Music Video: Katy Perry’s "Roar"

Abandoning the Rockytheme of her closing performance under the Brooklyn Bridge at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards, Katy Perry takes a different angle for the music video for her single “Roar,” which has dethroned Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” after an impressive 12-week run to become the pop star’s eighth #1 hit in the U.S. The clip, directed by Grady Hall and Mark Kudsi, is being billed as a “Motion Theory Adventure Filmed in Junglescope” and features Perry stranded in the jungle after her plane goes down and a tiger devours her vapid, photo-snapping beau. Perry’s third album, Prism, has been marketed as a change in direction for the singer, but just like the song is ultimately not much of a departure from her previous hits, the video, a quasi-feminist twist on Tarzanthat also doubles as a Nokia commercial, likewise finds her maintaining her playful video persona, befriending a monkey, swinging on a vine, and throwing down with the abovementioned jungle cat.

If you can, please consider supporting Slant Magazine.

Since 2001, we've brought you uncompromising, candid takes on the world of film, music, television, video games, theater, and more. Independently owned and operated publications like Slanthave been hit hard in recent years, but we’re committed to keeping our content free and accessible—meaning no paywalls or fees.

If you like what we do, please consider subscribing to our Patreon or making a donation.