Katy Perry stormed the stage in Mexico City in April 2025 for her Lifetimes Tour, hyping a dazzling, AI-powered cosmic vibe to match her 143 album. With glowing LED costumes, trippy digital screens, and a sci-fi video game aesthetic, the visuals were decent enough to turn heads.
But something felt off—like a slick visual sleight of hand hiding a lack of substance. TikTok and X tore into it, calling the visuals “cringe” and “bargain-bin,” branding the tour a flop. The AI tech wasn’t the issue; it brought the flash. The real problem? A weak-ass story that left the whole show feeling hollow.
AI Visuals Were Honestly Fire
The tour leaned hard into AI, and it showed. Massive LED screens flashed AI-generated pixelated galaxies that pulsed with tracks like “Firework” and “Chained to the Rhythm.” Katy’s silver catsuit, decked out with LED panels, swapped colors like a living lava lamp, synced by AI to the beat. A “cosmic portal” stage prop projected wild visuals—think spinning neon planets for “E.T.” or glitchy heart patterns for “Teenage Dream.” Other examples?
A glowing orb dancers tossed during “Dark Horse” and a digital rainbow wave for “Roar.” X fans were hyped early, with posts like “Katy’s out here in 3025!” It had the bones to compete with Beyoncé’s Renaissance tour glow.
No Story, No Juice
But here’s the tea: the visuals had no story to hold them together. The video game theme was supposed to be a cosmic joyride, but it felt like a random Pinterest board. AI churned out weird stuff—like pixelated daisies floating during “California Gurls” or a glitchy spaceship animation for “Lifetimes” that looked straight out of a 90s arcade.
TikTok roasted a clunky lightsaber fight in “E.T.” as “Star Wars from Temu,” and a scene where dancers waved manual butterfly wings got dragged as “dollar store Coachella.” X users were straight-up confused, posting, “Daisies? Spaceships? Pick a lane!”
Katy’s Prismatic tour had a tight rainbow fairytale vibe that made every visual pop. This? Just a pile of cool effects with no glue.
Blue Origin Tanked the Vibe
The Blue Origin tie-in was a total fumble. Katy’s April 2025 space flight got clowned as a rich-girl stunt, and the tour’s AI visuals leaned into it hard. Think daisy motifs (she held one in space) splashed across screens during “Wide Awake” or orbital animations circling for “Firework.” A pre-show AI video of Katy floating in zero gravity felt like a Blue Origin ad. TikTokers sniffed out the vibes, guessing the visuals were rushed after the flight’s backlash, with AI plugging holes in a half-baked concept. X posts called it “Katy’s space commercial,” not a pop show. It turned the visuals into a corporate plug, not a pop star flex.
AI’s Not the Bad Guy
The AI was doing its job, spitting out slick effects like glowing orbs, shifting LED costumes, and trippy digital waves. But without a story to tie it all together, it was just shiny chaos. One X user nailed it: “AI can’t fix a show with no clue.” Katy could still turn it around for later dates—maybe use AI to hype a comeback story with visuals like a phoenix rising for “Roar” or a heartbreak montage for “Pearl.” For now, Lifetimes proves even dope tech needs a heart to win.
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