Katy Perry’s return to the pop music scene is long awaited. Fans waited four years for Katy’s latest album. During this span of time, she released some little known songs. Songs include Where We Started with Thomas Rhett and many more. None of these have been chart toppers. Some people didn’t even know that Katy released music during this time. To no one’s surprise, all eyes were on Katy when she announced her new album, 143, releasing on September 20, 2024. Fans were eager for the return of the Katy they knew and love. The Katy who made music that resonated with the audience. Not music that was purely made for selling singles.
Katy Perry rose to fame with her hit song “One of The Boys” released in 2008 (Billboard). Audiences grew to love and appreciate her for her music and lyrical skills. Some of my personal favorites from her album titled with the same name include I Kissed A Girl, Waking Up in Vegas, Hot N Cold and many more. The album proved to the world that Katy was extremely talented. Her sophomore and junior albums, Teenage Dream and PRISM, were just as incredible and solidified Katy’s role as a pop icon. These albums are beloved by all, and are a staple of the 2010s.
I began to notice a shift in Katy’s music beginning with her album titled Witness. To talk about this album, we need some background on the Dr. Luke and Kesha situation. Dr. Luke was not only linked to Kesha, but is said to have helped Katy rise to fame. He collaborated with her on “One of The Boys,” and was essential to the song becoming a hit (Levine, 2024). However, in 2014 Kesha filed a lawsuit against Dr. Luke for various forms of abuse. During this time, Katy Perry was in between albums.
Dr. Luke countersued Kesha for defaming him, and in 2020 won this lawsuit after text messages surfaced between Kesha and Lady Gaga where Kesha stated that Dr. Luke had also abused Katy. Kesha suffered mentally as a result of this, yet Dr. Luke’s reputation was severely damaged. All eyes were on Katy, a well known client of Dr. Luke’s company.
At the heigh of her career, Katy was praised as a feminist icon. Individuals felt empowered by her music and the injustice it indirectly sought to fight. By remaining with Dr. Luke, and staying silent about her thoughts on the situation, she contributed to the issue of victim blaming.
During this controversial period, which is still ongoing today, Katy released two albums. None of these albums resonated with fans as much as her earlier albums did. Even worse, none of the songs of these albums were chart-toppers. Many of the songs are forgotten unless someone brings them up.
Katy’s far from fame and pop-star status was swift. One moment she was headlining the Super Bowl and trending on social media for her icon backup dancer, the next she was struggling to even enter the Billboard Top 100. Katy constantly tried to rebuild her career, but nothing quite worked. After a four-year hiatus, Katy wanted to earn the title of pop-legend once again. When she announced her latest album, 143, she hoped to return to her glory days. Fans were excited about the possibility of getting the old Katy back. Katy even won the VMA Video Vanguard Award, a prestigious award honoring her lifetime achievements in music, presented to her by her fiancĂ© Orlando Bloom.
In June, Katy teased fans on what the album might sound like by releasing the single “I’M HIS HE’S MINE“. The song went viral on TikTok, much to the surprise on many. The single made many excited for this new era. On September 20, 2024 Katy Perry dropped the long awaited album. Many critics were not impressed, and were hoping for Katy to return to her level of popularity. The Associated Press said the album is “uninspired and forgettable” which is unlike Katy’s earlier songs. Variety criticized Katy and said she is “struggling to reclaim [her] past glory.”
The album is still new, and people are still getting used to the new Katy. Similar to how we can not return to our “Teenage Dream,” Katy is struggling to return to the music she once dominated. Those who truly love Katy will learn to appreciate her new style of music. Katy’s reputation is stained by her stance on Dr. Luke, and her reputation might not recover. Fans moved on to newer and younger artists, such as Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter, who make music a large number of individuals can relate to. Was Katy Perry’s return to pop music a flop? Or will fans learn to appreciate her evolving and changing sounds and lyrics?
