It's kind of crazy when you think about how PRISM really did more damage to her career in the long run even though it garnered two of the biggest hits of her career, she sacrificed all individuality and artistic integrity to make an album that was meant to make her career bigger than it already was. Teenage Dream, despite being full of radio fodder, still had a bit of edge and personality to it. I remember before PRISM came out she said the album was going to be more acoustic and that it would be ridiculous to try and recreate the success of Teenage Dream, but that's actually what she ended up doing. She had the opportunity to go dark and express her heartbreak through the music after her divorce, but instead she came back with the most faceless music she could've done like Roar and Unconditionally. She backed herself into a corner and became known as the empowered woman with the silly visuals for soccer moms to watch with their kids.

I think she could've had a much less rapid downfall had she done a lot of things different after PRISM tho. I think the main problem with Witness is that it was everything that Katy Perry was not, which might've been her goal as she wanted to show the world who "The Real Katheryn Hudson" is, but that's not what the world wanted. She was known as the quirky, pin up girl, who wore betty page wigs and made mindless ear candy that would be the soundtrack to your summer. I don't blame her for wanting to change her image but when you change every single aspect that makes your brand what it is and become a complete dichotomy of it, there's nothing left for the people who loved you for that brand in the first place.