The song got dragged when it was first released and started the downward spiral of Katy's career and spawned some iconic gifs on ATRL. BUT looking back at it now I feel like the song got undeserved hate, yes it wasn't the cute fun bops that we were used to getting from Katy, but the song is actually a good song with an interesting message. The video was really good and the last part of the song is so haunting 

 

It also gave us this iconic performance:

 

This song shouldn't have been a flop and I think we all owe Katy an apology 

i was just listening to this song lol 

now im streaming tsunami.

 

no it didn’t that song sucks

 

Witness should have been the first single

It was my favorite lead from hers until NRO 

Everything from Katy since 2017 deserved better, even that Just Eat song 

isn't that the performance that saved it from tanking first week? yes it's pretty good it was #1 in my Spotify 2017 Top Songs but it was probs too heavy (for Katy's standards) for the geepee

6 minutes ago, qurl said:

no it didn’t that song sucks

 

Witness should have been the first single

She ruined that song the demo is so much better. That era is where she got too overconfident.

I agree; I've always loved this track!!

Had she released a bop during that time, it would have done well. This was just a bad song plain and simple, and following it up with an even worse Bon Apetit was the final blow for that era 

Naur 

8 minutes ago, terrorblade said:

isn't that the performance that saved it from tanking first week? yes it's pretty good it was #1 in my Spotify 2017 Top Songs but it was probs too heavy (for Katy's standards) for the geepee

No it was not, this performance was after the song debuted

This is the one you're talking about:

 

 

She was so fierce during CTTR promo, we never saw her again like this.

Kworb did too much with that 45k prediction though. The song was literally top 3 on iTunes. 

The song's always been a massive bop. Never understood the hate for it 

Agreed, it has aged like fine wine

The song was a hit though during the time. it all really went downhill when the second single came out...

yes, it's total pop perfection

naur, it totaly does

I remember not liking it at first, but with time it turned into a earworm 

 

The only bad single from Witness is Swish Swish, I fear 

I think this song is a 10/10, imagine if she followed this up with Roulette and then Witness.

Song is terrible and an ironic look into what Katy Perry would be in the 2020's. The way she's the zombie she sings about.

 

 

Anyways, there were MUCH better choices for a first single than that. It was also a terrible idea to start her era with "this is political pop!" to then a.) release a vapid pop song and then b.) ditch the concept entirely by the second single.

 

 

But it I remember it being a global hit. It was not a flop, except for ATRL's standards for her at the time. Plus, the song didn't really sound like a #1 to me

 

It's the only song I liked from Witness so I kinda agree, but it performed fine enough. Especially given she's basically saying in the song that her listeners are sheeple who ignore real world problems with pop music nn.

The message isn’t interesting. It’s ham-fisted at best and honestly ironic and impossible to take seriously coming from someone like her, who had been such a pop product during her best years.

Yeah, it's a great song.

This song brings me to another dimension. There's something to it I can't explain.

Edited November 1, 20223 yr by charot

It’s a terribly cringey song. The lyrics in the chorus are some of the most hamfisted and vapid drivel I’ve ever heard.

Edited November 1, 20223 yr by DirtyPony87

It’s a BOP and a half, it just should’ve never been the lead

And yeah like the majority of Witness, the lyrics were mediocre