Katy Perry kicked off an enviable run of hits just over a decade ago with “I Kissed A Girl,” which was followed by various earworms like “Teenage Dream,” “Firework,” and “Wide Awake.” Lately though, she’s hit a bit of a cool streak with songs like 2016’s “Rise,” which was basically a not-as-good version of “Roar.” But Perry’s new single, which dropped today, indicates that her cool streak may be over.
The Zedd-produced “Never Really Over” puts Perry right back in earworm territory, the story of a post-romance infatuation that refuses to die. Besides an impressive showcase for Perry’s powerful pop vocals, the appeal mainly lies in these rushed together post-chorus lines: “Just because it’s over doesn’t mean it’s really over/And if I think it over, maybe you’ll be coming over again/And I’ll have to get over you all over again,” boasting the kind of addictive hook songwriters dream of. Y’know, maybe we should give it another listen just to make sure.
The video puts Perry in a wonderfully faux-retro love rehab, where she does theatrical tai chi and gets heart-shaped cups on her back in an attempt to purge herself of her devotion—but as the song says, it’s a futile effort. After all, who among us doesn’t have a relationship in our past we could also describe as: “Oh we were such a mess/But wasn’t it the best?”
Perry’s upcoming album, KP5, awaits an an official release date.