Katy Perry's comeback single is already being criticized — and it's not even out yet (2024)

At the time, "Smile" was similarly marketed as a rebirth following backlash to the so-called "purposeful pop" of Perry's previous album, 2017's "Witness."

Since then, Perry has laid relatively low for a chart-topping, record-breaking superstar. She gave birth to her first child with Orlando Bloom, a daughter named Daisy Dove, in August 2020. The following year, she launched "Play," an 80-show Las Vegas residency. Perry has also served as a judge on "American Idol" for seven seasons, wrapping her final episode in May.

As these endeavors neared their ends, Perry began dropping hints about a splashy comeback — and the timing has not gone unnoticed.

Over a decade has elapsed since Perry released a celebrated album (2013's "Prism"). Her most recent charting hit was "Daisies," which peaked at No. 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2020.

In the words of @mazzypopstar, a pop culture commentary account on X: "Last two albums flopped, no hits since bon appetit and swish swish, harleys in hawaii streams aren't paying the bills anymore, landlord knocking on the door, she has ONE chance…"

When Perry finally kicked off her new era this week, she paired the announcement with a short snippet of "Woman's World" on TikTok. The video shows Perry lip-synching to a set of lyrics, which seem to focus on female empowerment, individuality, and strength — themes Perry has explored many times in songs like "Firework" (2010), "Roar" (2013), and "Resilient" (2020).

"Sexy, confident / So intelligent," Perry sings. "She is heaven-sent / So soft, so strong."

However, Perry's retreat to a familiar formula has not inspired faith in the masses — at least not judging by the early reactions on social media.

"I was rooting for Katy but these lyrics are so dated," one skeptic wrote on X. "It's giving 2016 Hillary Clinton presidential campaign material."

Some people mocked the song's production and overall sound, leaving harsh comments across TikTok.

At the time of writing, the top comment on Perry's own video reads, "Get in the studio right now and re-record this song." Another says, "Are these AI lyrics??"

In separate videos, various creators said the clip sounds like "cliché drivel" and "an ARTPOP reject track," referring to Lady Gaga's 2013 album.

Some fan accounts went so far as to claim that Perry shared the video as a prank and the snippet was generated by AI, as some kind of bait-and-switch promotional tactic. (It is true the "Woman's World" sound has been removed from TikTok, but there's no real evidence or confirmation from Perry's team to support this theory.)

Many others criticized Perry's new visual direction, accusing her of cribbing aesthetics from niche pop musicians like Charli XCX — who's enjoying a wave of positive reviews for her new album "Brat" — and the Venezuelan producer Arca.

One disapproving post on X, which has racked up over 57,000 likes, accuses Perry of manufacturing a certain look in order to appeal to "the lowest common denominator gay guys."

A significant amount of the ire directed at Perry was sparked by a rumor that "Woman's World" was coproduced by Dr. Luke (real name Łukasz Gottwald), whom Kesha publicly accused of emotional and sexual abuse.

Kesha herself added fuel to the fire, simply writing "lol" on X shortly after Perry shared her announcement.

Rolling Stone confirmed Gottwald's involvement on Wednesday. He is one of several producers who collaborated with Perry on her forthcoming album, joining hitmakers like Max Martin and Stargate, according to a label source.

"Katy knew exactly the album she wanted to make and put together the team to make it happen," a Capitol Records source told Rolling Stone.

A representative for Perry did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.