KATY Perry is “taking time” to figure out her tour plans for the next 18 months after her comeback record flopped.
Katy, 39, refuses to take her poor single performance “lying down,” insisting to her advisors that “there is more to come” after her initial attempt at returning to pop stardom failed.
Katy Perry was reportedly “gung-ho” about bouncing back from a string of failed singles with her latest single Woman’s World, an insider exclusively told The U.S. Sun.
Instead, Katy faced an onslaught of fan backlash almost immediately after the songs – and accompanying music video’s – release.
The internet didn’t know what to make of the single, with some social media users calling it “the worst thing” they’ve ever heard, while others labeled her video as “a parody of feminism gone wrong.”
Some fans, including actress Abigail Breslin, also criticized Katy for working with disgraced music producer Dr. Luke, who was accused of sexual misconduct by his former artist, pop icon Kesha.
After years of allegations, lawsuits, and countersuits, Dr. Luke and Kesha released a joint statement on June 22, 2023, announcing they had reached a settlement before the case was to go to trial.
Woman’s World was a massive failure for the California Gurls singer, landing at just 63 on the US Billboard Hot 100 – one of the lowest openings for a lead single in Katy’s entire, decades-long career.
“Of course seeing Woman’s World fail like that feels like a kicking, but people shouldn’t underestimate Katy,” the insider shared.
“She is a fighter and beat the odds so often in her career to be such a major star,” they added.
The insider, who has worked with Katy’s team in Las Vegas, noted that the Hot N Cold star refuses to see this setback as “insurmountable.”
However, she’s also reportedly anxious to make sure that she doesn’t suffer “a J-Lo-like drama where she is locked in a tour” that fans simply don’t want to go to.
In May, Jennifer Lopez canceled her This Is Me tour to spend time with her family, though rumors swirled that it was also likely due to low ticket sales.
“Katy hoped to tour the US and then head out across the world for what she expected would be a mammoth celebration,” the source revealed.
“But now everyone is taking a couple of weeks to look at that live plan,” they continued, adding, “Katy is determined to get out in front of America and fans around the world to promote her album.”
The source also said a tour “will happen” regardless of the success of her upcoming single, citing the singer’s expansive back catalog of hits.
Katy Perry has released six studio albums, with her seventh, titled 143, set to debut on September 20, 2024.
The singer hasn’t enjoyed as much mainstream success in recent years as she did at the beginning of her career.
However, even the boldest critic can’t underscore her domination on the charts in the 2000s and 2010s.
Some of Katy’s most popular tracks include:
“Live shows will happen, it is now about making sure she performs at strong markets and decides on how she will tackle international [markets],” the source added.
Katy’s advisors are reportedly encouraging her to market the tour as her “celebrating her greatest hits on the road,” similar to her former frenemy Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.
Katy, who turns 40 later this year, “wants to get out on the road to show fans [that] not only has she still got it live, but also that her back catalog of hits is immense.”
Katy has sold over 135 million singles and 48 million album units worldwide, with 121 million digital singles and 19 million albums in the US alone.
She currently holds the record for most five-million-selling singles in the US, with six of her singles selling over five million units, including:
Despite her determination to succeed against all odds, Katy has started “thrashing out” the “extent of her tour plans,” according to the insider.
She’s also eyeing a return to a city that helped solidify her as one of the world’s biggest stars: Las Vegas.
“It was not that long ago when her Play residency in Vegas was seen by critics as the most fun superstar show ever on the Strip,” the insider told The U.S. Sun.
The singer’s concert residency, Play, kicked off at the Resorts World Theatre on December 29, 2021.
“Resorts World would welcome her back in a heartbeat for a new residency and other venues would throw their hat in the ring for her signature,” the source shared.
Katy played 80 shows throughout her residency, raking in nearly $50 million after her final performance on November 4, 2023.
The star’s final Vegas concert “was seen as such a modern-day iconic moment,” the source said.
Celebrities like Céline Dion, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle all “danced the night away,” alongside Katy’s fiancé, Orlando Bloom, and the duo’s daughter, Daisy Dove.
Katy’s Play residency is currently the 8th highest-grossing female residency in the history of Las Vegas.
“But if that deal moves [forward] then the earliest it would come through, likely, would be late next year,” the source added.
Katy, despite keeping busy promoting her latest album, is also reportedly on board for a return to the Las Vegas strip.
“She is backing herself to recapture that magic,” the source added.
In February, Katy shocked her fans after revealing she would be leaving American Idol after season 22.
Along with Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan, Katy has been a judge on the show for seven seasons, joining the show ahead of its 16th season revival.
On July 31, country superstar and former American Idol winner Carrie Underwood was revealed as Katy’s replacement.
When asked whether leaving American Idol was a mistake for Katy, the insider said it wasn’t in her “nature” to stay still for too long.
“Look, she could have done another year taking home $30 million in familiar surroundings,” the source said.
“But that is not the nature of the woman,” they continued.
“Above all she continues to be an artist, who has a desire to be creative and relevant to her audiences.”
In September, Katy is scheduled to perform at a multi-day music festival held at the City of Rock in Rio de Janeiro.
She’ll also be busy promoting her album ahead of its late-September release.
“‘There is plenty more to come’ is what we are being told,” the insider added.
Katy is still moving forward, full speed ahead, with her seventh studio album, 143.
The album’s second single, titled Lifetimes, officially made its debut on August 8.
She previously teased the single, posting clips on her social media channels with snippets of the dance track playing in the background.
Katy “is proud of what [she has] written and still has massive appeal as an artist,” the insider stressed.
Still, it’s unclear how fans will react to the track, and whether the song’s performance will impact her album’s upcoming release.
Despite dominating the music scene in the late 2000s and early 2010s with hits like I Kissed a Girl, Teenage Dream, and Roar, Katy has since fallen out of the mainstream.
Her last album, Smile, released on May 15, 2020, opened to lukewarm success and mixed reviews from critics and fans alike.
The album’s lead single, Daisies, peaked at number 40 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
143 is currently set to close out the summer with its September 20 release date.
