Culture

Katy Perry's New Song Sounds Like Another Song

Katy Perry's brand-new wannabe anthem "Roar" is already causing problems for the frequently bewigged singer. See, parts of "Roar" sound <em>a little bit</em> like the new song "Brave," by romcom chanteuse Sara Bareilles.

By Richard Lawson
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This article is from the archive of our partner .

It's barely been 12 hours since its release, and already Katy Perry's new wannabe anthem "Roar" is causing problems for the frequently bewigged singer. See, parts of "Roar" sound a little bit like the relatively new song, "Brave," by romcom chanteuse Sara Bareilles. Well, that's what some people are saying, anyway. And since Perry's song came out second (though not by much), she's the one catching heat for it.

The comparisons popped up on the web early this morning, suspicious listeners layering "Roar" over "Brave" and noting similarities in the melodies, the placement of builds, etc. It's not a completely convincing case, especially when you consider we're talking about carefully manufactured pop music, which all sounds the same, all the time. But there are definitely similarities. For her part, Bareilles has been diplomatic while the "controversy" rages around her.

The real offensive thing about "Roar," other than its corny lyrics ("Now I’m floating like a butterfly / Stinging like a bee I earned my stripes / I went from zero, to my own hero"), is the lyrics video, which was also released today. In the video, the lyrics are largely spelled out in Emoji on what is, presumably, Perry's cellphone. It's all very now and very teen, which is good marketing I'm sure, but boy is it... Well, something. It's just something that means that it's 2013 and a new generation of children runs the world, one that talks in cellphone hieroglyphics and needs inspirational self-empowerment pop songs that aren't "I Believe I Can Fly." Oh well.

If you don't like Perry's new song, there's always Lady Gaga's. Quite a day for pop divas of the moment! If you have any gay friends (or a particular kind of gay friend, anyway), you might want to call them to make sure they're still breathing.

This article is from the archive of our partner The Wire.