Birthday was a smash but not for spring/summer...for summer/fall and the video killed the era.

Well, it's one in the same.


True. People are used to every katy song smashing that they don't understand how momentum really works.
It pissed me off when Katy told Breakfast club that she INTENTIONALLY went out of her way to do this type of music video because she didn't want to play into what was expected.
BISH, you created a certain image and it works. A Playful, sexy video would have done wonders as she has the perfect personality to pull it off.
Instead, we got unfunny stand up comedy that lasted 8 minutes and felt like 8 hours.
People must not stan for other artists because you'd know that the wrong execution of a single can affect the rest of the era.
IF she was going to use it for spring she should have pulled out those big balloons and called it a day. There's nothing worse than seeing a sexy person dressed up in a clown outfit trying to be extra funny.
Let the unattractive people overcompensate with humor.

Yep.

Yeah the song isn't bad it's just what's the point of a good song if you are not going to promote it and the only forms of promotion is a dumb video.
I mean, 3 minutes of unfunny business >>> 8 long minutes of unfunny business.
TIHWD is a great video that represents the song and there's a reason for it being at what around 90M views.

Big stations don't want to play TIHWD because they are in their feelings and those sassy, tangy DJs felt betrayed that walking on air wasn't the follow up to birthday.

They'll get their chance, don't they know Rupauls drag race is coming on soon.They'll hear Walking on air as the new theme song. No worries.

I think this is the end. Let it go and just be free, my fellow kats

It's true.
There's a reason why she said that she's only 29 once. THIS IS LITERALLY going to be the last time she puts out teeny pop songs like birthday, roar, tihwd, IS etc. She has solidified 3 solid eras.
4th era will be a departure into something more A/C. That's why I'm glad she got the novelty song TIHWD out the way. It'll be our last cheesy, fun song that caters to high schoolers and college kids at frat parties

You don't have to agree. There are songs designed for summer and winter impact...also spring and fall but moreso summer and winter. They do understand that certain sounds are better based on season. Which is why I cackled at you all thinking LL was going to be a summer. TIHWD should have been spring but oh well.

Very fews could impact the same during any season.
Dark horse is a song that could impact during any season.
Birthday, TIWHD and Roar would not have doneso in the winter.
Uncle wouldn't have done so in the summer

Feel good music works better during certain times.
Songs with strong statements works during certain times.
It is what it is

The sudden negativity.

There's no rule stating anything, but it just makes more sense to release certain songs in certain seasons. It's not mandatory, but it just makes sense sometimes.

Except the fact that a performance was broadcasted through BBMA.


Kinda contradicting yourself as Katy didn't promote TIHWD either. This is not considering that the song isn't even good compared to Birthday.

But I'm gonna stop the argument here as both are flops and there's no point getting ugly about it

I cant at y'all blaming Birthday like that

She ruined that smash potential with that lame video
She should know that her power is mostly from her video, for example Roar and Dark Horse
It went to Top 10 on radio means it's meant to be a hit, but she didnt perform it properly on BBMA too

While TIHWD got more budget for its video
and still cant reach Top 10 on pop


She should make a great video for Birthday so it made impact like Dark Horse video
And then release LL as 5th single, and WOA as final single

One performance wasn't nearly enough. I think most people could have predicted that.

That's why "Dark Horse" went number one (I think) with nothing more than audio on YouTube.
And that's why, despite it being the best video of the era, "This Is How We Do," with it's ~100 million views, still can't manage Top 15 on iTunes?

There were several factors at play. "Birthday" didn't have a good video and "This Is How We Do" received poor callout. Neither had outstanding digital success, and she couldn't really promote either. The phoned-in performance of "Birthday" did as much as it could, and "This Is How We Do" doesn't lend itself to a "publically" acclaimed live performance: it doesn't have enough of a melody for Katy to pull it off live, nor would it withstand the scrutiny she would get for her vocals being the most "off" (since it's much easier to go flat in your lower register talk-singing) they have been in a live performance maybe ever. Watch the Prismatic videos--the only note that ever sounds half-decent live is the one adlib with a nice melody. She can't even sing the chorus melody because it's so flat on its own. Instead she has to sing the harmony. And it's not due to vocal talent or whatever, it's due to the fact that the song is like three notes in a register that's not particularly strong for her, so on top of sounding pitchy, it would barely sound like the original. If she knew she could have pulled it off live in some fashion without the performance being a detriment as opposed to a promotional tool, she would have performed at the VMAs.

I'm so tired of this era tbh

yeah but at least the album is good

nnn Y'all were really spoiled by Teenage Dream

That's just opinion tho. It happens to be my fav of the album. It had every right to be a single.

It's my favourite performance ever from her. She needs to make music like this one day.

100% agree. You better spill the beans on TIWHD's mediocrity.

The quality of the video really isn't important. If the song is good, people will watch it on Youtube regardless. TIHWD has more views because people want to hear it. It's the same reason its Spotify performance is so much better than Birthday's.

Unfortunately airplay is what's holding it back. And that's the only thing the DH follow-up was guaranteed to get. If TIHWD had received Birthday's airplay it would've easily gone top 10 on iTunes, and then the unconvincing callout scores wouldn't have mattered. They'd even have improved, because the song is a grower and doesn't get old.

Oh well, what's done is done. There's still some hope Legendary Lovers will blow up after this.

It was fun while it lasted.

The truth.

It is really amazing that This Is How We Do will have more views, streams and sell about the same with 1/3 of the airplay Birthday had. Birthday is the true flop of the era, not Unconditionally or TIHWD. That bubble-gum pop sound is dead since 2011, I really don't know why she released it.

But I do think a sexy music video would have helped the song more. I mean, Birthday is the sexiest song of the album and she just delivered a mess of a music video. Good idea, worst execution ever.

Next album please.