single fairs a lot better like “Teenage Dream” and “Hot n Cold” both did as follow-up singles. 

What could Katy Perry do to save face?

That’s been the discussion online, be it on social media or several videos on YouTube breaking down the drama (or “spilling the tea,” so a younger family member tells me it’s called.)

One of the top-rated posts regarding the single debacle on r/popculturechat suggests that Katy Perry scrap the album or at least rework several songs that Dr Luke was involved in the minimise his fingerprints on the album. 

That user also suggested that perhaps Perry undertakes a tour of smaller venues, akin to her rise to stardom, and just perform the pop classics that helped make her a household name in the first place.

But it’s ultimately her association with Dr Luke that is causing a great amount of consternation about “143,” so with reports of her going back to the drawing board to avert a potential album flop, we can laugh amongst ourselves at “Woman’s World,” but she’s a habit ascending the top of the music charts despite stuttering starts. 

Katy Perry’s new album, “143,” is set for release currently on September 20 2024 through Capitol Records.