Katy Perry’s “Lifetimes” video isn't a “crime against the environment,” but maybe an "infringement," which is still bad

Whatever curse Katy Perry wrought upon her 143 album cycle by working with Dr. Luke is clearly coming to fruition. The artist can’t seem to do anything right. “Woman’s World” was immediately slammed as outdated and tacky. Then Perry’s attempt to brand the already obviously satiric video as “satire” made her seem even more like the butt of her own joke. Then she had to eat weird food for LADbible instead of Hot Ones, and now she’s being investigated for potentially causing environmental damage in Spain while filming the video for her second single, “Lifetimes.” Someday, all of this is going to make a great podcast. 

According to Billboard, the Environment Department of Spain’s Balearic Islands—home to the heavily protected dunes of S’Espalmador where Perry filmed her video—is launching an investigation to determine whether the shoot caused any damage to the landscape. The Department alleges that Perry’s production team did not request the proper authorization before setting up for the video, and went ahead and filmed inside a prohibited area marked by ropes.

In a press release, the Department noted that the video is not necessarily a “crime against the environment,” but is being investigated as an infringement, as filming “can be authorized” with the proper permits.

This would all be funnier if the video actually felt like a “crime against the environment” (which is a phrase this author will immediately be adding to her lexicon), but the truth is that it mostly just… exists. The clip, which shows the singer dancing around and holding a plate of definitely real paella before heading to the club, both looks and sounds more like something you’d see during a Love Island transition than anything anyone would expect from an artist who used to be on the Mount Rushmore of pop during their heyday. Hopefully, the Environment Department’s investigation comes back negative and the dunes remain unharmed, but if not, it’s hard not to question what it was all for. If this situation gets any more precarious, messiah of the dunes Paul Atreides might have to fly in and sort everything out once and for all.