Katy Perry’s ‘YOU CAN DO ANYTHING’ Message in ‘Woman’s World’

Katy Perry is addressing the mixed reactions to her new music video “Woman’s World.” The 39-year-old pop star shared a behind-the-scenes clip on Instagram, explaining her intentions behind the visually striking and seemingly female-empowering video.

The video, released on Thursday, features Perry in various roles: first as a pin-up girl working on a construction site before being hit by an anvil, then as a leader in a female-led apocalyptic world causing fun mayhem with other women. The track, co-produced by Dr. Luke, has drawn criticism for appearing dated in its feminist messaging.

Perry captioned the clip in her Instagram post, “YOU CAN DO ANYTHING! EVEN SATIRE!” She explained the satirical and slapstick nature of the video, which includes half-naked dancers, Perry chugging whiskey, and playful scenes with her entourage pretending to use urinals.

“We’re kind of just having fun being a bit sarcastic with it, it’s very slapstick, and very on the nose,” Perry says in the clip. “With this set, it’s like, ‘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 I’m 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.”

Perry concluded her explanation by saying, “We wanted to open this video making it look like a super high gloss pop star video, and that’s what it is.”

“Woman’s World” marks Perry’s first proper release since her 2020 album Smile, which reached No. 5 on the Billboard 200. The song serves as the lead track from her upcoming dance-pop album, 143, a code for “I love you.” The album is set to release on September 20.

Watch Perry’s reaction to the criticism of her “Woman’s World” video on Instagram below.