My favorite track was Tsunami because it’s when I was just starting what would be tumultuous relationship later on, and it’s when I was coming into my sexuality fully so I was having the most fun and it was fitting for that reason! My favorite lyrics “Don’t be scared to dive in deep/and start a tsunami!” 😭🙃
Favorite Tracks: Witness, Roulette, Swish Swish, Deja Vu, Power, Mind Maze, Miss You More, Change To The Rhythm, Tsunami, Bon Appetit, Bigger Than Me, Pendulum, Into Me You See, Dance With The Devil, Rise Least Faves: Save As Draft, Act My Age
Tbh, I think what also killed Witness was that Katy’s attempt in being down to earth, stripped back and relatable just ended up translating as being lazy/boring. Katy’s known for being big, the absolutely gigantic set for California Gurls, the makeup and costuming in ET, the Teenage Dream CD itself smelling like cotton candy, the like 30 different cakes made for the Birthday LYRIC video, the metal lion she entered the Super Bowl in and the floating shooting star platform she left in, setting the California Gurls wig on fire and putting the Teenage Dream costume in a casket for PRISM promotions, making separate social media profiles for her TGIF character which btw were active up until 2017/2018, shooting her audience with a glittery whipped cream cannon during the California Dreams tour. All of that somehow led to the Backpack kid/flossing thing, the SNL Bon Appetit performance, the Swish Swish MV, the 4 day livestream, and just…everything. And tbh, I think Katy’s future projects somehow make Withess look even worse. She literally got a motorcycle license just for the Harley’s in Hawaii (which is a fucking banger btw) MV, yet THATS the thumbnail that was decided on for the Swish Swish MV? (Also, the problem with the haircut is just that it looked bad, she’s had short hairstyles in the past and she looked cute, but that specific hairstyle just looked bad, and the color only made it worse, it washed her out so much, and it clashed hard with the more experimental makeup she was doing)
I agree the loss of maximalism in image did cost her quite a bit. Witness as an album had some edge and verve to it but the single choices and their roll out were just plain bad too. I think a song like Roulette or Act My Age with a traditional Katy sorta video would have done well. It sort of reminds me of Reputation's singles (funny comparison but 2017 pop really seemed to be come and go), Swift had the cover of strong debut weeks to bolster the first two tracks but they never lasted beyond 10-ish weeks on the charts. It was when Swift did Delicate with that video and a more familiar image that she finally got the sort of longevity she had before.
@@elizabethenglish1790 I don’t hate her tho??? She’s one of my favorite musicians??? I didn’t even hate this era, I’m just pointing out why OTHER people weren’t feeling her as much
personally this is my least favorite katy record, however she definitely didn't deserve the overwhelming hate that she got in this era. I'm still really excited for her next album
Honestly, it’s not my fave record by her either. Teenage Dream and the first half of Prism fight for that spot all the time! The hate she got was disproportionate and so undeserved! KP5 probably will be a good mix of TD and Prism but with maturity and grace!
*I think the issue was the experimental serious production along with the ~quirky~ lyrics and her new middle aged mom personality clashed too hard and made it feel messy*
The transition from CTTR to Bon Apetit remains one of the most jarring things from the era, had she done Bigger Than Me or Hey Hey Hey afterwards it would have been less awk.
@@EljohnMacaranas bigger than me would’ve been perfect, imo one of the best songs on the album. The lyrics are really good and a lot more memorable compared to some of the other songs on the album
Aaaah! It deserved so much better! It was just such an unfortunate amount of events both outside forces and inside forces wrecked it all! I still believe she can deliver a cohesive and magical era one day. I feel so bad about Daisies underperforming!
I genuinely think looking back the single choices were poor, she should have positioned herself for Adult Contemporary with it. Hey Hey Hey, Roulette, Act My Age all were perfect.
I think _Witness_ is her best album along with _Prism_ The ballads, the self improving lyrics. Re recovering one's self and that crave for one's growth and evolution. The sound is experimental, diverse and new. I'm glad the album only had a standard and deluxe version (which I gladly own, lol) None of that 'different countries' album versions' bullshit. Which is a total *DRAG* to be honest.
Why is no one talking about mind maze, it’s emotional and it was a turning point in her music because I feel like all the anxiety she had was released in that song
Great discussion here. I enjoyed this video. I agree with the observations. I love Witness. I felt it was one of her most mature albums to date. My favorite track is the SOLO version of Bon Appétit 🤍
Smile was cute but such a step backwards. Solo Bon Appetit bridge was amazing and I still wish she’d opted for Ariana over Migos like what was rumored.
@@EljohnMacaranas cannot wait until then! Thank you for being an open-minded individual. Fills me with love to know this Earth has someone like you in it 💛
Your analysis of why Witness failed is what I am thinking too. I thought she was too outspoken and involved during the 2016 presidential election. In politics, you are always going to please some and piss other people. I don't know if she was aware of the consequence of getting so involved in politics. I love that she was and is still supporting social justice, equality and opportunity. She can still have an opinion of who she will vote for but she shouldn't have been the face of the Democratic party going against Trump and shouldn't ventured into purposeful pop (politics).
*From rewatching her interviews, I just noticed she said her album is a 360° liberation, around her Bon Appétit era I think. CTTR: Political Liberation, BA: Sexual, SS: Against bullying. ✨ There's def a change but it wasn't heard anymore*
She should have led with that, it would have made the Bon Apetit single do a little better (also the fact Ari was taken off that track if the rumor mills were true is a crime)
it’s definitely an odd album but i love it for exactly that. the production is amazing & katy suits it, although lyrically it’s hit or miss. title track, Mind Maze, Roulette, Miss You More, CTTR are highlights for me
Katy’s lyricism has always been balls to the wall camp and on the nose. Sometimes it does work, others it’s just bad. I think the success of TD and Prism taught her to stay in that lane but her early songwriting was a bit more subtle. Smile was her tripling down.
The problem is to be difficult to have better albums of Katy to ''Teenage Dreams'' and ''Prism''. ''Witness'' was my least favorite album of her career. But this album have soe greats moments, with somes songs like ''Pendulum'', ''Roulette'' or ''Miss you More''. But the problem is because musically for a experimental album, it's not so much good like a experimental album have at the base (listen the self-titled album of Beyonce, a experimental album also and very excellent). The singles didn't figure at my favorites songs of Katy (and i hate ''Bon Appetit'' a horror this track and hate the video also) and i didn't buy this album because it's not have a excellent listen like ''Teenage Dreams'' and ''Prism''. The precedent album (Prism) was a excellent released after ''Teenage Dreams'' because she touch more a more adult public with the album (because it's was a more slow, pop and mature album) because the first half was more radio-friendly and commercial songs, while the last half was more intimate and personal for her and was only pop ballads, very perfect to present her confessional tone.
Great analysis! Always loved the not-so-subtle political subtexts, had no idea it was partially the reason why the album flopped.. and why its not available to stream in my region 💀
The politics definitely played a part and everyone wants to blame it squarely on the music when in reality she was being penalized for being one of the few artists actually protesting the president. Lana did so too but so subtly.
Hi, no shade i'm a hardcore swifty from 2008 and a katycat since 2010 so i wouldn't say you were completely wrong about how Taylor was indeed petty to be pissed at Katy for the backup dancers and though Bad Blood was a bop it wasn't because people started beleiving Taylor blindly,infact they criticised here and slut-shamed her for the girl squad, feminism and so much more. Katy herself jumped in and out of Taylor's personal matters(like her feud with Nicki which they happily resolved), but Katy wouldn't let a chance to go to shame Taylor. And ofcourse Katy made blunders throughout her career after Prism by being so pretending to be so politically 'awakened' as she thought she was a top pop girlie in 2015-2016 but she was WRONG. Katy had long lost her longetivity and obviously singles from Witness were pathetic but the album was perfection i beleive.(Targeting Britney Spears seriously!!!!!!!, I think she thought she developed a huge superiority complex after the success of Prismatic Tour that she felt doing this was fine....)The world turned her down because of her wrongly made choices be it politics, singles and image creation of purposeful music.....Even Taylor had a MASSIVE downfall after the Kanye thing and was called a 'snake' by everybody, but she was extremely cautious not to start any drama amidst that and after a hiatus of a year she came back with Reputation(the biggest comeback ever) which was the same year as Witness. Even Taylor had a awakening of politics but that was not dealt with so much grandeur and people don't even talk about it now. Both campaigned for lgbtq but one did it subtly and one did it so loud that she was banned for concerts in Russia and China. Anyway, I hope Katy can make a comeback and she returns to music ASAP as I am really fond of her entire discography but not of her personal decisions. Edit- I'm a fan of her videography too....Her music videos are some of the best and she deserved more vmas
I was devastated when a video of her yelling not a single before singing Roulette on tour showed up on Twitter, just a free perfect hit haha SS was just exhaustion of pop at the time, everyone was trying to be edgy 🙄
completely a shame considering how cool her promo has been but between her pregnancy and impending marriage to Orlando Bloom, I don’t think she’s too heartbroken
I actually think she's talented, she worked with one of the best people in the industry, she's an icon. HOWEVER. I don't understand her as a person and I don't approve of what she's done and said. Let's separate art and the artist, so I will probably give her newer material a chance since her iconic first three albums were part of my childhood/teenage years. Katy is FABULOUS for a throwback ☕☕☕☕☕☕☕
Yeah I feel like Katy got so much hate for like nothing. Like sure she was pretty sheltered and not knowledgeable but she ADMITTED that and was clearly trying to learn more and just wanted to express how she was feeling in a difficult time. Witness is probably my third favorite Katy record (hard to say, I just know Smile is my fav) but it was clearly important to her. I think where she could’ve done better was single choices since they were pretty bizarre IMO, but other than that it’s a good album
There definitely was a feeling people were cheering on her downfall, I’d been one of the few fans who streamed and supported her album at the time. Even old time Katycats were dooming about the album bc it wasn’t mindless candy coated Dr Luke music.
When Taylor goes experimental with the reputation era y’all praise her but when Katy does the same with the witness era y’all bash her to death this goes to show how selective people are 🙄 No hate seriously I love both of the artists despite everyone’s comparisons of them. Edit:I don’t actually know if Taylor was praised when reputation came out I just a lot of people praising her when it came out
Taylor was DRAGGED for reputation if I recall correctly, it's her lowest-rated album to date on Metacritic and was entirely shut out from major categories during the Grammys. Tayloe went out of her way to cherrypick good reactions and post them on her Insta (to combat the narrative.) Witness and rep share Max Martin's footprints on their productions but rep is a superior record due to Jack's contributions. The key difference is the fanbase's reaction. Katycats weren't exactly united in defending the record back in 2017 and tbh have a more casual listening base. Hardcore Swifties went to the mat by explaining the record, praising it, and trying to win over the GP. Nowadays we see Katycats praise Witness and like defend it but in 2017... I didn't see anyone really go above and beyond.
Sorry for the english. Back in 2015, I lost a bet to my brother and had to take my niece to her show (São Paulo - Brasil). Never cared for this kind of music. I’m 44 now, and the songs were for teens in my opinion. I had a great time at the show, but did’t listen to any music, after that. But when witness came out, I could relate to the lyrics. Teens would never understand most of it. When she came to Brasil in 2018, I was working overseas. This time, I would go not as an obligation. Who cares What her hair looks like? So much hate for free. And miss Taylor was a B... too. My niece was Crazy, calling others kids Bad names because of this. Kids From all over the world. I talked to her and she stoped, but most of parents don’t’ care about kids are doing at social medias. Smile is another album teens won’t get it. What makes a woman is a wonderful song. Love the lyrics. Only love too. If you had one day to live, I bet you would do the same (I would). Who cares if she’s not Number one? Just the media. I’m glad she found love and it’s a mom now. Artist are humans too, sometimes media and idiot fans forget that. I like P!nk. Don´t remember any time she got this kind of hate. And she is political. But the "fans" are much more older and have a life outside social medias. I wish people were more responsable.
ok call me shallow but it was the karen haircut, the weird cringe "quirky" personality she took on, and the purposely trying to be a meme. She took way too sharp of a turn and lost most of her appeal for me honestly.
Oh you’re not wrong at all! The surface level stuff was a big turn off to the GP too. I feel like it was crazy seeing someone who was at the cutting edge of trends wipe out in 2017 entirely.
Yajiee Lmao, it’s no issue to me at all but I did want to make it clear that I love Taylor and her work. And I def understand the protectiveness Swifties have for Taylor (she gets dragged for the wrong things), but in the context of covering Witness: I had to speak power to the conflict their feud had over the album cycle. I’m personally glad they resolved their issues IRL.
Hey Hey Hey should have been the second single tbh like Bon Appetit was a disaster for her especially when it was rumored Ariana would be on the track and we ended up with Migos who were facing backlash for homophobic comments
Oh, dude, the feud was old news by 2017 but when Tay dropped her whole back catalogue on streaming after removing it from Spotify around 2014-2015 the same week as Witness... it was just a mess. Swish Swish would have been a bigger hit if it wasn't seen as a late answer to Bad Blood by the general public.
Taylor and swifties definitely played a role in shaping public perception to some degree. Being on the losing end of a public beef even if the other side doesn’t say or do much (other than drop their entire discography on Spotify on the same day as your new album) still hurts the narrative
And if you go back and actually look at the context and what was going on in Katy Perry's life at the time of the head shaving reference on the red carpet you can clearly see that she's being literal. She was at her breaking point and I have no idea why people think she was making a joke when she was making an obvious reference. You can literally see in her face she's being serious and then guess what happened she went "crazy".
The reason this album ruined Katy’s legacy is that it made it embarrassing to be a Katy Perry fan. Her die-hard stans started to regret stanning her in the first place
well, she's stuck in the 2010s, unable to move on. It's 2024...after Witness she released "Smile" another train wreck and now she's on the brink of releasing "143" which is projected to be landslidedly her worst ever
This is actually a very good video looking back at the very depressing witness era, in my opinion I compare it to Madonna's American Life era, both artists we're trying to be socially political and and it really didn't work now in my opinion witness is way better than American life but just roll out and really cringey moments during that era I just there are a lot of factors that played in that why this out that are up really is look down upon
I really appreciate Madonna's 'American Life'. It's so personal and something that Madonna never has done before that. It even had my grandmother crying a bit.
as a swiftie, i feel bad for taylor's revenge - she did totally nail it, but it does look catty... though i'm glad taylor has already realized that it was a bit b*tchy and she kind of regrets it now (i mean, thats how humans work anyways) and her and katy have already made up and are friends again :D
Taylor did the same thing to Adriana Lima at the VS fashion show- when Adriana first walked out as the big-name of the show, Taylor stopped singing and started monologuing to make the cameras go on her and not Adriana. The cameras didn’t move from Adriana and you heard Taylor’s obvious sabotage attempt in the background. Katy didn’t do anything like that when she played the show, Nicki Minaj either. You gotta be a terrible person to be nasty to Adriana Lima the lady is lovely and kind.
It’s the first one to feel like not every track is commercialized enough to be a single but I have a soft spot for PRISM personally. Agreed on diversity and maturity in sound.
Eljohn Macaranas it was the album that made me gravitate towards her music again due to its lyrical content mainly and the experimental sound within the context of pop music at the time of its release, it was and is her most snubbed era due to poor single choices, controversy, and press in my opinion, SMILE seems to be her establishing herself as an album artist rather than a hit maker so I’m glad she has that liberty now that she’s out from that cycle of being #1 and being pressured into doing so
A A I’m curious about Smile’s content. A little disappointed that we got 4 of the 13 (if we count the Target version) of the tracks. But looking at the list of writers on the album, I think we might see the next class of pop writers break out on this album when they get hired onto other projects. Many of the writers on TS, Prism and Witness have gone onto success.
If I'm being completely honest this is my favorite Katy record, this album is so different and deep and I love that about it, the tour that also came with this album was amazing as well, I just really love and respect with the whole different vibe even the haircut didn't bother me, I can't believe that there was a whole hate train behind Katy Perry during the Witness Era, it makes me sad because I love this album so much
I'd understand if the witness album was about liberation and or like its called "can a get a witness" so to speak and have 'be woke. But I just think it was just a little bit to forced. Before witness she was never really a meme or ' a cool mom' she was just that girl who makes good music and you either liked her or didn't which was valid. An I totally agree that her early years where that girl next door pin up style which I LOVED!! that California girl whip cream loom was bettie page 100%. And her other albums felt like growth and glow ups, its just witness felt liek something that didn't need to be pushed so hard. Personally I like it, it think it's ok but thinking about its era... i know it was rough. Now watching this video and hearing what smile is about, I think i can appreciate both for having a new perspective on both of them and they seem to have more of a meaning Personally, and I will definitely listen to both of them forever
LETS BE BLUNT. MOST ARTIST MUSICIANS EVEN THE BIGGEST SUPERSTAR MUSICIANS HAVE A PEAK OF STARDOM THAT LAST ABOUT 11 TO 12 YEARS , AFTER THAT THEY LOSE MOST OF THERE RELEVANCE
Let's me be honest Katy Perry came out Politicaly and did the right thing and that was used against her and the same people are applauding Taylor Swift for doing the bare minimum
I’m not going to argue with u on that, what I will say though is that Miss Americana and the clip about her deciding to be politically active in 2018 underscores how controlling Big Machine Records was and the influence her father and investors had over her. Particularly since she built her entire empire on country before going into pop. Her doing the “bare minimum” is still something. I’m glad she was able to bring awareness to the insanity going on with the USPS.
aryan roy It could have v well been, but Taylor said sometime in Oct 2015 that the song was about her ex-boyfriend. I agree the “feud” was manufactured nonsense that BMR and Taylor ran with. Unfortunately, Katy didn’t recover or respond in a timely manner. But they did reconcile recently which was nice.
If you watch miss americana you can understand why she was so silent about it, but at least she can make big change, let's not forget when she endorsed ppl to register to vote and when she put out the petition for the equality act and ppl actually signed it, now she's being vocal about not supporting trump, I think she could be doing so much more and I hope she does
@@michaelvalverdenavarro7690 i actually touched on this in my rep video even including the clip and acknowledge Taylor’s efforts to be a force for good on there
The comedic edits took forever but also just sifting through the highlights and low points of the era (and rewatching parts of Witness World Wide) was exhausting. 2017 was a miserable time for me so bad memories and watching my idol “fall from grace” again was a bummer.
I think the biggest reason why Witness flopped is that she cut and dyed her hair blond. Before that, all her career she was known for having this gorgeous black hair and pin up girl look. Her biggest asset to her career was her sex appeal and that immediately went away with that god awful Miley wannabe haircut. Plus her making Witness a woke pop and political themed album must’ve turned off a lot of people especially conservatives. And also her insensitive Britney comments were rude and uncalled for. She basically dug herself into a major hole that she still hasn’t gotten out of.
I honestly thought the first blonde haircut for Chained to the Rhythm was cool looking but yeah, the jarring change and it being like years since PRISM and just alienating her base really did her in.
Witness was sooo undeservingly HATED! The critics hated it before it even came out… Definitely not my number 1 Katy Album however I don’t think it deserved the hate that it received
it’s my favourite album because she didnt do something that was done before just like artpop. that’s why they’re both my favourite albums from the artists
Great take! I think history will be much kinder to these records that capture both artist’s commercial declines. Witness was ahead of its time in some ways and Artpop is the blueprint behind Chromatica in some ways.
Don’t Blame Taylor Swift as she was able to take the Kimye situation and put out a BANGER (reputation) album and two more successful ones after that. It’s what you make of it.
Wow it's amazing how the media points out the negative things about you dear Where the compassion they look stupid look at you now dear you definitely get my badge 😉 😊 of honor love excitement Legendary lovers ❤️ ♥️ 🙌 💕 😍
I don’t think she’ll ever have a true comeback a la Teenage Dream/Prism-size success. Perhaps a big revival single similar to former AI judge JLo having those top 40 hits like “On the Floor” and “Dance Again” in the later stage of her career. But I think she’s v happy with her constant checks, the residency, and raising a kid with Orlando Bloom. I feel like she bowed out of superstardom in a way she’ll always be around.
I think she is having a midlife crisis of sorts. I mean she chopped her hair off and dyed it to be more like Miley Cyrus. Her jet black hair was iconic, and she just whacked it all off. That's when I stopped paying attention to her. She blows Miley out of the water as far as looks go. She needs to know that. I mean looks aren't everything but she is a entertainer, so that is important. I don't really like modern pop music, but I liked Katy's looks before she had her meltdown or whatever. Katy blows Taylor Swift away as far as looks go too.
What was your favorite track from Witness? Favorite moment? Let’s talk!
My favorite track was Tsunami because it’s when I was just starting what would be tumultuous relationship later on, and it’s when I was coming into my sexuality fully so I was having the most fun and it was fitting for that reason! My favorite lyrics “Don’t be scared to dive in deep/and start a tsunami!” 😭🙃
Power, Roulette, Witness
most definitely mind maze 😍
Favorite Tracks: Witness, Roulette, Swish Swish, Deja Vu, Power, Mind Maze, Miss You More, Change To The Rhythm, Tsunami, Bon Appetit, Bigger Than Me, Pendulum, Into Me You See, Dance With The Devil, Rise
Least Faves: Save As Draft, Act My Age
My favorite probably has to be Chained To The Rythm
Tbh, I think what also killed Witness was that Katy’s attempt in being down to earth, stripped back and relatable just ended up translating as being lazy/boring. Katy’s known for being big, the absolutely gigantic set for California Gurls, the makeup and costuming in ET, the Teenage Dream CD itself smelling like cotton candy, the like 30 different cakes made for the Birthday LYRIC video, the metal lion she entered the Super Bowl in and the floating shooting star platform she left in, setting the California Gurls wig on fire and putting the Teenage Dream costume in a casket for PRISM promotions, making separate social media profiles for her TGIF character which btw were active up until 2017/2018, shooting her audience with a glittery whipped cream cannon during the California Dreams tour. All of that somehow led to the Backpack kid/flossing thing, the SNL Bon Appetit performance, the Swish Swish MV, the 4 day livestream, and just…everything. And tbh, I think Katy’s future projects somehow make Withess look even worse. She literally got a motorcycle license just for the Harley’s in Hawaii (which is a fucking banger btw) MV, yet THATS the thumbnail that was decided on for the Swish Swish MV? (Also, the problem with the haircut is just that it looked bad, she’s had short hairstyles in the past and she looked cute, but that specific hairstyle just looked bad, and the color only made it worse, it washed her out so much, and it clashed hard with the more experimental makeup she was doing)
I agree the loss of maximalism in image did cost her quite a bit. Witness as an album had some edge and verve to it but the single choices and their roll out were just plain bad too. I think a song like Roulette or Act My Age with a traditional Katy sorta video would have done well.
It sort of reminds me of Reputation's singles (funny comparison but 2017 pop really seemed to be come and go), Swift had the cover of strong debut weeks to bolster the first two tracks but they never lasted beyond 10-ish weeks on the charts. It was when Swift did Delicate with that video and a more familiar image that she finally got the sort of longevity she had before.
So what if it did to you. That's a pretty lowdown reason to start hating someone
@@elizabethenglish1790 I don’t hate her tho??? She’s one of my favorite musicians??? I didn’t even hate this era, I’m just pointing out why OTHER people weren’t feeling her as much
This album honestly deserves so much better, this is my favourite Katy Perry album
Same
personally this is my least favorite katy record, however she definitely didn't deserve the overwhelming hate that she got in this era. I'm still really excited for her next album
Honestly, it’s not my fave record by her either. Teenage Dream and the first half of Prism fight for that spot all the time!
The hate she got was disproportionate and so undeserved! KP5 probably will be a good mix of TD and Prism but with maturity and grace!
*I think the issue was the experimental serious production along with the ~quirky~ lyrics and her new middle aged mom personality clashed too hard and made it feel messy*
Katy perry was the singer of my high school years.
Class of 2010✌️
Class of 2014 haha!
I think people were underwhelmed as she promised "purposeful pop" with a political message and that element was missing in the singles
The transition from CTTR to Bon Apetit remains one of the most jarring things from the era, had she done Bigger Than Me or Hey Hey Hey afterwards it would have been less awk.
@@EljohnMacaranas YES! I've always said witness or roulette should've been the second single, bon appetite sounds like an Album filler.
@@EljohnMacaranas bigger than me would’ve been perfect, imo one of the best songs on the album. The lyrics are really good and a lot more memorable compared to some of the other songs on the album
@@jackcastell2024 and some peeps have audacity to say that Bigger Than Me is the worst on the album...
IM SO SAD ABOUT HOW THIS ALBUM WAS TREATED
I do think it’s actually turned around its reputation in the past 3 years. (I did not mean that pun.)
I completely agree with your analysis of this record!!! Thanks for shining a light on this dismissed era!
Aaaah! It deserved so much better! It was just such an unfortunate amount of events both outside forces and inside forces wrecked it all!
I still believe she can deliver a cohesive and magical era one day. I feel so bad about Daisies underperforming!
Roulette is such a banger. Missed opportunity for a single!
Honestly this is my favourite Katy Perry album 💿, it was made for adults and I appreciate the sound and the messages
I genuinely think looking back the single choices were poor, she should have positioned herself for Adult Contemporary with it. Hey Hey Hey, Roulette, Act My Age all were perfect.
if the whole album was like Chained to the rhythm she wouldn't have flopped
I think _Witness_ is her best album along with _Prism_
The ballads, the self improving lyrics.
Re recovering one's self and that crave for one's growth and evolution.
The sound is experimental, diverse and new.
I'm glad the album only had a standard and deluxe version (which I gladly own, lol)
None of that 'different countries' album versions' bullshit. Which is a total *DRAG* to be honest.
Why is no one talking about mind maze, it’s emotional and it was a turning point in her music because I feel like all the anxiety she had was released in that song
Great discussion here. I enjoyed this video. I agree with the observations. I love Witness. I felt it was one of her most mature albums to date. My favorite track is the SOLO version of Bon Appétit 🤍
Smile was cute but such a step backwards. Solo Bon Appetit bridge was amazing and I still wish she’d opted for Ariana over Migos like what was rumored.
got my reminder set for this one
...just very sad for her
I need more discussion and content from you about witness!!! Love your analysis of everything.
I wanna talk about it again when she releases another album tbh
@@EljohnMacaranas cannot wait until then! Thank you for being an open-minded individual. Fills me with love to know this Earth has someone like you in it 💛
Your analysis of why Witness failed is what I am thinking too. I thought she was too outspoken and involved during the 2016 presidential election. In politics, you are always going to please some and piss other people. I don't know if she was aware of the consequence of getting so involved in politics. I love that she was and is still supporting social justice, equality and opportunity. She can still have an opinion of who she will vote for but she shouldn't have been the face of the Democratic party going against Trump and shouldn't ventured into purposeful pop (politics).
I think that her SNL fight with Migos sort of ruined whatever chance it had for success.
*From rewatching her interviews, I just noticed she said her album is a 360° liberation, around her Bon Appétit era I think. CTTR: Political Liberation, BA: Sexual, SS: Against bullying. ✨ There's def a change but it wasn't heard anymore*
She should have led with that, it would have made the Bon Apetit single do a little better (also the fact Ari was taken off that track if the rumor mills were true is a crime)
it’s definitely an odd album but i love it for exactly that. the production is amazing & katy suits it, although lyrically it’s hit or miss. title track, Mind Maze, Roulette, Miss You More, CTTR are highlights for me
Katy’s lyricism has always been balls to the wall camp and on the nose. Sometimes it does work, others it’s just bad. I think the success of TD and Prism taught her to stay in that lane but her early songwriting was a bit more subtle. Smile was her tripling down.
I just love how unapologetically weird this whole era was
Dr. Puke also played a factor in why witness failed
And which factor is that?
Bcs she didn't want to work with him again, so he didn't get any royalties from her album witness
The problem is to be difficult to have better albums of Katy to ''Teenage Dreams'' and ''Prism''. ''Witness'' was my least favorite album of her career. But this album have soe greats moments, with somes songs like ''Pendulum'', ''Roulette'' or ''Miss you More''. But the problem is because musically for a experimental album, it's not so much good like a experimental album have at the base (listen the self-titled album of Beyonce, a experimental album also and very excellent). The singles didn't figure at my favorites songs of Katy (and i hate ''Bon Appetit'' a horror this track and hate the video also) and i didn't buy this album because it's not have a excellent listen like ''Teenage Dreams'' and ''Prism''. The precedent album (Prism) was a excellent released after ''Teenage Dreams'' because she touch more a more adult public with the album (because it's was a more slow, pop and mature album) because the first half was more radio-friendly and commercial songs, while the last half was more intimate and personal for her and was only pop ballads, very perfect to present her confessional tone.
Roulette and act my age should’ve been singles with chained to the rhythm but unfortunately they went down the legendary lovers path :(
Legendary Lovers deserved over TIHWD 😭😭😭
Great analysis! Always loved the not-so-subtle political subtexts, had no idea it was partially the reason why the album flopped.. and why its not available to stream in my region 💀
The politics definitely played a part and everyone wants to blame it squarely on the music when in reality she was being penalized for being one of the few artists actually protesting the president. Lana did so too but so subtly.
I feel so bad for her... this era was a mess and really ruined her career
I think if roulette was the first single and chained to the rhythm was the second one it would be a better era
Roulette genuinely has that killer sound of a pop hit!
@@EljohnMacaranas it’s one of my favorite songs ever
NOOOO I MISSED THE PREMIERE
Hahaha no problem it was actually r quiet and mostly talking about Charli XCX Ebola song leak
Witness is my favorite album from Katy. Katy is never really over. And I will be forever fan and witness of her.
Hi, no shade i'm a hardcore swifty from 2008 and a katycat since 2010 so i wouldn't say you were completely wrong about how Taylor was indeed petty to be pissed at Katy for the backup dancers and though Bad Blood was a bop it wasn't because people started beleiving Taylor blindly,infact they criticised here and slut-shamed her for the girl squad, feminism and so much more. Katy herself jumped in and out of Taylor's personal matters(like her feud with Nicki which they happily resolved), but Katy wouldn't let a chance to go to shame Taylor. And ofcourse Katy made blunders throughout her career after Prism by being so pretending to be so politically 'awakened' as she thought she was a top pop girlie in 2015-2016 but she was WRONG. Katy had long lost her longetivity and obviously singles from Witness were pathetic but the album was perfection i beleive.(Targeting Britney Spears seriously!!!!!!!, I think she thought she developed a huge superiority complex after the success of Prismatic Tour that she felt doing this was fine....)The world turned her down because of her wrongly made choices be it politics, singles and image creation of purposeful music.....Even Taylor had a MASSIVE downfall after the Kanye thing and was called a 'snake' by everybody, but she was extremely cautious not to start any drama amidst that and after a hiatus of a year she came back with Reputation(the biggest comeback ever) which was the same year as Witness. Even Taylor had a awakening of politics but that was not dealt with so much grandeur and people don't even talk about it now. Both campaigned for lgbtq but one did it subtly and one did it so loud that she was banned for concerts in Russia and China.
Anyway, I hope Katy can make a comeback and she returns to music ASAP as I am really fond of her entire discography but not of her personal decisions.
Edit- I'm a fan of her videography too....Her music videos are some of the best and she deserved more vmas
well said xx
stream -chromatica- daisies for clear skin y'all
I have a playlist that has Chromatica then 3 daisies then Chromatica again! (She should have sent Daisies to radio the week she dropped it tbh)
The moral of the story is: don't fuck with taylor swift
Oh my God I forgot abt the falling house.
She WAS the moment
19 year old Taylor Swift was not joking when she wrote ' There is nothing I do better than revenge '😈
Tayvoodoo really got her
I couldn’t understand why especially Roulette didn’t go bigger in public circles. Also Swish Swish should be in clubs too lol great vid
I was devastated when a video of her yelling not a single before singing Roulette on tour showed up on Twitter, just a free perfect hit haha
SS was just exhaustion of pop at the time, everyone was trying to be edgy 🙄
WHEN IM GONE
Unfortunately, this new era "Smile" is shaping up to be a big flop, much less relevant than "Witness"
completely a shame considering how cool her promo has been but between her pregnancy and impending marriage to Orlando Bloom, I don’t think she’s too heartbroken
Smile is doing great so far The albums not even out yet and it’s sold 900,000 copies
@@dylanvandusen1334 wrong info girl.
I actually think she's talented, she worked with one of the best people in the industry, she's an icon. HOWEVER. I don't understand her as a person and I don't approve of what she's done and said. Let's separate art and the artist, so I will probably give her newer material a chance since her iconic first three albums were part of my childhood/teenage years. Katy is FABULOUS for a throwback ☕☕☕☕☕☕☕
I’m kinda shocked Smile never caught on, but then again, pandemic release
Her best album and it's not even close. Also the best album by a big pop girl
Katy Perry is still an icon and one of the biggest and most recognizable names in pop music
Oh for sure, I just wish she’d actually do something with all that! Hearing she sold her catalog saddened me.
Yeah I feel like Katy got so much hate for like nothing. Like sure she was pretty sheltered and not knowledgeable but she ADMITTED that and was clearly trying to learn more and just wanted to express how she was feeling in a difficult time. Witness is probably my third favorite Katy record (hard to say, I just know Smile is my fav) but it was clearly important to her. I think where she could’ve done better was single choices since they were pretty bizarre IMO, but other than that it’s a good album
There definitely was a feeling people were cheering on her downfall, I’d been one of the few fans who streamed and supported her album at the time. Even old time Katycats were dooming about the album bc it wasn’t mindless candy coated Dr Luke music.
The falling house has me
Love you 💖
Love you too Trevor!
I will shamefully admit I like bon appetit I mean the lyrics are garbage but the production is really catchy, and even the MUNA Remix was even better
Best album ever messages hiddin in every single song omg katy we need Witness 2.0
Anything would be better than a Smile 2.0
When Taylor goes experimental with the reputation era y’all praise her but when Katy does the same with the witness era y’all bash her to death this goes to show how selective people are 🙄
No hate seriously I love both of the artists despite everyone’s comparisons of them.
Edit:I don’t actually know if Taylor was praised when reputation came out I just a lot of people praising her when it came out
Taylor was DRAGGED for reputation if I recall correctly, it's her lowest-rated album to date on Metacritic and was entirely shut out from major categories during the Grammys. Tayloe went out of her way to cherrypick good reactions and post them on her Insta (to combat the narrative.) Witness and rep share Max Martin's footprints on their productions but rep is a superior record due to Jack's contributions. The key difference is the fanbase's reaction. Katycats weren't exactly united in defending the record back in 2017 and tbh have a more casual listening base. Hardcore Swifties went to the mat by explaining the record, praising it, and trying to win over the GP. Nowadays we see Katycats praise Witness and like defend it but in 2017... I didn't see anyone really go above and beyond.
@@EljohnMacaranas OHHHHHH
@@EljohnMacaranas I’m stupid lol
Swifties are one of the strongest if not the strongest fandom.
@@kamallb4650 yesss i am one of million swifties
i love this album
love the vid
It’s def in the works, I just wanna get the right topic down, I love Marina to death!
Katy is soooo good ! She’s a queen!!!
The hate for Witness (and it being left off her Catalog vinyl release) is depressing
Sorry for the english. Back in 2015, I lost a bet to my brother and had to take my niece to her show (São Paulo - Brasil). Never cared for this kind of music. I’m 44 now, and the songs were for teens in my opinion. I had a great time at the show, but did’t listen to any music, after that. But when witness came out, I could relate to the lyrics. Teens would never understand most of it. When she came to Brasil in 2018, I was working overseas. This time, I would go not as an obligation. Who cares What her hair looks like? So much hate for free. And miss Taylor was a B... too. My niece was Crazy, calling others kids Bad names because of this. Kids From all over the world. I talked to her and she stoped, but most of parents don’t’ care about kids are doing at social medias.
Smile is another album teens won’t get it. What makes a woman is a wonderful song. Love the lyrics. Only love too. If you had one day to live, I bet you would do the same (I would). Who cares if she’s not Number one? Just the media. I’m glad she found love and it’s a mom now. Artist are humans too, sometimes media and idiot fans forget that. I like P!nk. Don´t remember any time she got this kind of hate. And she is political. But the "fans" are much more older and have a life outside social medias. I wish people were more responsable.
ok call me shallow but it was the karen haircut, the weird cringe "quirky" personality she took on, and the purposely trying to be a meme. She took way too sharp of a turn and lost most of her appeal for me honestly.
Oh you’re not wrong at all! The surface level stuff was a big turn off to the GP too. I feel like it was crazy seeing someone who was at the cutting edge of trends wipe out in 2017 entirely.
Witness… the downfall 🙊
The beginning of an end
Okay but why did u keep dragging Taylor at like the first 2 mins of the video?
Lmao if u thought that was dragging... esp when I made a whole ass Rep appreciation video: stans are so soft these days
@@EljohnMacaranas jsjsjskadiwks I'm sorry we-💀 💀 i saw your vid abt reputation and forgot to delete my comment i-😳 😭
Yajiee Lmao, it’s no issue to me at all but I did want to make it clear that I love Taylor and her work. And I def understand the protectiveness Swifties have for Taylor (she gets dragged for the wrong things), but in the context of covering Witness: I had to speak power to the conflict their feud had over the album cycle. I’m personally glad they resolved their issues IRL.
@@EljohnMacaranas thank u for understanding my dumb mind 😭🙏🏻 and yea, finally no more bad blood between the two ❤️
❤❤❤❤❤ yo si amo a witness
Witness was really trashed for no reason the more I think about it
I like Hey, Hey, Hey. I love the video. I LOVE Chained to the Rythm, the album is ok.
Hey Hey Hey should have been the second single tbh like Bon Appetit was a disaster for her especially when it was rumored Ariana would be on the track and we ended up with Migos who were facing backlash for homophobic comments
@@EljohnMacaranas EXACTLY!
Witness is the most I’ve ever liked Katy Perry. Not a bad album.
Honestly the marketing was its downfall for sure. I think had it been better showcased with better singles it wouldn’t have been better received 😭
No. The feud with taylor only gave both of them headlines and eyes!
Oh, dude, the feud was old news by 2017 but when Tay dropped her whole back catalogue on streaming after removing it from Spotify around 2014-2015 the same week as Witness... it was just a mess. Swish Swish would have been a bigger hit if it wasn't seen as a late answer to Bad Blood by the general public.
i don’t think Taylor was part of it, Taylor was in a “hiatus”, i think her Political and her shaving her hair was the biggest downfall
Taylor and swifties definitely played a role in shaping public perception to some degree. Being on the losing end of a public beef even if the other side doesn’t say or do much (other than drop their entire discography on Spotify on the same day as your new album) still hurts the narrative
Did She not bully somebody like an extra and that is gone from you tube? Wow what money can buy
And if you go back and actually look at the context and what was going on in Katy Perry's life at the time of the head shaving reference on the red carpet you can clearly see that she's being literal. She was at her breaking point and I have no idea why people think she was making a joke when she was making an obvious reference. You can literally see in her face she's being serious and then guess what happened she went "crazy".
wait you’re telling me that swish swish wasn’t a hit? it would never get off of the radio and literally was everywhere around my area lmaooo
It didn’t even hit top 40 in the states, maybe internationally it fared better but it came and went so fast on US charts
It was a flop and was trash. The only good thing was Nicki’s verse
She did well internationally
The reason this album ruined Katy’s legacy is that it made it embarrassing to be a Katy Perry fan. Her die-hard stans started to regret stanning her in the first place
Lots of embarrassing moments that did not need to happen
When i was in 5th grade, this song was played on the radio a lot, but it was a bop
Chained to the Rhythm? Bc if so, the taste!
@@EljohnMacaranas yeaah chained to the rythm
And also for some reason they also played save as draft, which is where i discovered my disliking of it
Karin Honaker :-/ I sing _Save As Draft_ passionately, lol
@@karinhonaker4236not me randomly hating on save as draft lol
well, she's stuck in the 2010s, unable to move on. It's 2024...after Witness she released "Smile" another train wreck and now she's on the brink of releasing "143" which is projected to be landslidedly her worst ever
143 might not even crack 30k sales week
This is actually a very good video looking back at the very depressing witness era, in my opinion I compare it to Madonna's American Life era, both artists we're trying to be socially political and and it really didn't work now in my opinion witness is way better than American life but just roll out and really cringey moments during that era I just there are a lot of factors that played in that why this out that are up really is look down upon
I really appreciate Madonna's 'American Life'. It's so personal and something that Madonna never has done before that. It even had my grandmother crying a bit.
as a swiftie, i feel bad for taylor's revenge - she did totally nail it, but it does look catty... though i'm glad taylor has already realized that it was a bit b*tchy and she kind of regrets it now (i mean, thats how humans work anyways) and her and katy have already made up and are friends again :D
Taylor did the same thing to Adriana Lima at the VS fashion show- when Adriana first walked out as the big-name of the show, Taylor stopped singing and started monologuing to make the cameras go on her and not Adriana. The cameras didn’t move from Adriana and you heard Taylor’s obvious sabotage attempt in the background. Katy didn’t do anything like that when she played the show, Nicki Minaj either. You gotta be a terrible person to be nasty to Adriana Lima the lady is lovely and kind.
@@ThingsILikke this sounds very tinfoilhat-esque
Witness is her best album yet with the most diversity and mature lyrics
It’s the first one to feel like not every track is commercialized enough to be a single but I have a soft spot for PRISM personally. Agreed on diversity and maturity in sound.
Eljohn Macaranas it was the album that made me gravitate towards her music again due to its lyrical content mainly and the experimental sound within the context of pop music at the time of its release, it was and is her most snubbed era due to poor single choices, controversy, and press in my opinion, SMILE seems to be her establishing herself as an album artist rather than a hit maker so I’m glad she has that liberty now that she’s out from that cycle of being #1 and being pressured into doing so
A A I’m curious about Smile’s content. A little disappointed that we got 4 of the 13 (if we count the Target version) of the tracks. But looking at the list of writers on the album, I think we might see the next class of pop writers break out on this album when they get hired onto other projects. Many of the writers on TS, Prism and Witness have gone onto success.
“I know how to save my album! Have the whole world see how nuts I am for four days straight…that’ll win ‘em over”
Tbh I think she had planned it to be more manicured and less candid but as the numbers and news came she LOST it
@@EljohnMacaranas I hear ya. Imagine having your mental health wrapped up in numbers and views
If I'm being completely honest this is my favorite Katy record, this album is so different and deep and I love that about it, the tour that also came with this album was amazing as well, I just really love and respect with the whole different vibe even the haircut didn't bother me, I can't believe that there was a whole hate train behind Katy Perry during the Witness Era, it makes me sad because I love this album so much
I'd understand if the witness album was about liberation and or like its called "can a get a witness" so to speak and have 'be woke. But I just think it was just a little bit to forced. Before witness she was never really a meme or ' a cool mom' she was just that girl who makes good music and you either liked her or didn't which was valid. An I totally agree that her early years where that girl next door pin up style which I LOVED!! that California girl whip cream loom was bettie page 100%. And her other albums felt like growth and glow ups, its just witness felt liek something that didn't need to be pushed so hard. Personally I like it, it think it's ok but thinking about its era... i know it was rough. Now watching this video and hearing what smile is about, I think i can appreciate both for having a new perspective on both of them and they seem to have more of a meaning Personally, and I will definitely listen to both of them forever
LETS BE BLUNT. MOST ARTIST MUSICIANS EVEN THE BIGGEST SUPERSTAR MUSICIANS HAVE A PEAK OF STARDOM THAT LAST ABOUT 11 TO 12 YEARS , AFTER THAT THEY LOSE MOST OF THERE RELEVANCE
Let's me be honest Katy Perry came out Politicaly and did the right thing and that was used against her and the same people are applauding Taylor Swift for doing the bare minimum
I’m not going to argue with u on that, what I will say though is that Miss Americana and the clip about her deciding to be politically active in 2018 underscores how controlling Big Machine Records was and the influence her father and investors had over her. Particularly since she built her entire empire on country before going into pop. Her doing the “bare minimum” is still something. I’m glad she was able to bring awareness to the insanity going on with the USPS.
aryan roy It could have v well been, but Taylor said sometime in Oct 2015 that the song was about her ex-boyfriend. I agree the “feud” was manufactured nonsense that BMR and Taylor ran with. Unfortunately, Katy didn’t recover or respond in a timely manner. But they did reconcile recently which was nice.
100%
If you watch miss americana you can understand why she was so silent about it, but at least she can make big change, let's not forget when she endorsed ppl to register to vote and when she put out the petition for the equality act and ppl actually signed it, now she's being vocal about not supporting trump, I think she could be doing so much more and I hope she does
@@michaelvalverdenavarro7690 i actually touched on this in my rep video even including the clip and acknowledge Taylor’s efforts to be a force for good on there
The Title Should Be "Witness: The Time Fake Fans Showed Themselves
Yep
This is a great video! I was considering doing a video about witness myself but this is too good! looks like it took a lot of work!
The comedic edits took forever but also just sifting through the highlights and low points of the era (and rewatching parts of Witness World Wide) was exhausting. 2017 was a miserable time for me so bad memories and watching my idol “fall from grace” again was a bummer.
*Do it*
lol
"Former American Sweetheart" 💀
She will return! I believe in a comeback story!
She didnt survive the TayVoodoo
Oh when she released the back catalogue on the same day as Witness
I think the biggest reason why Witness flopped is that she cut and dyed her hair blond.
Before that, all her career she was known for having this gorgeous black hair and pin up girl look.
Her biggest asset to her career was her sex appeal and that immediately went away with that god awful Miley wannabe haircut.
Plus her making Witness a woke pop and political themed album must’ve turned off a lot of people especially conservatives.
And also her insensitive Britney comments were rude and uncalled for.
She basically dug herself into a major hole that she still hasn’t gotten out of.
I honestly thought the first blonde haircut for Chained to the Rhythm was cool looking but yeah, the jarring change and it being like years since PRISM and just alienating her base really did her in.
chained to the rhythm was a total winner **sigh**
One of the best protest pop songs I’ve heard in awhile, I see TikToks from people who were too young to get it praising it
Witness was sooo undeservingly HATED! The critics hated it before it even came out…
Definitely not my number 1 Katy Album however I don’t think it deserved the hate that it received
it’s my favourite album because she didnt do something that was done before just like artpop. that’s why they’re both my favourite albums from the artists
Great take! I think history will be much kinder to these records that capture both artist’s commercial declines. Witness was ahead of its time in some ways and Artpop is the blueprint behind Chromatica in some ways.
Did u just say poyg-nant?
When I record late at night, I get an accent: a bad one. Also I almost said pregnant like 3 times recording absjsjxjakjxkakdoakxks
The industry sabotaged her! Justice for Witness!!!
Witness was sabotaged by poor single choices for sure, she should have lead with Act My Age or Hey Hey Hey or Roulette
Wasn't much of a fan until this album. By far her best work
I honestly loved both Witness and Artpop.
Don’t Blame Taylor Swift as she was able to take the Kimye situation and put out a BANGER (reputation) album and two more successful ones after that. It’s what you make of it.
3 more successful
Love how bored u sound 😂😅 (no hate)
Pop music hasn’t been the same since 2013.
Wow it's amazing how the media points out the negative things about you dear
Where the compassion they look stupid look at you now dear you definitely get my badge 😉 😊 of honor love excitement
Legendary lovers ❤️ ♥️ 🙌 💕 😍
She shoukd stop hating ,criticizing and dishing Taylor!
They actually made up last year! Taylor even wore a sweater covered in Daisies around the time Daisies dropped and Katy appeared in YNTCD!
Taylor and Katy are actually good friends now
Taylor sent katy's daughter presents this year so they're good now
Do you think KP6 will be her comeback?
I don’t think she’ll ever have a true comeback a la Teenage Dream/Prism-size success. Perhaps a big revival single similar to former AI judge JLo having those top 40 hits like “On the Floor” and “Dance Again” in the later stage of her career. But I think she’s v happy with her constant checks, the residency, and raising a kid with Orlando Bloom. I feel like she bowed out of superstardom in a way she’ll always be around.
I think she is having a midlife crisis of sorts. I mean she chopped her hair off and dyed it to be more like Miley Cyrus. Her jet black hair was iconic, and she just whacked it all off. That's when I stopped paying attention to her. She blows Miley out of the water as far as looks go. She needs to know that. I mean looks aren't everything but she is a entertainer, so that is important. I don't really like modern pop music, but I liked Katy's looks before she had her meltdown or whatever. Katy blows Taylor Swift away as far as looks go too.