Katy Perry Thinks Teen Girls Will Save The World

Katy Perry has evolved immensely over the course of her career. While pop stars are usually expected to go through "eras" as a way to stay relevant on the charts, Perry has confessed that she really didn't have another choice but to evolve, considering her young adulthood was very sheltered. As May's Vogue cover girl, Perry spoke about her awakening later in life and boldly stated that she believes teenage girls will save the world. And, truthfully, I think she is totally right.

Perry feels a duty now as a woman to make sure she speaks her voice and sets an example for younger generations, and it's never too late to start. After releasing her latest single, "Chained To The Rhythm," she tweeted to her millions of followers that she would be calling her newest music "purposeful pop." Perry's evolution into a woke pop star queen was gradual, but got pretty obvious with her heavy involvement in Hillary Clinton's 2016 Presidential campaign. When asked directly about her political views, Perry told Vogue,

“I don’t think you have to shout it from the rooftops, but I think you have to stand for something, and if you’re not standing for anything, you’re really just serving yourself, period, end of story. ‘California Gurls’ and fluffy stuff would be completely inauthentic to who I am now and what I’ve learned. I do believe we need a little escapism, but I think that it can’t all be that. If you have a voice you have a responsibility to use it now, more than ever.”

It took her a little longer to realize it because of her strict upbringing, but Perry gets it now and she wants to make sure that all young people have the opportunity to know that they can and should be curious about the world around them. She said of the way she grew up,

“Education was not the first priority. My education started in my 20s, and there is so much to learn still ... But I came out of the womb asking questions, curious from day one, and I am really grateful for that: My curiosity has led me here. Anything I don’t understand, I will just ask questions about.”

Perry's curiosity saved her and the same can be said for younger people today. Her "purposeful pop" is her way to connect to the demographic she boldly believes will save our world. Even though she didn't have the opportunity to have a voice herself when she was a teenager, she sees the value in encouraging that in teens now. She spoke about her feelings post-election, and said,

"...it’s an awakening that was necessary because I think we were in a false utopia ... We can’t ever get that stagnant again. I am so grateful that young people know the names of senators. I think teenage girls are going to save the world! That age group just seems to be holding people accountable. They have a really strong voice — and a loud one.”

Personally, am I also so inspired to see young feminist leaders rise up and encourage their friends to take actions, like calling their representatives. Our times have changed and it's lovely to see Perry be honest about her evolution. Ignorance is not an easy thing for someone to admit they dealt with, but this means she can only grow up from here and keep inspiring those future teenage girls (and boys) who will change the world.