Katy Perry was a mainstay of the pop music landscape in the late 2000s to the 2010s. From hits like “I Kissed a Girl” to “Dark Horse,” her catchy choruses were inescapable. The songs dominated the radio airwaves and she had established herself as a pop music machine.
Now, in 2024, her second single “Lifetimes” off her forthcoming album “143” didn’t land on any of the Billboard charts. With the first single, “Woman’s World” peaking at an unimpressive No. 63, listeners do not think her future singles will perform any better.
One Kalshi market, where users can bet on the likelihood of an event, has users betting on the likelihood of various artists hitting the Billboard Top 20 this year. Perry is at a meager 20%.
But how does an artist go from pop hitmaker to serial flopper? Controversy and a series of bad decisions.
How has Katy Perry’s music performed on the charts before “Woman’s World”?
Perry is perhaps best known for her “Teenage Dream” album, which produced five No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. She became the first woman to achieve this milestone, a record previously set only by Michael Jackson with his iconic album “Bad.”.
After the release of “Teenage Dream,” Perry released 2013’s “Prism,” which peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and featured two No. 1 singles, “Roar” and “Dark Horse.” This album was also a massive success despite having fewer No. 1 singles.
2017’s “Witness” was a different story. It was received with mixed reviews, although it still peaked at the top of the Billboard 200. However, only the lead single, “Chained to the Rhythm” was able to break into the top 10 of the Hot 100. The follow-up singles charted but performed significantly poorer.
Her most recent album, 2020’s “Smile” continued the trend downwards. This album was her first since “Teenage Dream” to not peak on the Billboard 200 or have any Top 10 hits. The lead single “Daisies” peaked at No. 40.
Unfortunately, her newest album cycle has not broken the slump. To make matters worse, there’s a movement to boycott the album due to her return to collaborating with controversial music producer, Dr. Luke.
Dr. Luke and Katy Perry’s new music
Many of Perry’s biggest hits were produced by Łukasz Gottwald, better known as Dr. Luke. He’s produced songs like “Teenage Dream” and “Roar.” His work also includes huge hits by other artists like Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone,” Kesha’s “Tik Tok,” and Miley Cyrus’s “Wrecking Ball.”
After making massive hits for a decade, Kesha filed a sexual assault lawsuit against Dr. Luke in 2014. He denied the claims and accused her of defamation. The case was eventually settled outside of court in 2023.
Since 2013, Perry avoided working with Dr. Luke on her previous albums “Witness” and “Smile.” But the two reunited for “143,” a move that has been met with massive backlash. While the song itself garnered negative reviews, much of the criticism centered on her decision to collaborate with Dr. Luke again.
A week before Perry’s new single was set to drop, Kesha released her own single, “Joyride.” Some speculated that this was intentional and hinted at a feud between Perry and Kesha. Users went as far as to suggest boycotting Katy’s new single and listening to Kesha’s new song instead.
And it’s not only listeners criticizing Perry. Actress Abigail Breslin strongly criticized Perry’s decision in a tweet.
I'm just saying... working with known abusers in any industry just contributes to the narrative that men can do abhorrent shit and get away with it. On another note, I love @KeshaRose and she gave one of the best shows ive ever been to last year <3 stream Kesha!
— Abigail Breslin (SOPHOMORE) (@yoabbaabba) July 11, 2024
Unfortunately, the album is unlikely to perform better with Perry refusing to address her collaboration with the producer. In a recent interview with Call Her Daddy, Perry sidestepped a question about returning to work with Dr. Luke, responding, “I created all of this with several different collaborators.”
With the song peaking at No. 63, the negative press and poor reviews have clearly taken a toll. And with two flop singles and a controversial producer, can Katy Perry’s album really make a comeback? Prediction markets are skeptical that she’ll break into the Billboard Top 20—but only time will tell.
