'I put so much validity in the reaction of the public, and the public didn’t react in the way I had expected to, which broke my heart.'
When you’re way up at the top, you have a much harder fall - especially if you’re a Grammy-award winning musician. Katy Perry revealed that after her last album Witness underperformed last year, she had ‘bouts of situational depression’ after people didn’t embrace her album the way she had expected them to.
In a candid interview with Vogue Australia, Katy said, ‘I have had bouts of situational depression, and my heart was broken last year because, unknowingly, I put so much validity in the reaction of the public, and the public didn’t react in the way I had expected to, which broke my heart.’
She continued, ‘Music is my first love and I think it was the universe saying: ‘Okay, you speak all of this language about self-love and authenticity, but we are going to put you through another test and take away any kind of validating “blankie”. Then we’ll see how much you do truly love yourself.’
Katy released Witness in June last year to lukewarm reviews. The album as a whole peaked at number six in the UK album charts. While in the past she’s cinched numerous top spots for singles like Teenage Dreams, Firework and Roar, none of her Witness singles quite rose to the same heights - reaching a height of number five on the UK singles chart with Chained to the Rhythm.
Beady-eyed fans also noted that tickets for her Witness tour were being sold on Groupon, which isn’t the greatest sign that ticket sales are going well either.
She also talked about how she had checked herself into the Hoffman Institute, a ‘personal growth retreat’, to recover from the album fall out and the experience gave her a new sense of ‘wholeness’.
Katy said, ‘That brokenness, plus me opening up to a greater, higher power and reconnecting with divinity, gave me a wholeness I never had. It gave me a new foundation. It’s not just a material foundation: it’s a soul foundation.’
Katy has previously been incredibly open about her personal life and emotional wellness, revealing on her Witness livestream that she had written a song about her struggle with suicidal thoughts. She said, 'I wrote a song about it. I feel ashamed that I would have those thoughts, feel that low and that depressed. You can be right or you can be loved. I just want to be loved.'
For those struggling with mental health issues, the Samaritans provide 24/7 support on their hotline 116 123 and can also be emailed at jo@samaritans.org.
