Katy Perry is scrambling to save her career after experiencing one of the most notorious flops in pop music history with her poorly-received comeback single.
Perry released ‘Woman’s World’ last week after a month of teasing fans, but the track and its accompanying video were met with ridicule.
The star’s record label invested big bucks into her new album, but the song has missed the top 40 in numerous countries and failed to chart altogether in Australia.
Critics have labelled the single “dated,” “disastrous,” and The Guardian critic claimed he felt “stupider” every time she listened to the ill-fated attempt at a feminist anthem.
It’s a wild shift for Perry, who was once arguably the biggest pop star in the world when she managed to score a record-breaking five number one singles in the US from her Teenage Dream album.
Perry’s first major mistake was choosing to once again collaborate with Dr Luke, and on a female empowerment anthem of all things.
The former American Idol judge rose to fame alongside Kesha, and the pair were pals for years as aspiring pop stars. Kesha even made an appearance in Perry’s music video for her debut single ‘I Kissed A Girl’ back in 2008.
The producer, whose real name is Lukasz Gottwald, denied all allegations, including Kesha’s shocking claim that he raped Perry — something she herself has denied.
As a result, Perry’s misguided decision to pair with Dr Luke in an attempt to relive her glory days has been met with almost universal negative backlash on social media.
Just weeks after seemingly riding a wave of goodwill that appeared to promise that a comeback was on the cards for Perry, she has become a pariah among her peers.
“Katy is freaking out right now because she is very aware of the feedback that ‘Woman’s World’ is getting,” an insider told The Daily Mail. “She is pointing the fingers at everyone but herself, but it is her own fault.”
The poorly judged music video, which Perry has claimed was an attempt at “on-the-nose satire”, now has more dislikes than likes, truly showcasing the level of backlash being directed at a star once beloved for her kooky video clips.
“She’s finished,” reads one of the most-liked replies to the video, while another says, “Imagine throwing away all that goodwill just to work with Dr Luke again.”
A source previously claimed that those closest to Perry thought she was “insane” for deciding to collaborate with the producer again.
“She was insane to think that Dr Luke was a good idea,” the insider told The Daily Mail. “She didn’t listen to anyone. Instead of diving deep and creating art she put something out that sounded like it could have been on an album of hers from 2010.”
Perry’s new album is due for release next month, and she’s already begun teasing another single after ‘Woman’s World’ limped onto the charts.
However, the single, titled ‘Lifetimes’, is already facing ridicule on social media with many suggesting the single sounds “faceless”.
After Perry’s last two albums failed to replicate her former success, she has everything riding on her new record to help save her from the pits of pop obscurity.
Sadly for Perry, she seems destined, even determined, to whittle away at her legacy — well, at least what little remains of it at this point in her career.
“Sexy, confident... so intelligent,” she sings in the much-maligned opening lines of ‘Woman’s World’. And while no one can deny she’s either of the former, the latter is currently up for debate considering her latest baffling career choices.
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