Katy's 'Roar' Video Isn't What We Wanted

So Katy Perry released the official video for "Roar" today, the first single off her new album Prism due to arrive October 22, and it's definitely not what we expected.

Remember when Katy released those promos for "Roar" over the summer? The ones where she defiantly burned her blue "California Girls" wig and where she morbidly (and also defiantly) buried herself? Or even before that, with the videos for "Part of Me" and "Wide Awake" that showed us a post-"Teenage Dream" and divorce announcement, on-the-mend Katy letting her badass side crack the candy exterior? I feel like I've been set up for disappointment with expectations of a reinvented Katy.

I LOVE Katy Perry, always have and probably always will, but going comic-book-style Jungle Jane on us and candy-coating her girl-power-in-2k13 anthem was not what I saw coming. Personally, I saw her going super punk rock, after seeing her pseudo-Wednesday Addams style in the promos, with spikes, leather, the works. And that's what I really wanted; candy-Katy is fun but badass-Katy rocks.

The video is a typical-Perry (and kind of reminds me of "California Girls" just in the jungle), and she succeeds in staying within the image she's cultivated for herself: she's fun and light-hearted. The lyrics to "Roar" are all about female empowerment and inner strength and that's blatantly obvious, so maybe a badass video wasn't entirely necessary?

I can see where she's coming from in not going too dark because that could turn some people off. I mean, the video is actually really fun and worth every minute, especially the Kitty Purry cameo and watching her douche-y boyfriend get ingested by a tiger. Also, Katy looks great, which is really a given and could go without saying, but I'm saying it anyway because she looks so amazing that it deserves a comment.

I guess it's good to know that the Katy Perry we know and love survived the hellish ordeal that is Russell Brand's existence and I guess being Queen of the Jungle is pretty empowering and badass. I just had my heart set on her really saying "F-You" to the man, rather than just watching him get taken out by a wild animal.