Katy Perry has spent over two decades at the top of pop, selling more than 143 million records worldwide. Now, she’s back with her fifth world tour, Lifetimes—but not everyone’s impressed.
Clips from the shows have been going viral, and the reactions aren’t exactly glowing. Fans are calling out awkward performances and strange visuals, saying the magic just isn’t there this time around.
Pop culture expert Sloan Hooks reacted to the videos, suggesting the tour feels like a lazy cash grab, weighed down by AI artwork and rough choreography.
Check out what he had to say below, and take a look at some of the footage from Katy’s shows. Then you tell us: is the internet being too harsh, or are the complaints totally fair?
More info: TikTok
Katy Perry is back on the road with her fifth world tour, Lifetimes
Unfortunately for her, it’s going viral for all the wrong reasons
Image credits: hercampus
Image credits: hercampus
Image credits: hercampus
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@sloanhooks Despite the viral clips of Katy Perry‘s lifetime tour, it looks like attendees are enjoying the show.. Do these clips make you want to see Katy Perry live? #katyperry ♬ original sound – SLOAN
@hercampus mind you this was all from night one 🎥 @Eber Villalobos @Ned 🙌🏼 @Craig @Ale @chicodelosconciertos #katyperry #lifetimestour ♬ original sound – hercampus
Where is all this hate coming from?
Whether you’re a fan of Katy Perry or not, if you’ve been keeping an eye on her public image over the last few years, you’ve probably noticed a steady buildup of criticism, and it’s only been gaining momentum.
Which, looking back to her golden era around 2008 with hits like I Kissed a Girl and Hot n Cold, feels almost surreal. So, what happened to cause this growing backlash?
It’s hard to pinpoint a single moment. But as pop culture expert Sloan Hooks noted about her current tour, it seems to come down to creative choices that just don’t land with her audience anymore. Add a string of public missteps into the mix, and the fire only spread. And since outrage is the internet’s favorite fuel, it all snowballed, so now it’s tough to reverse.
Let’s take a look at some of the recent moments that haven’t helped Katy’s case.
For starters, she hasn’t had a Top 10 hit since 2016. Each new “flop” release has only added to the meme that Katy Perry’s best music days are behind her, and that no matter what she puts out now, people are ready to criticize it.
Take her latest lead single, Woman’s World. It was mocked online as a clumsy attempt to tap into a feminist moment, with some even labeling it unlistenable. The music video ended up making things worse. Critics pointed out the disconnect between the message of female empowerment and the heavy use of sexualized imagery, which left a lot of fans frustrated.
“As an OG KP fan… this was such a missed opportunity,” one person commented on a teaser for the video Perry shared on Instagram, Today reported. “Could have shown real working women, mothers, military women, grandmothers. That’s what being a woman is about. We are not just our bodies.”
The backlash continued when it came out that Woman’s World was co-written and co-produced by Dr. Luke, the producer who had previously been accused of sexual assault by Kesha, drawing even harsher reactions toward the project.
Perry defended her creative vision for the video, saying: “We’re kind of just having fun, being a bit sarcastic with it. It’s very slapstick and very on the nose, and with this set, it’s like, ‘Ooh, we’re not about the male gaze, but we really are about the male gaze.’”
“And we’re really overplaying it and on the nose, because we’re about to get smashed, which is like a reset, a reset for me and a reset for my idea of feminine divine, and it’s a whole different world we go to after this,” she added.
Then came her trip to space. Perry joined an all-female team on a Blue Origin flight alongside Gayle King, Lauren Sánchez, and others. While meant to celebrate female empowerment and scientific progress, it backfired badly.
Many saw it as a tone-deaf display of wealth, with critics arguing the money could have been used for something more meaningful.
Jessica Chastain shared The Guardian’s scathing essay titled, “The Blue Origin Flight Showcased the Utter Defeat of American Feminism.”
And Olivia Munn weighed in too, saying: “I know this probably isn’t the cool thing to say, but there are so many other things that are so important in the world right now… Space exploration was to further our knowledge and to help mankind. What are they gonna do up there that has made it better for us down here?”
Even Wendy’s couldn’t resist a jab, posting on X, “Can we send her back?” after Perry’s return to Earth.
Other controversies have continued to follow her. There were the reports about Perry trying to buy a convent against the nuns’ wishes, and her infamous voting booth selfie where she publicly supported Rick Caruso for L.A. mayor, a move that upset many liberal fans given his political background.
Now, with the Lifetimes tour being called a disaster, it feels like the final straw. Some people genuinely feel sorry for Katy, saying the backlash has gotten excessive. Others believe the criticism is long overdue and that she should be held accountable.
What do you think: unfair hate, or well-earned fallout?
Many commenters agreed that the tour is an absolute flop
However, plenty of fans also jumped in to defend the pop star
