Yes, Katy Perry once a Christian rock musician. Then made up her mind, probably she discovered something in life, in the music industry and most probably in herself. And then, she made it to the top.
And now, in her music clip, she says and shows numerous things that make us question her faith in industry and everything.
Chained to the rhythm, re-depicts the American Dream, as an Amusement park in the first place. However, we see this park through the eyes of Katy Perry, which starts to lose her interest. Then, near the end, we see Katy Perry’s full realization of the situation.
Let’s just start.
The clip starts with the entrance of a 60s retro looking amusement park with pastel colors and smooth shapes. This style already puts the viewer in the Jetsons. But, wait, what’s that, while passing the turnstiles Katy Perry started singing and saying: “Are we crazy? Living our lives through a lens.” which makes the question.
A few details: Couples entering a house model, starting point of the so-called American Dream. But these houses actually drop, criticizing the mortgage. I think the dream is no more stable. We see other couples, getting on a device that throws them into the unknown. Future is uncertain. Another coupling takes place in love roller coaster. This time, the couple is not actually a couple, maybe they are giving it a try. But Katy is short of likes. Why? Because she is criticizer of the amusement park, she is locked out by the society.
Gas station, people drinking fuel kind of thing, while their mouths burning. Shows our fossil oil based civilization exchanges the humanity to zombies. We drink one after another, having fun like that, forgetting where the drink comes from. The scariest part is here, mouths turning into burning flesh. Utopia turning into dystopia. However, only Katy is aware of this. You know, the reality is in the eye of the examiner. We can be one of the other people having fun in the park. We wouldn’t be disturbed. We are seeing the park through the eyes of the outsider.
There is a hamster circle people waiting in the line to run. Which is a unique depiction of effort based working life? The faith in work life: better you effort, better you are. But, after a point, this becomes an attitude, you won’t wait for the earning. You are showing an effort to just show effort. Or just to have fun. Some friend of mine once told me, people were working for better lives. But now, we are living for better jobs. I think that is the situation.
After a fun time in the park, the modern individual visitors of the park the audience starts to watch some virtual reality stuff. But, did you notice, that the TV here is showing to nuclear war threat or cold war years? And the family taking place is a prototype of this era. I think this is the starting point of American Dream. And right after that, the director shows us the ending critic from a very different perspective. Nuclear war or the communists weren’t the threat, the danger is the system itself. Because puts people away from their own nature, puts in a bubble defenseless to an unknown threat. And Skip Marley takes place, saying: “They woke up the lions. Time is ticking for the empire” Actually, time is ticking for Katy.
In the end, questioning becomes unbearable that Katy looks anxious, stops running, mesmerized by Skip Marley, gets out of the human chain as all of the others won’t stop dancing chained.
Remember 20th century, as the nation states built, people were in limitless joy to be united, dancing and moving, practicing in a synchronized way. But now we see from the eyes of Katy Perry, this is unsustainable. Katy Perry is like the Ant Zet. Can’t dance to the rhythm.
And the last look is beautiful, full of different emotions, anxiety, fear, uncertainty and full of questions. This is the point of no return for Katy. This is the point where you get away from the paradigm, system, civilization or anything else. This is the desert of reality, middle of nowhere. And of course, relief of getting rid of the things of human-made environment. Most beautifully, the starting point of self-realization.
I think Katy Perry is in a new level of her life. This is why in the start, I emphasized on “Once a Christian rock musician”. She made it to the top, and now all the meaning vanished. Once again she needs to find her true self, to move on.
I am very curious to see what will she does next.
