Music video views society through funhouse mirror
Katy Perry implores audience to just be themselves in “Chained to the Rhythm”
March 5, 2017
Last week, Katy Perry released her music video for “Chained to the Rhythm,” and it was more than most fans bargained for.
The video is set in an amusement park that has a retro vibe but still includes technology from the present time. It’s almost like a live-action version of “The Jetsons” meets “Tomorrowland,” but with a dark side.
It starts out sweet, with Perry’s traditional pastel colors and good vibes, but slowly turns ominous. At one point, Perry stares at a rose, admiring its color, until a thorn pricks her finger. It is the beginning of what will become a darkly unexpected twist.
It’s clear that Perry is throwing shade at American culture and society. When she is on a rollercoaster, she goes through a tunnel surrounded in “likes,” implying that our society is based on approval from other people.
Towards the end of the video, we see Perry running on a hamster wheel. It’s almost as if she’s trying to say that if she wants to stay in the theme park, she has to give more of her energy every time. It’s an apt parallel to the society in which we live, where if something takes too much time or energy, it’s no longer fun.
The video says a lot about American society and how we live our everyday lives. It also sends a message — we should improve the way we live and not base our lives around other people’s opinions. We should be able to do what we want, and love who we love, without worrying about judgment from others.
Living in a perfect world, Perry argues, isn’t always perfect.
