Katy Perry’s New Music Video Is Full of Easter Eggs
The singer tapped Zooey Deschanel for “Not the End of the World.”
Katy Perry surprised fans on Monday and dropped the music video for her latest single “Not the End of the World,” from her 2020 album “Smile.” Perry herself is only seen for a few seconds, though: the singer tapped Zooey Deschanel to star on the project, acknowledging an ongoing joke about the resemblance between the two. The video follows Deschanel being abducted by mistake by blue KatyCat aliens who want her to reenact the “California Gurls” video – all while the actress tries to save the Earth from imploding.
Because playfulness has become Perry’s distinct signature, there are plenty of other meta-references in the colorful video. Take a look at some of our favorite easter eggs:
Katy Perry’s dog
Right off the bat, we see Perry taking a happy walk in the park with – presumably – her daughter, Daisy Dove Bloom, who was born just a few days before the release of “Smile.” A plush toy falls from the stroller and a closer look shows that it’s a replica of Nugget, the singer’s adorable dog. Perry is also wearing a cap embroidered with the Unsub Records logo, a label she founded in 2014.
Out of this world
A group of blue aliens welcomes a confused “Perry”/Deschanel into their spaceship. She tries to tell them she is actually Zooey, but they keep cheering “Katy! Katy! Katy!” before handing her Teenage Dream-era props to perform. Some fans have speculated the extraterrestrials are a reference to the KatyCat fandom itself, or to a group of Perry aficionados who still cling to her “California Gurls” character and won’t accept she’s moved on from that phase.
Katy! Katy! Katy!
In another scene, we catch a glimpse of iconic outfits from three of Perry’s eras: the clown from the “Smile” album cover, the jungle hero from the “Roar” music video, and, of course, the sugary protagonist from “California Gurls.” No outfits from “Witness” or “One of the Boys,” though…
*That* wig
Lollipops and whipped cream canisters are among the props given to Deschanel by the aliens – but the look wouldn’t be complete without the bright blue “California Gurls” wig. In 2013, Perry posted a video where she burns the wig to promote her following single “Roar” and mark the beginning of a new visual and stage era.
No more Internet
Deschanel finally saves the world with a simple solution: unplugging the Internet. Perry has previously opened up about how she believes social media represents the “decline of civilization” and that she feels constantly pressured by her millions of followers watching every move she posts.