What Happened to Katy Perry’s Career? A look at one of pop music’s most abrupt downfalls

[Speed X]

Spoiler

What Happened to Katy Perry’s Career?

By ADAM DELIN
Decembers 6, 2020

Katy Perry was one of the most successful and prolific pop stars from the late 2000s to the mid-2010s; her music was inescapable, her songs were almost always guaranteed to reach No. 1 on the charts and she had a large and dedicated fanbase. 

However, in 2020, the same cannot be said. Why did the general public turn on Perry, what could have been done to prevent this and how can her career be salvaged moving forward?

Off to a Great Start?

After a successful debut album in 2008 with “One of the Boys,” which gave us hits like “I Kissed a Girl” and “Hot N Cold,” Perry entered her most successful era yet. Her 2010 album “Teenage Dream” went on to make history by spawning five number one hits from a single album — an achievement that only Michael Jackson had accomplished with his album “Thriller” in 1982. 

Perry’s next album, “Prism,” was also massively successful, hitting No. 1 with hits like “Roar” and “Dark Horse.” Perry continued her hot streak by headlining the most-watched Super Bowl halftime show of all time in 2015, which holds that record to this day.

It wasn’t until 2016 that the cracks in Perry’s career began to show. During the 2016 election, Perry was a strong advocate and supporter of presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Several of Perry’s industry peers, such as Taylor Swift, preferred to remain silent during that election, seemingly in fear of losing a large amount of their fanbase. Many fans believe that Perry likely lost quite a bit of her support from the general public and casual fans because of her political activism. Perry performed her single “Rise” at the Democratic National Convention, and it was one of her first singles to underperform.

“Purposeful” Pop

After Clinton lost the election, Perry announced her comeback single “Chained to the Rhythm” and said that her new album “Witness” would be politically charged “purposeful pop.” “Chained to the Rhythm” performed decently, but Perry’s behavior, a poorly received new haircut and other factors that were outside of her control would lead the general public to completely turn on Perry during the “Witness” era, and she has yet to gain back fans’ support. What caused the “Witness” era to be a disaster for Perry’s career can be narrowed down to several factors.

Perry’s “purposeful pop” and “wokeness” felt like inauthentic virtue-signaling. The fact that none of the album’s singles after “Chained to the Rhythm” touched on politics left listeners feeling like Perry had used political activism to promote her new music without actually following through with it. “Bon Appetit,” a song about s**, was criticized by her gay fans for featuring the notoriously homophobic rap group Migos. “Swish Swish,” the next single, was a diss track about Swift that many felt was anti-feminist. Fans were left puzzled, wondering when Perry would release something that actually felt “purposeful.” 

Her new “woke” identity felt even less authentic when she made fun of Britney Spears’ mental breakdown during the promotion of “Witness.” This prompted a lot of criticism from Spears’ fans and pop fans in general, and it contributed to the growing feeling that her new brand was just a façade.

Out of Style?

Perry was also hurt by her hiatus between “Prism” in 2013 and “Witness” in 2017. In 2013, Perry was still a relatively new artist, and taking four years to release another album was a mistake. The industry changed a lot from 2013 to 2017: Streaming became exponentially more popular, and pop music became less popular as hip hop began to dominate the charts. 

Perry’s absence during those four years made the general public begin to forget about her, and when she finally came back, the musical landscape was so different that she seemed a bit behind on the times and out of touch with what was “cool.”

Producer Troubles

Additionally, Perry’s career took a dive with the Dr. Luke scandal. Many people attribute the success and catchiness of Perry’s biggest hits from her first three albums to the man who produced them, Dr. Luke. After Kesha accused him of r***, Perry decided to stop working with him, making “Witness” her first album without him. However, she remained neutral when asked about the accusations, stating, “I want to stay out of it because I know them both and I empathize with both of them and obviously it’s a horrible situation for both of them. And the only two people that know what really went on are those two people.”

In my opinion, Dr. Luke had already begun to lose his touch as an amazing producer, and some of Perry’s newer songs like “Never Really Over” are proof that she can make amazing pop music without him. However, his absence on “Witness” was noted by several critics and was often cited as a reason why the album lacked the catchiness of Perry’s previous releases.

That SNL Performance

Lastly, Perry suffered from her “Saturday Night Live” performance of “Bon Appétit” and “Swish Swish.” Perry’s infamous and mocked 2017 “SNL” performance was the final nail in the coffin for the “Witness” era. The performance was shared widely across platforms like Twitter and YouTube as fans and media outlets criticized her dancing, outfit and the awkward participation of Migos. 

The messiness of the performance could have been attributed to the fact that Perry had to improvise after Migos allegedly refused to perform with the drag queens who were supposed to be a part of the performance, but the general public never found out about that and in their eyes, the awkwardness of the performance was Perry’s fault. 

It’s Not that She Doesn’t Try

After Perry’s image took a hit during the promotion of “Witness,” it wasn’t a surprise when the album failed to reach the commercial heights of her previous releases and was panned by critics. The album certainly was not bad, and one could even make the argument that it was better and more interesting than the bland soccer-mom pop of “Prism,” but at that point, Perry’s behavior made it difficult for most people to take this “woke” album seriously. 

After the negative reaction that critics and the public had to the “Witness” era, Perry fell into a depression, one that she now recognizes as being driven by an unhealthy obsession with the charts and the public’s perception of her.

By the time the official rollout began for Perry’s 2020 album “Smile,” it was as though the general public had completely forgotten about Perry, an artist whose domination over the industry had at one point seemed unstoppable. She promoted the album the best she could, even while in the late stages of her pregnancy and during a pandemic, but at that point, it was already too late. People had lost interest. Her first album since “One of the Boys” to not hit number one, “Smile” debuted at No. 5 with 50,000 copies sold, which pales in comparison to 2020 albums by Swift and Lady Gaga. (Both artists, like Perry, debuted in 2008.) 

Can Perry’s Career Be Saved?

Although Perry has had one of the greatest and quickest downfalls in modern music history, I don’t believe it’s too late to turn things around. She is still very famous, still quite young, and, as millennials and Gen Zers grow into adulthood, I’m sure there will begin to be a lot of nostalgia for the late 2000s and early 2010s. In my opinion, if Perry took the following steps, she could see success again.

Perry needs to change record labels; she’s still a superstar and needs to have a label that will promote her as such. Next, she should update her sound. Although “Smile” is a very enjoyable pop record, I have to admit it does sound a little dated. I think a timeless synth-pop sound, maybe ’80s-inspired, would sound fresh and feel natural with her voice. Some of the songs on “Smile” touch on this, and I think she should go all the way with it. She needs to start making music that’s a bit more mature, more cutting-edge and less campy. She has grown up, and so have her fans. Perry also tends to put her foot in her mouth, especially on Twitter, and is often criticized by fans for appearing tone deaf. Listening to her fans and her PR team, as well as being more careful with her words could do a lot for improving her reputation with the public.

Many artists have dealt with commercial failure and come back stronger than ever. Perry seems to be in a much better mental state than she was during the “Witness” era, and if she made some changes, she could win her old fans back and have a lot of people rooting for her. I know I would be.

Source: https://fordhamobserver.com/52765/opinions/what-happened-to-katy-perry/

Lately, Katy Perry has made some noise for different reasons : her Vegas residency, the chart performance of her latest song and her comments about Britney Spears, again. This comes on top of her commercial debacle that began 5 years ago, and that continues.

While trying to understand what really happened to her career, I came across with the article quoted above. It provides valuable insights about the key moments that led her to the place where she is now.

I want to share it with you in case you’re curious about one of the most abrupt downfalls in pop history.

I hope you enjoy it!

[Speed X]

I’m under the impression that she’s aware that her comments about Britney took a toll on her success. She’s trying to fix it with muted PR.

However, despite her efforts, we can still see glimpses of her true feeling towards Britney.

[FemmeFataleBrit]

She just never had a big fanbase. She had huge support from the GP though. When that died, all she had left were her 14 fans.

[Speed X]

If Katy Perry is only looking at the charts… where is her artistry? Where is her vision?

Yes, a mainstream act should be concerned about her commercial performance, but with her it seems it’s all that matters…

[Loosenupthosebuttons]

Katy Perry is so juvenile, like a cartoon character. Her music never evolved. She can barely sing live, can’t dance, and has to work with the same 3 producers to make a hit. 

[HeySister]

I remeber Witness being a messy era where she didn't come across in a positive way to the GP. The fake woke thing and the 'IS MATHS RELATED TO SCIENCE' annoyed people. 

I've never thought of KP as an icon, ever. Just a (former) chart dominator. Nothing special whatsoever, not voice, looks, dance, or discography. Teenage Dream was good but she herself is forgettable. 

[bitbitboi]

8 minutes ago, Loosenupthosebuttons said:

Katy Perry is so juvenile, like a cartoon character. Her music never evolved. She can barely sing live, can’t dance, and has to work with the same 3 producers to make a hit. 

I looove Katy, but I think this sums it all up pretty well. She just had a string of massive hits because when she came out she was fresh, super quircky (which was new at the time), and she worked with the right people. But yeah, she never really evolved. That was clear to me with "Prism", no one really loved it as an album from beginning to end, and most of the songs that aren't singles are either kind of dark, or her singing is obnoxious. She doesn't sound nice live either. She relies on props and dancers because she isn't a dancer. And off stage she definitely has a personality but it can be off-putting sometimes. So that's a complex popstar right there. But I wouldn't call her the biggest downfall, I hate that shallow and simplistic analysis. If anything, I blame people for believing she was an A list popstar to begin with. Or are you guys the same who think Normani is top notch? Like, do your homework...

[Martian_M00d]

If you look at simply her streaming numbers, she's the number 26th most streamed artist on the planet. Hardly any "downfall". I think people are too in their bubble to objective about what the definition of success and relevance is. Not everyone needs to be in our faces 24/7 to be super successfull. "Downfall" is a bit melodramatic. 

[Adriannn]

Just like Samson... she lost power when she cut her hair  or just karma for making fun of Brit... or 'Witness' wasn't IT so she alienated most of her fanbase.

However, what she accomplished pretty much cemented her for the long run 

[S jones]

10 minutes ago, Martian_M00d said:

If you look at simply her streaming numbers, she's the number 26th most streamed artist on the planet. Hardly any "downfall". I think people are too in their bubble to objective about what the definition of success and relevance is. Not everyone needs to be in our faces 24/7 to be super successfull. "Downfall" is a bit melodramatic. 

This is a downfall! Her streaming numbers are driven by her previous hits! She barely chart, her legacy is week, she is trying too hard ..her only success was Teenage dream, Prism was extension of teenage dream success..she is falling straight after that. 

 

Given she started with TS and Gaga, she is falling behind and flopping hard

[HisNameisChase]

She has always been cringe but her camp and juvenile behavior does not attach well to a grown, 30-something year old woman.

Her Vegas residency will be canceled. She has poop emojis and her look as an entertainer is dated. She is lucky to have American Idol.

[Speed X]

6 minutes ago, Adriannn said:

What she accomplished pretty much cemented her for the long run 

This is true though, she could easily retire and her children and grand children for the rest of their lives with what she’s made. 

[Martian_M00d]

7 minutes ago, Sourab Patodi said:

This is a downfall! Her streaming numbers are driven by her previous hits! She barely chart, her legacy is week, she is trying too hard ..her only success was Teenage dream, Prism was extension of teenage dream success..she is falling straight after that. 

 

Given she started with TS and Gaga, she is falling behind and flopping hard

And Gaga is currently 48th most streamed, despite releasing more albums than her. 

[Stefani]

She cut her hair, supported Hillary, got "woke" and lost the GP. Which just goes to show that many of the straight folks who liked her music during her 1st 3 eras must've been Trump supporters.  Also she stopped working with Dr. Luke, which imo was the right decision morally speaking, but it also shows that he was the secret behind most of her hits and success.

She'll probably never re-peak at this rate. She might score a few quick lil singles in the future like she did with NRO and a couple of her collaborations, but she'll never be a real force in music anymore imo. And it still gets me that some people thought she'd actually make $160 million from 32 shows at her residency.  

[thebritmaster]

For me it was when she locked herself in that halfway house for days on camera 

[ERIDER]

I sense a possible Mariah Carey-circa 2005 comeback for her, I think she still has the clout and stature to be back on top again, probably not her Teenage Dream-level, but def a rebound from her last 2 albums, IMO 🙃 #WeWillAlwaysHaveTeenageDream 

[Moscow]

1 hour ago, Martian_M00d said:

And Gaga is currently 48th most streamed, despite releasing more albums than her. 

Streaming comes from playlisting and curation of them gaga shallow was a monster if we want to just talk about numbers then Shallow stands at 1.7B not even a single Katy digital era hit has that though. 

You want to bring numbers then look both sides, Katy numbers are heavily driven from Playlisting and no doubt she has some hits as well. 

[rik]

1 hour ago, thebritmaster said:

For me it was when she locked herself in that halfway house for days on camera 

Bye 

[Oprah Winfrey.]

5 hours ago, FemmeFataleBrit said:

She just never had a big fanbase. She had huge support from the GP though. When that died, all she had left were her 14 fans.

Oh I thought she had the Katy kat fan base ? I was never one so idk lol

[Oprah Winfrey.]

When I was younger I didn’t realize all those hit songs I liked by her all came from the same album (teenage dream until recently). That’s a problem because that means I’ve only liked like 1 or 2 songs off her other albums thinking her hits were more spread it out…seems she had one great album and rode that success for as long as she could! Also don’t feel she ever had a true artistry, the quality of her writing went way down! She use to tell a story now it’s just catchy vague line or cheeky phrase after the next…she became like a second rate Gaga at one point… then she dug herself in a hole with the Britney comments! 
 

i will say I think it’s ****ed up how people turned on her just because she changed her look….her hair wasn’t even naturally dark…. It’s a shame you lost her signature zoey deschannel  look at suddenly lost the gp. 
 

i also liked woke Katy I enjoyed the message behind “chained to the rhythm” it was hard to listen to the rest of the album. The migos really Katy, that felt out of place didn’t even match the song or style…

well I wish her luck I believe she will have great success as a touring artist she should stop trying to reinvent herself and just perform her hits and show off her talent, maybe she should go on jimmy fallon do some musical impressions!