Katy Perry is choosing grace over rage in the face of social media chaos. In a powerful Instagram comment that’s quickly gone viral, the Firework singer responded to the wave of online criticism sparked by her recent spaceflight with Blue Origin and the kick-off of her Lifetimes world tour.
“I’m so grateful for you guys. We’re in this beautiful and wild journey together,” Perry wrote in response to a fan video of a Times Square billboard celebrating her tour launch. “Please know I am ok. I’ve done a lot of work around knowing who I am, what is real and what is important to me.”
The backlash has been loud. From memes mocking her Lifetimes choreography to celebrities like Emily Ratajkowski and Olivia Munn publicly criticizing her participation in the world’s first all-female space mission, Perry has faced a level of scrutiny she’s called “dehumanizing.” Even musician Lily Allen, who initially called the launch “out of touch,” has since retracted her comments, blaming “internalized misogyny.”
Still, Perry isn’t backing down. “When the online world tries to make me a human Piñata,” she wrote, “I take it with grace and send them love, ’cause I know so many people are hurting in so many ways.”
Her message also nodded to ongoing controversy over her decision to continue collaborating with Dr. Luke, a producer still under fire for abuse allegations by Kesha. Perry has previously defended the collaboration, saying she’s simply speaking from her own experience.
The Lifetimes tour launched in Mexico on April 23, with a U.S. leg kicking off in Houston on May 7, and more international dates set for later this year. Fans are brought onstage each night for a “special request” segment, and Perry says these moments remind her what’s real: “I find people to lock eyes and sing with and I know we are healing each other in a small way.”
As Perry puts it: “I’m not perfect… but I get back up and go on and continue to play the game. And somehow, through my battered and bruised adventure, I keep looking to the light—and in that light, a new level unlocks.”