Katy Perry failed to see the ‘writing on the wall’ about her comeback album, 143, because she is surrounded by ‘yes people’, according to sources who claim that the singer ‘refuses to accept that she is not 20 anymore with a hit album’.
The 40-year-old hitmaker’s seventh studio release completely failed to reach the level of success hoped, and instead became the lowest scoring album on Metacritic since 2011 when it dropped in September.
After years of being California’s ultimate pop star, Katy’s attempt at a change of image fell flat on all fronts with audiences who slammed her fashion takes, and heaped criticism on her decision to collaborate with the controversial producer, Dr Luke.
As the star begins to embark on her Lifetimes world tour for the flop album, insiders have revealed the star might finally get a reality check once US dates go on sale.
‘Katy is no longer the teenage dream anymore and she needs to accept this,’ an insider close to the singer exclusively told DailyMail.com. ‘She announced that she is bringing her 2025 tour to the US after being advised to not do the tour at all.’
Reflecting on her failed album rollout this year, the insider continued: ‘Her album absolutely tanked, and an artist should not do a tour from a failed album that bombed.
Katy Perry failed to see the ‘writing on the wall’ about her comeback album, 143, because she is surrounded by ‘yes people’, a source tells DailyMail.com
The 40-year-old hitmaker’s seventh studio release, 143, completely failed to reach the level of success as hoped
‘She made a grievous mistake when she asked Dr. Luke to produce it and she has never acknowledged this.’
Many took issue with the fact Perry collaborated with Dr. Luke, the music producer accused of sexual assault by Kesha in a lawsuit that was later dismissed.
Dr. Luke has consistently denied the allegations.
The lack of public love for the star’s recent material was highlighted last week when attendees of the 2024 Jingle Ball began to leave the Madison Square Garden venue early after she took to the stage.
At the time, the singer said: ‘Hi everyone. I know, I know, it’s crazy. It’s so late, it’s so cold outside. You had way too much sugar.
‘You don’t know whether to stay or go, or be in or out, or hot or cold. Just make up your mind then!’
Reacting to the incident, the insider added: ‘After fans walked out of her performance in NYC on Friday, she tried to justify it by blaming it on the weather.
‘Katy refuses to accept that she is the reason that they walked out just like she refuses to accept that she is not 20 anymore with a hit album.’
The insider noted that her camp have been left troubled by the star’s tanking standing with the public as they stressed: ‘Those around her truly believe that – instead of trying so hard to be a star – she should focus on her health and her family.
‘She has made her fortune, and she really should recognize that Orlando [Bloom] and her family are her priority. If she continues to put her fame first, her friends feel she could lose this too.’
An insider close to the singer stated: ‘Katy is no longer the teenage dream anymore and she needs to accept this. Her album absolutely tanked’
Another insider said: ‘She is surrounded herself with Yes people, so she doesn’t see the current writing on the wall’
Elsewhere, another source noted that the past few months have been the opposite of what Katy expected.
‘Katy’s rollout of her new music, her new album and her upcoming tour haven’t gone the way she has wanted it to go at all,’ the source began. ‘Some have joked that her Lifetimes tour should be called the Lifeless tour.’
The source continued: ‘The only thing that she is doing right is starting the tour outside the US, she is getting lots of response and tickets are selling very well, which might be very different once US dates are announced because the charm that she has overseas is not what it is in the states.’
Noting how Katy’s decision to quit her position as an American Idol judge after seven seasons may have been the wrong move, the source added: ‘Many in her camp believed that she should have stayed with Idol.
‘It was a great gig and it was hers forever, but now that she left it, Carrie [Underwood] isn’t going to relinquish that payday anytime soon.’
The source noted: ‘Katy had to do it to embark on her new album and tour that she thought was going to be epic, it hasn’t been but she has surrounded herself with yes people, so she doesn’t see the current writing on the wall.’
Thanks to demand for tour tickets in the UK and Australia, the source explained that Katy has been given a much needed boost about her career.
However, they agreed that things could once again take a nosedive when US tour dates hit the market.
The pop star is set to take to the stage for her Lifetimes tour, performing hits from a number of her multi-million selling albums
‘She might get a reality check once US dates go on sale, but with the success of the ticket sales now, she still feels like the wheels haven’t fallen off.’
Her reaction to the recent walk out of her Jingle Ball performance hinted that the star will continue to look on the bright side when possible.
The source concluded: ‘She is taking it all on the chin when it comes to her Jingle Ball performance. That’s a concert where people are there for different reasons, all her fans weren’t in the stadium, so she understands people leaving for one reason or another. She is not taking that performance as an omen for things to come.’
Katy will kick-off her UK leg next year, opening in Glasgow on October 7 before heading to Manchester, Sheffield, Birmingham and now performing two shows at London’s O2 Arena.
The Roar songstress has also added additional shows in Australia due to overwhelming demand for the original dates in June 2025 selling out.
Katy will also put on an extra three shows in Mexico in April 2025 after the first three sold out within an hour of ticket release.
Backlash over the star’s new ‘era’ began with the albums lead single, Woman’s World.
Despite being billed as an empowering feminist anthem, the track was dismissed as unoriginal, hypocritical and formulaic.
Backlash over the star’s new ‘era’ began with the albums lead single, Woman’s World – which was slammed over its attempt to be a feminist anthem
The album also faced mounting criticism even before its release over Perry’s decision to collaborate with Dr. Luke, who was accused of sexual assault by Kesha. He denied allegations
The star’s album title is a code for ‘I love you’ which was often used in messages sent on pagers during the 1990s.
Katy said in a statement: ‘I set out to create a bold, exuberant, celebratory dance-pop album with the symbolic 143 numerical expression of love as a throughline message.’
It marked the star’s first album since 2020’s Smile, which also failed to replicate the success of her previous records.
In recent months, fans also took issue with Katy making constant reference to her sex life with partner Orlando, as well as claiming that the star’s slimmed down figure was due to secret Ozempic use.
