It hasn’t been the smoothest time in recent memory for the singer. Last year, her female empowerment single “Woman’s World” was criticized for its use of producer Dr. Luke, who has been accused of sexual assault by Kesha (he has denied the claims). Her ensuing album, 143, was both a commercial and critical flop.
The 40-year-old caught further heat for her participation in the all-female Blue Origin space flight, funded by Jeff Bezos. Since then, she’s been on her “Lifetimes” tour, clips of which have inevitably made their way to social media.
Amid all of this, some TikTok videos went viral that made fun of the way Katy over-enunciates words in the second chorus of her 2008 song “Thinking Of You.” When a crowd in Texas began singing the song earlier this week at her tour, Katy took a surprise detour from the setlist began to sing the second verse with a guitar.
As you can see in videos from the event, Katy then cut herself off and said, “I don’t sing like that.” Confusingly, her voice does sound pretty much exactly like the recorded version of the song.
In further response to comments that her dancing is low-energy, Katy also took a break in her song “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)” to say, “Show them this when they say I can’t dance!” Again, as in fan-captured videos, she then did a number of energetic jumping jacks before flashing her underwear to the audience.
For what it’s worth, Rolling Stone has remarked that some moments of the tour hit differently in person, writing, “Online, some detractors poked fun at Perry after clips circulated of her battling creatures with a lightsaber-like wand during ‘E.T.,’ calling the moment cringey and awkward. But in person, the fighting scenes unfold naturally as part of a choreography designed to fit the rhythm of the music and advance her video game storyline. The slightly exaggerated movements are intentional.”
Katy further addressed online criticism last month, writing on Instagram, “When the ‘online’ world tries to make me a human Piñata, I take it with grace and send them love, cause I know so many people are hurting in so many ways and the internet is very much so a dumping ground for unhinged and unhealed.”
Aaaand now I have “Thinking Of You” stuck in my head…
