Katy Perry is getting ready to release her seventh studio album, 143, and last night, she released the much-discussed comeback single “WOMAN’S WORLD.” It’s a pop-feminist anthem notably co-written and co-produced by Dr. Luke, the controversial industry figure who worked with Perry on many of her biggest 2000s and 2010s hits, and whom Kesha accused of rape and other abuses in 2014. (Dr. Luke denied the allegations, and he and Kesha settled their long and contentious legal battle last year. This is Perry’s first time collaborating with Luke in a decade.)
And then there’s the splashy music video, which, in true Perry fashion, aims to be goofy, sexy, and empowering all at once. The whole thing basically generates its own hot takes.
Perry is among the credited writers—Chloe Angelides, Aaron Joseph, Vaughn Oliver, and Rocco Did It Again! also contributed—and in an interview with Apple Music, she explained how motherhood inspired the song.
“I think that people, when they think of me, they think of ‘Roar,’ they think of ‘Firework’; sometimes they think of ‘I Kissed a Girl,’ but I think mostly they think of these kind of empowering songs,” Perry said. “Songs with a message, songs that are captions on t-shirts and stuff like that or things that help people get through. And I love that. I love hearing the stories and really, I write these songs from a place where I need to get through something. But so I wanted to continue with that and also, this is the first contribution I have given since becoming a mother and since feeling really connected to my feminine divine.”
“WOMAN’S WORLD” is a glittery, big-budget dance-pop song reminiscent of Perry’s classic era, and in the opening verse, the singer lists off some of the qualities that make women incredible.
Sexy, confident
So intelligent
She is heaven-sent
So soft, so strong
This continues into the pre-chorus.
She’s a winner, champion
Superhuman, number one
She’s a sister, she’s a mother
Open your eyes, just look around and you’ll discover, you know
On the hook, Perry flips the old adage about it being a man’s world.
It’s a woman’s world and you’re lucky to be livin' in it (Uh-huh, uh-huh)
It’s a woman’s world and you’re lucky to be livin' in it (Uh-huh, uh-huh)
You better celebrate
‘Cause, baby, we ain’t goin’ away (Oh)
The second verse shouts out women for their drive and determination.
Fire in her eyes
Feminine divine
She was born to shine
To shine, to shine, yeah
The aforementioned “WOMAN’S WORLD” music video finds Perry cosplaying as Rosie the Riveter, stomping around as a gas-powered cyborg superhero, and attempting to apply makeup in a monster truck. As Charli XCX said, it’s so confusing sometimes to be a girl.
You can read all the lyrics to “WOMAN’S WORLD” on Genius now.