Katy Perry says she’s done “forcing” her career after “rollercoaster year” of ‘143’

Katy Perry has looked back at her “rollercoaster year”, and said that she is done “forcing” her career.

• READ MORE: Katy Perry – ‘143’ review: a pop star struggles to relocate her old sense of fun

The singer took to social media recently to make a lengthy post about the highs and lows of 2025 so far, and shed light on how the reception to her latest album ‘143’ has affected her.

Taking to Instagram, she shared a number of videos and photos from the past few months, including shots of her travelling for the ‘Lifetimes Tour’, meeting fans and more. She started the caption by explaining that while she usually shies away from anniversary posts, she thought it would be “negligent” to not “acknowledge the incredible impact this last year has had on me”.

Looking at how it has been a year since the release of ‘143’, Perry shared: “I took the weekend to reflect. Records are snapshots of an artist trying to tell their story of where they are now or have been, and hope someone will hear themselves in some of the messages. ‘143’ to me was literally me saying I love you to my fans.

“Looking back now, I realise it has been all about reconnecting to my fans through these songs and through this wonderful tour that has given me the opportunity to see so many of you again and for the first time.”

Sharing how she has been “through a rollercoaster” of highs and lows since the record was shared, she added that she was “proud” of how her fanbase stuck together.

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“We celebrate the wins and reflect on the losses. All of it is valuable,” she added. “I am proud of where and how I have landed in this moment. Proud of myself, proud of my fans and proud that I keep on swinging … Through my years in the spotlight, I have been beloved, tested and tried. That’s the journey.”

She wrapped up by writing: “Whatever comes next, I’m letting it unfold naturally. No forcing, no controlling – just trusting the angels, the fans, and the music to guide me where I’m meant to go. Please know this: my love for you is unconditional, and I couldn’t do any of this without you.”

Controversy around Katy Perry’s latest album kicked off before she even released the record. Weeks before the album arrived in September 2024, fans were divided over the contributions from Dr. Luke, who Kesha accused of emotional abuse and sexual assault in 2014, culminating in a decade-long lawsuit. He denies all accusations.

On top of that, one of the main singles from the album, ‘Woman’s World’, triggered backlash too when it was shared last year, with many finding the video catered to the male gaze rather than challenging it.

Perry‘s artists and repertoire (A&R) manager later took responsibility for the decision to team up with Dr. Luke, saying that it came from his “desire” for the two of them to work together on ‘143’.

Controversy continued when Perry was fined over £5,000 for filming the music video for the ‘Lifetimes’ single in a protected area of Spain without permission.

Before then, she faced intense scrutiny after being a part of a highly criticised space flight earlier in April, where she was one member of the first all-female space mission in history.

The trip sparked memes and controversy, and made headlines after other celebrities responded to her taking the space flight. Actor Olivia Munn, for example, branded Perry “gluttonous”, Emily Ratajkowski said she was similarly “disgusted” by the space flight and Martha Steward made a tongue-in-cheek jab at the mission.

Lily Allen also called the mission “out of touch”, saying there was “no fucking reason” for it, but then walked back her comments, saying: “There was actually no need for me to bring her name into it, it was my own internalised misogyny.”

When Perry headed out on tour, fans were divided again, as she faced multiple occasions where props malfunctioned, experienced a fan fainting on stage, and faced harsh criticism from some online over the choreography involved.

NME gave the ‘143’ record a two-star review and described it as “a serviceable but slightly dull collection on which Perry struggles to relocate her old sense of fun”.

Ahead of the one-year milestone for the album, Perry shared a lengthy response to the backlash she has faced earlier this year. “Please know I am ok, I have done a lot of work around knowing who I am, what is real and what is important to me,” she told fans.

“My therapist said something years ago that has been a game changer, ‘no one can make you believe something about yourself that you don’t already believe about yourself and if I ever do have any feelings about it then it’s an opportunity to investigate the feeling underneath it.”

New figures were then shared by Page Six and Billboard, showing that even despite the setbacks, her recent run of tour dates have grossed more than $80million (£59million) in sales.

Next month she will continue the tour with some stops in the UK, where the ‘E.T.’ singer will perform in Manchester, Sheffield and Birmingham, and wrap up the stint with a closing night at London’s O2 Arena. Those shows will also see her make efforts to help support the UK’s grassroots music scene, with £1 ticket from every ticket sold will be given to Music Venue Trust (MVT) – providing security for local music venues and emerging talent.

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