Katy Perry's musical journey began in her childhood, singing in church. She released a self-titled Christian album as Katy Hudson in 2001. However, her 2008 reinvention as Katy Perry with the album "One of the Boys." It is featuring the chart-topping hit "I Kissed a Girl," catapulted her into stardom. Let's explore Katy Perry’s music videos, lyrics, and persona. Katy Perry has empowered girls like me to embrace individuality and sexuality, but also faces criticism for promoting pro-skinny ideals and cultural appropriation.
Katy Perry adeptly incorporates the pinup aesthetic through her visual imagery, fashion choices, and thematic elements in her early music videos. Pinups originated in the early 20th century, coinciding with the end of the Victorian era and the rise of suffragettes, reflecting changing attitudes towards female liberation and empowerment. Initially 'calendar girls,' these images evolved alongside advertising, with the term 'pinup' first used in the 1940s. They depicted alluring female figures in playful and flirty poses but never explicitly.
On one hand, male art critics struggled to take them seriously, deeming them amateur and non-traditional. On the other hand, women embraced this new celebratory vision of femininity, though some viewed it as vulgar and objectifying.
Perry early career often dons retro clothing like high-waisted shorts and polka dots, styles her hair with classic victory rolls, and favours bold makeup, including red lips and winged eyeliner. Her music videos often evoke mid-20th century United States, showcasing nostalgic and vintage-inspired designs. In promotional materials, she embraces classic pinup poses and themes, imbuing them with a playful and humorous attitude.
In addition to her distinctive aesthetics, Katy Perry actively contributes to her career as the primary songwriter or co-writer of most of her songs. This role is significant, challenging historical portrayals of women as muses rather than creators. Perry's music empowers various facets of women. Songs like 'Firework,' 'Teenage Dream,' 'E.T.,' 'Hot N' Cold,' and 'Peacock' explore themes of sexuality and desire. Tracks such as 'Roar,' 'Wide Awake,' 'Dark Horse,' 'The One Who Got Away,' and 'Part of Me' celebrate resilience, self-discovery, and fearlessly embracing one's true self. Additionally, the clips 'California Gurls' and 'Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)' convey empowerment and assertiveness in sexual agency.
In an era where screens play a crucial role in shaping literacy and inadvertently influencing minds, Katy Perry's polemics on music videos and lyrics are worth noting. Her lyrics and music videos have sparked controversy on several fronts.
Her debut song "I Kissed a Girl" has been criticized for promoting biphobia and treating sexual orientation as a choice or for entertainment, while its music video has been viewed as fetishizing sexual orientation. Similarly, "Ur So Gay" includes a chorus that some view as homophobic, reinforcing negative stereotypes.
Additionally, critics have accused songs like "Hot N Cold" of perpetuating negative stereotypes about women, including slut-shaming and objectification.
Perry's music videos often lack diversity, typically featuring thin, white, cisgender women. This issue is highlighted in videos like "California Gurls," where a scene involving whipped cream from her bra objectifies and sexualizes women, catering to the male gaze. Though it also empowers them by featuring women singing about sex.
Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F)" has also faced criticism for relying heavily on stereotypes, such as the transformation of a "nerdy girl" into a more attractive and popular figure through appearance changes, thereby reinforcing harmful ideas about physical attractiveness and social acceptance.
Furthermore, Perry has faced accusations of cultural appropriation in her music videos. "This Is How We Do" drew backlash for depicting Perry as a geisha and wearing cornrows styled with "baby hairs," which critics viewed as appropriating Japanese and Black cultures, respectively. Similarly, "Dark Horse" portrays Perry as an Egyptian queen in a fantasy version of ancient Egypt, criticized for superficially appropriating Egyptian imagery. Additionally, Perry's character in "Roar" wears clothing and accessories resembling various indigenous cultures, lacking context and specificity, and thus accused of appropriating indigenous symbols as costume props without acknowledging their significance and potentially whitewashing them.
Perry's career has also been marked by controversies, including her public feud with Taylor Swift, which perpetuated female rivalry narratives in the media. Additionally, her collaborations with Dr Luke, accused by Kesha of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, have drawn widespread criticism. Several other pop singers have echoed concerns about his behaviour.
Despite these controversies, Perry has achieved significant milestones. "Teenage Dream" became the first album by a female artist to produce five number-one Billboard Hot 100 singles. "Roar" and "Dark Horse" music videos made Perry the first artist to have multiple videos reach one billion views on Vevo and YouTube. She has the second-most U.S. diamond-certified singles for any female artist. Often named Madonna’s heiress, her fashion incorporates humour, bright colours, and food-related themes, encouraging individuality. She advocates for children’s welfare, LGBTQ+ rights, and various charitable causes.
Katy Perry's 2024 comeback, 'Women's World,' revisits her early vintage roots. Her character in the music video draws inspiration from Rosie the Riveter, an iconic symbol of female empowerment during World War II. As men joined the military, many women took on their roles, symbolizing resilience and capability. However, controversy arose with the aftermath of the Veterans Preference Act, which led to women losing these wartime jobs and being expected to return to traditional domestic roles. The video has a touch of Dr. Luke, which contributes to the male gaze element and suggests alignment with the controversy mentioned. Are we lucky to be in Katy Perry’s woman’s world?
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