A brutally honest review of the first night of Katy Perry's Australian tour.

Last night, I went to the opening night of the Australian leg of Katy Perry's Lifetimes Tour at Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena. I walked in with low expectations — not because I don't respect her, but because I've seen the memes. You probably have too.

The SNL comparison. The jokes about her AI theme. That viral clip of her goofy little run, played over and over without context.

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But here's the thing: in context, it worked. That silly little run? It's part of a storyline. It's followed immediately by a slick dance break that ends in the splits. That one viral moment everyone's laughing at online is barely even two seconds of what she achieves on that stage. 

Because Katy Perry, for all the criticisms, works her butt off.

We've stopped giving her credit for that. And honestly, I think it's because she's a woman in pop.

This show was high-concept and high-effort. The production value was enormous. The catwalk was shaped like a figure eight. The LED screens were massive. The visuals? Slick. The costumes? Multiple. The acrobatics? Yes, she did a Pink-style aerial number in a spangly leotard while suspended above the crowd. She was a total pop star.

Yes, there was even a Pink-inspired aerial number. Image: Getty

So why are we still treating her like she's a punchline?

A few months ago, I saw Luke Combs in the stadium next door. One outfit. No dancers. Minimal staging. The crowd (myself included) loved him and rightly so. But if a female pop star dared to offer up the same low-key experience, she'd be roasted.

There's a double standard here. A big one.

Katy knows this. When asked about the criticism she's recently faced, she called herself "the internet's piñata". When I watched her giving it her all last night I thought of that quote and it broke my heart a little. Because this is a woman who's been doing this for decades. She's still here. Still trying. Still reinventing.

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Sure, she's not the best singer or dancer in the world. Neither is Taylor, Charli, Chappel, Dua or Sabrina. And Katy Perry doesn't need to be, because like these other women, what she is, is a pop star. With real hits, a dedicated fan base and a genuine ability to entertain. She is the whole package. 

Is the show perfect? No. The much-talked-about AI theme is admittedly odd and doesn't quite land. Perhaps the biggest issue is that the new music doesn't hit. The audience was largely made up of mums with their daughters in sequins and they clearly haven't been playing her Witness, Smile and 143 records on car trips. But when she belts out 'Teenage Dream', 'Roar', 'Last Friday Night' and all the hits from her earlier albums, there's a palpable shift in excitement and energy and every seat becomes a dance floor.

Katy's back catalogue had the crowd on their feet. Image: Getty

That's the power of a catalogue like Katy's.

In this relentless cycle of women in pop reinventing themselves, what I hope to see from Katy next is her returning to her roots. She's the queen of frothy pop that has you running to the dance floor. I hope the next album lands harder. I hope the music matches the work she's clearly still putting in. Because what I saw on stage last night wasn't someone who should hang up her Madonna mic. It was a woman with range.

So yeah. Have a giggle at a meme, but don't reduce Katy's career to a viral TikTok. 

Because if you were in that arena last night, you know the truth: Katy Perry's still got it. 

For tickets and info on Katy Perry The Lifetimes Tour Australia head to TEG Dainty.

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Feature image: Getty.