How Katy Perry Dealt With Depression After Witness’s Rough Release

Any time Katy Perry ended her four-year drought last summer with her fifth album, Witness, her comeback didn't go entirely as suggested. The album — which boasted singles like "Chained to the Rhythm," "Swish Swish," and "Hey Hey Hey" — debuted at No. 1 in the U.S., However was met with mixed reviews by fans and critics alike. Right now, in the August allocate problem of Vogue Australia, Perry has opened up about the devastating reception, revealing that she suffered "bouts of situational depression" following Witness's release.


"My heart was damaged last year because, unknowingly, I put so much validity in the reaction of the public, and the public didn’t react in the way I had expected to... Which broke my heart," the 33-year-old admitted.


Perry eventually chose to recover in a week-long personalized treatment program at the Hoffman Institute, where she sought "a new foundation" by ditching the negative behavior lose been conditioned to keep. "I was prepared to let go of anything that was holding me back from being my ultimate self," she explained.


"Music is my first love and I think it was the universe saying, 'OK, you speak all of this language about self-love and authenticity, nevertheless we will put you through another test and take away any sort of validating 'blankie,'" she continued. "Then we'll visualize how much you do truly love yourself.'"


Perry admitted that, for a "long, long time," she used to seek validation through crowds and substances. Yet right now, she's given herself license to let go of her heartache and seek help any time needed. "The biggest lie that we’ve ever been sold," she mentioned, "is that we as artists have to live in pain to create."