Katy Perry’s Comeback and The Problem with Choice Feminism

If you’ve spent any time in the pop culture space lately, you’ll have heard all about Katy Perry’s comeback with her so-called feminist anthem, “Woman’s World”. On top of that, she also just won the Video Vanguard award at the recent VMAs for the music video of this same song. At those same Video Music Awards, in her acceptance speech, she clapped back at the negative critics towards her new song. 

Many were excited that the pop star had finally returned with new music, but many were also equally disappointed for a multitude of reasons. I, myself, used to be a big Katy Perry listener back in my teenage years. I mean Katy Perry was a 2010 radio play icon, you couldn’t go anywhere without hearing the latest Katy Perry bop. 

However, the song “Woman’s World” specifically has caused quite a reaction from social media, mainly due to the producers behind it – namely Dr Luke, the very same person who has been under fire for the alleged abuse of singer Kesha. This collaboration between Katy Perry and Dr Luke on a feminist anthem nonetheless has garnered massive amounts of backlash in the social media space especially on the X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok platforms. 

So it’s safe to say that Katy Perry has caused quite a buzz, both good and bad – but mostly bad honestly, in the pop culture space. 

I, for one, feel it’s a very important time to mention how choice feminism has become so deeply intertwined with modern pop culture. Should we really be calling a song produced by an alleged abuser, a “feminist anthem”? Maybe, just maybe, some backlash is necessary? 

But before all that discourse, what is choice feminism? 

To put it incredibly simply, choice feminism is based on the idea that the inherent choices of women are feminist in nature – irrespective of the choices they make. Choice feminism has become a very poignant point of discourse in the feminist space, especially in the decolonial work that African feminist scholars are constantly expanding on. The problem with this idea is that it often leads to a non-political activism – a sort of neutrality that can be incredibly dangerous for the feminist cause. We have to hold ourselves and others accountable for the decisions we make and the company we keep. 

Decisions like, say, deciding to work with a known abuser on a so-called feminist anthem, doesn’t seem like a particularly feminist choice, does it? 

I’m not one to root for cancel culture, but I also think it’s important to be critical of the celebrities whose art we consume almost daily as well as the people we allow to have such massive platforms. At the end of the day, the media we consume has a massive effect on the way we live our lives and go about our daily business. 

I must admit, it’s true I do believe being delulu is the solulu. However, two things can be true at the same time, and I do think we should occasionally sit back and think critically about the artists we’re choosing to support and what they stand for.

Now more than ever, in this increasingly polarized pop culture space, it’s vital to be aware and hold accountable the artists we choose to give our time of day! 

• entertainment
• feminism
• katy perry