Katy Perry’s new song “Woman’s World” receives criticism even before its release

• Katy Perry has announced that her new single “Woman’s World” will be released on July 11th.
• Perry also shared a short snippet of the song on TikTok, hinting at a theme of female empowerment.
• The production and lyrics have already been criticized on social media as “outdated” and “clichéd.”

Katy Perry’s new song isn’t coming out until next month, but the pop star’s eagerly awaited comeback could already be in jeopardy.

On Monday, Perry revealed the cover art and title of her upcoming single, “Woman’s World,” which will be released on July 11 and will serve as the first single from Perry’s seventh album.

“Get ready to take off,” Perry wrote.

The as-yet-untitled album will be Perry’s first full-length release since 2020’s “Smile,” which received a muted response from critics and fans alike. (Business Insider’s music team gave the album a score of 4.6 out of 10.)

At the time, “Smile” was similarly marketed as a rebirth following the backlash to Perry’s previous album, 2017’s “Witness.”

Since then, Perry has kept a relatively low profile for a chart-topping, record-breaking superstar. In August 2020, she gave birth to her first child with Orlando Bloom, a daughter named Daisy Dove. The following year, she launched “Play,” an 80-show Las Vegas show. Perry also served as a judge on “American Idol” for seven seasons, the final episode of which concluded in May.

As those efforts drew to a close, Perry began to drop hints about a major pop comeback—and the timing has not gone unnoticed.

It’s been over a decade since Perry released an acclaimed album (2013’s “Prism”). Her most recent chart hit was “Daisies,” which peaked at number 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2020.

In the words of @mazzypopstar, a pop music commentary account on X: “The last two albums have been flops, no hits since Bon Appetit and Swish Swish, Harleys in Hawaii streams don’t pay the bills anymore, the landlord is knocking on the door, she has ONE chance…”

When Perry finally ushered in her new era this week, she paired the announcement with a short snippet of “Woman’s World” on TikTok. The lyrics seem to focus on female empowerment, individuality and strength, themes Perry has often explored in songs like “Firework” (2010), “Roar” (2013) and “Resilient” (2020).

“Sexy, confident / So intelligent,” sings Perry. “She’s a godsend / So gentle, so strong.”

However, Perry’s retreat to familiar formulas has not inspired confidence among the masses – at least not if one looks at the reactions on social media.

“I was rooting for Katy, but this text is so outdated,” wrote one skeptic on X. “This is like material for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign.”

Some people made fun of the production and overall sound of the song, leaving harsh comments on TikTok.

At the time of writing, the top comment on Perry’s own video read, “Go to the studio immediately and re-record that song.” Another reads, “Are those lyrics from AI??”

In various videos, various producers said the clip sounded like “clichéd nonsense” and “an ARTPOP rejected track,” referring to Lady Gaga’s 2013 album.

Many others criticized Perry’s new visual direction, accusing her of copying the aesthetics of niche pop musicians like Charli XCX – who is enjoying a wave of positive reviews for her new album “Brat” – and Venezuelan producer Arca.

In a disapproving post on X that received over 57,000 likes, Perry is accused of creating a certain look to appeal to “the lowest common denominator of gay men.”

Another significant portion of the criticism on social media stems from the rumor that “Woman’s World” is produced by Dr. Luke, whom Kesha publicly accused of emotional and sexual abuse.

Kesha herself added fuel to the fire by simply writing “lol” on X shortly after Perry shared her announcement.

Business Insider was unable to verify the production credits for “Woman’s World.” A spokesperson for Perry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.