Katy Perry is in a reflective place.
Last year saw ‘Witness’ – an album that was supposed to be a victory lap after years of success – go on to become her worst selling yet. Crucially, it yielded no hit singles either – something that was once her undeniable forté.
As she attempts to pick up the pieces (with a stint on American Idol and an on-going arena tour), Perry is waxing honest about what has been the most challenging year of her career to date.
See what we mean below..
In a frank interview with Parade in promotion of Idol, Perry didn’t shy away from her woes. Peep excerpts:
The Best Advice She Ever Got
If you look at your career as a graph chart, Perry says, don’t get hung up on all the highs and lows. Instead, “it’s about staying on the graph and making sure every move is authentic.” Her friend, alt-rocker Alanis Morissette, advised her to be transparent—so that whenever anyone looked at her career, anywhere on that graph, they’d look through it and see the “real” her.
How Failure Has Fuelled Her
“I’m learning all the time; everything turns into a lesson for me,” says Perry. Last year, when she radically changed her look and took a more futuristic pop approach with her fourth album, Witness, she got mixed reviews. “I’m starting to realize that, after doing this a decade and reaching the highest heights, nobody is going to hit the bull’s-eye every single time,” she says.
While her underperformance is undeniable, it’s refreshing to see her not sugar-coat it – as far too many others do.
It’ll be interesting to see which direction she drives her sound and image in next go round. Can she turn it around?