Can Katy Perry Reboot Herself?

Katy Perry - The Lifetimes Tour (2025)

After a brief outer space detour, Katy Perry returned to Chicago for the first time in eight years with The Lifetimes Tour at the United Center on May 12. As someone who spent childhood years as a devoted fan, the production felt like stepping into a time machine back to the seemingly unstoppable pop reign Perry held in the early 2010s. But rather than a triumphant return, the show often felt like a system reboot stuck mid-update.

Just five stops in, the tour has already drawn criticism: clunky choreography, slow ticket sales, and technical malfunctions in Minneapolis that left fans waiting hours. To me, though, the most glaring issue is the show’s overwhelming reliance on artificial intelligence. I expected AI to maybe appear briefly during her track “Artificial,” but nearly every visual, interlude, and background element was undoubtedly generated using AI. The result was often jarring. Some renderings of Perry didn’t even resemble her, leaving an uncanny impression that lingered longer than intended.

The criticism isn’t just noise from her usual online critics. The show signals a deeper disconnect between artist and audience. The heart, humor, and camp that once defined Perry’s brand have been replaced with hollow spectacle. Rather than embracing evolution, The Lifetimes Tour feels like an attempt to simulate legacy—without acknowledging with what gave that legacy weight in the first place.

Perry tried to acknowledge the backlash mid-show, proclaiming, “I thought I was the most hated person on the internet. I think that’s false.”

The crowd itself was an unexpected mix of suburban families and children alongside the club-ready older crowd in extravagant outfits. It felt like the Eras Tour had a head on collision with the Sweat Tour: Chaotic, confused, but fascinating to observe.

Walking into the arena felt like immediately walking back into 2013. Teenage girls wore her iconic Candyfornia outfits, millennials arrived in Left Shark costumes from her Superbowl Halftime, and others paid tribute to the One of the Boys, Teenage Dream, and Prism eras. For a moment, it was easy to forget how much Perry’s career has changed—and how many fans still remember what was.

Clearly, Perry or her team anticipated a different crowd—one more akin to Charli XCX’s. That disconnect was clearest during the opening set from Rebecca Black, who promoted her latest LP Salvation. Her set was packed with queer humor, religious satire, and bold sexual innuendos that definitely could have been empowering in a different space. But in an arena full of kids and parents, it felt wildly out of place. Around me, people sat frozen as Black danced wearing a gigantic “Homo Sex Is Life” sign. Many quietly slipped out, waiting for Perry to appear.

The show itself is structured around a five-act video game narrative. Perry transforms into her digital alter ego “KP143” to collect glowing hearts, defeat an evil AI mainframe, and rescue the trapped butterflies to save Earth. But the plot is buried under a flood of AI visuals—sandworms, radioactive soda, flying drones, Jedi-style fight scenes. Yes, really. Whatever message she hoped to send gets lost in the overload, aside from one line at the end: “Remember that you are the main character of your video game; don’t ever forget that.”

Despite the disjointed concept, there were moments that truly worked. Perry’s vocals were strong, and her band added energy with fresh live arrangements to both classics and newer material. The setlist struck a solid balance: megahits for the nostalgia crowd, deeper cuts for the diehard fans.

Katy Perry - The Lifetimes Tour (2025)

When she launched into songs like “California Gurls,” “Hot N Cold,” “Dark Horse,” and “I Kissed a Girl,” the arena lit up. Every word echoed back at her, and the energy lifted her performance. But the momentum faded during newer songs. I looked around and realized I was one of the few still able to sing along, as others gradually took their seats.

The show’s most authentic moment came when Perry brought three young girls on stage to sing “The One That Got Away.” It was a touching scene that offered a brief genuine glimpse of the artist. In "Woman’s World," she sings that she’s a mother, and this felt like the most honest expression of who she truly is beyond the facade.

Katy Perry - The Lifetimes Tour (2025)

At its core, The Lifetimes Tour is Perry’s attempt to answer a real question: Can she reboot herself? Unfortunately, it often feels like a mixture of better attempts. There are nods to Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour in its chrome-futurism, echoes of Lady Gaga’s Enigma residency in its narrative structure, and a scaled-down version of Swift’s Eras Tour in its nostalgia. Like much of her recent music, the show chases trends rather than setting them. The result is a production that feels more soulless than inspiring. 

Still, it’s not without joy. Even if the concept is hollow, the music and simple amusement endures. The songs that shaped a generation still undeniably hit, and for many in the crowd including myself, that’s enough to completely enjoy the night.

Katy Perry - The Lifetimes Tour (2025)

The Lifetimes Tour is an overloaded, fun, and confused attempt at a pop grandeur. Whether Katy Perry can still reboot herself remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: the system desperately needs an update.

Listen to The Lifetimes Tour setlist below!