Katy Perry has taken a stand against “stan culture” for its toxic behaviour and encouraging drama between female artists.
During an interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1, the “Never Worn White” singer spoke out about her battle with depression, the pressures of fame, and how toxic stans can be on Twitter when it comes to talking about their favourite female artists – while male stars are rarely judged with the same scrutiny.
“Somebody want to take my Twitter account and read comments?” Perry said, noting the difference between how fans treat male and female artists.
“No, you don’t, because it’s all about, who’s better than who? Who’s skinner than who? Who’s sold more number ones than who? Who’s doing better this year than who? Who made this much more? But it’s like, ‘Okay, well, what about just liking the music?'”
While Perry admitted that she can be competitive when it comes to wanting to succeed, she emphasised that she is “not competitive with women”.
“I actually truly want every single female in the industry to feel supported and loved and feel like they can speak their truth and deliver their message, no matter how many of us women are in the industry,” Perry said, before saying that she wishes she could talk with fellow female artists about their own experiences.
“We’re literally going through the exact same thing,” she explained. “There are only five other people in the world that are going through this, and you’re in the same room. Can we please just have some fucking wine and talk about how hard this is?”
“I think amongst peers, there’s been more understanding, compassion, and love, but there also has to be in the listeners and the fans,” she said, before concluding, “They have to not play the petty game with us.”
In a more positive discussion with Lowe, Katy Perry also praised Australian artist Sia, who she said helped guide her through a dark period in her life.
“Talk about camaraderie amongst peers,” she began. “From 2017 to 2019, I would just FaceTime her and cry and she would get it.
“She took me to meetings. She helped me along my way. We both have done the Hoffman Process. She’s on the journey as well, and you can tell, you can hear that evolution in her music. You really can, and we have a lot of love and respect for each other. But she’s actually helped a lot of people in the industry. She’s one of my faves.”
