Perry’s first hit I Kissed A Girl caused controversy for the fetishisation of lesbians even back in 2008 when it was released. But today Roan’s had global success telling her genuine queer awakening.
“The flip flopping has jarred in an era where… very defined pop star personas are the ones cutting through,” argues Cragg.
Perry’s 2021-2023 playground-styled Las Vegas residency embraced her surreal, fantastical image to commercial , externaland critical success, external.
But it’s not translating to a new generation of fans. “I think ultimately people see her as a bit cringeworthy now,” Cragg adds. “Being shot into space on a billionaire’s jolly while everyone watches that on social media platforms interspersed with war and the climate crisis… just feels tonally not ideal,” he says.
Perry may have misjudged the public mood, but at the same time, the venom in the blowback points to deeper issues in pop culture beyond her control.
There is no doubt that the social media landscape has become more frenzied in recent years, with stars like Roan speaking against toxic fandoms.
Simon Diego, the creator of Brazil’s Portal Katy Perry fan community, described the scale of the abuse towards the 40-year-old as “unbelievable”.
The group showed their support by clubbing together with other fan pages to pay for a digital billboard message in New York’s Times Square for 24 hours.
“We’re so proud of you and your magical journey and we love you to the moon and back,” it read.
“Know that you are safe, seen and celebrated. We’ll see you around the world, this is just the beginning.”
It was this that Perry replied to directly with her Piñata remark acknowledging the backlash.
