Katy Perry’s ‘Woman’s World’ Is a Terrible Disappointment

Katy Perry‘s “Woman’s World” could have been the comeback of the century. Instead, the “Firework” singer might have just destroyed the remnants of her career. While trying to play to her strengths, Perry horribly misjudged her appeal.

Katy Perry’s ‘Woman’s World’ should have had a better hook

Perry doesn’t inspire the same level of respect as other pop artists like Michael Jackson, Prince, or Madonna, but during her peak, she was good at tone thing: hooks. Love or hate a song like “California Gurls” or “Teenage Dream,” but after a few listens, you’ll remember it for the rest of your life. However, during a 2024 interview with Apple Music 1, Perry described herself as a singer who, first and foremost, singer self-empowerment anthems.

“I think that people, when they think of me, they think of ‘Roar,’ they think of ‘Firework,’ sometimes they think of ‘I Kissed a Girl,’ but I think mostly they think of these kind of empowering songs,” she said. “Songs with a message, songs that are captions on t-shirts and stuff like that or things that help people get through. 

“And I love that,” she added. “I love hearing the stories and really, I write these songs from a place where I need to get through something. But so I wanted to continue with that and also, this is the first contribution I have given since becoming a mother and since feeling really connected to my feminine divine.”

The lyrics and video for ‘Woman’s World’ are poor

Sadly, Perry doesn’t understand her own appeal. She had one good empowerment song: “Firework.” Her other attempts at musical uplift are mediocre at best. “Part of Me” is fine. “Roar” is sluggish. Her lesser-known inspirational tracks “What Makes a Woman” and “Daisy” deserve to continue languishing in obscurity. It’s disappointing that Perry decided to go the empowerment route at a time when she needed to be at the top of her game.

Of course, artists are allowed to go outside of their comfort zones. Just because Perry wrote middling inspirational songs in the past doesn’t mean she can’t write a good song now in that genre. However, the lyrics of “Woman’s World” are dull pandering. Lines like “Sexy, confident / So intelligent / She is heaven-sent / So soft, so strong” could appear in a disposable ad for Dove soap.

The music video only makes things worse. It starts with Perry as a sexy Rosie the Riveter. It feels less like feminism and more like some lost World War II pinup photo that you would hate to find in your grandad’s journal. Is it a feminist statement or a spoof?

Then, Perry gets hit with an anvil like Wile E. Coyote. She resurrects as a sexy cyborg, rides in a monster truck with Trisha Paytas, and dances with an influencer. It’s a bunch of nonsense that feels like it doesn’t deserve to be decoded.

Can Katy Perry recover?

Is it over for Perry? She hasn’t had a real hit since 2017’s “Chained to the Rhythm.” The world doesn’t seem desperate for new music from her. If “Woman’s World” had an undeniable hook, it would be a welcome comeback. As it is, “Woman’s World” feels like a disappointing prologue to a once massive career.