Watch It Burn
2026 single by Katy Perry
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"Watch It Burn" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Katy Perry. It was released through Capitol Records on June 25, 2026 alongside a music video that Christian Breslauer directed. She co-wrote this track with Amanda "Kiddo" Ibanez, Skyler Stonestreet, and its producers Justin Tranter, Jason Gill, Daniel Crean, and Eren Cannata. "Watch It Burn" is a pop rock track with lyrics about bottled-up anger, emotional release, and reclaiming personal power after years of "people-pleasing" and "love and light" conditioning.
| "Watch It Burn" | ||||
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| Single by Katy Perry | ||||
| Released | June 25, 2026 | |||
| Genre | Pop rock | |||
| Length | 2:55 | |||
| Label | Capitol | |||
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| Producers |
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| Katy Perry singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Watch It Burn" on YouTube | ||||
Promotion and release
On November 6, 2025, Katy Perry released the music video for "Bandaids". Towards the end of the video, "Watch It Burn" was mentioned by a radio DJ, serving as an Easter egg for its future release.[1][2] On June 14, 2026, she posted a teaser video on her social media, with the caption reading "Maybe it's finally time to watch it burn". In the video, her song "The One That Got Away" (2011) is playing in background, and the singer wears an all-black ensemble and is holding a baseball bat.[3] Two days later, she posted another teaser video on social media, featuring her singing the track while wielding a baseball bat inside a graffiti-filled rage room and wearing the same all-black ensemble.[4][5] On June 17, 2026, Perry confirmed the song's title of "Watch It Burn" during her appearance on American singer-songwriter Justin Tranter's podcast Unfamous with Justin Tranter. The following day, she shared the pre-save links for "Watch It Burn" on her social media, along with the single cover and the release date of June 25. Its single cover features a close-up of her face covered in beads of water and illuminated by a glowing light.[5]
Composition
Perry, Amanda "Kiddo" Ibanez, and Skyler Stonestreet co-wrote "Watch It Burn" with its producers Tranter, Jason Gill, Daniel Crean, and Eren Cannata.[6] The track is a pop rock "fiery anthem" where Perry unleashes "pain and suppressed anger",[7][8] with a runtime of two minutes and 55 seconds.[9] It is written in the key of D major with a tempo of 130 beats per minute.[10] Nicole Glennon from the Irish Examiner wrote the song has a "rock-inflected edge",[11] and Sophie Gliott from Hot Press commented that the use of rock music "signifies a step in a new direction for Perry".[12] "Watch It Burn" explores themes of bottled-up anger, emotional release, and reclaiming personal power after years of "people-pleasing" and "love and light" conditioning. Its lyrics include "I'm gonna get what I deserve/ I'm sorry, I know that it hurts/ Finally I put myself first/ And watch it burn".[2][8] Moriel Mizrahi Finder of Elle suggested that the lyrics were focused "less on revenge and more on moving forward".[13] On Tranter's podcast, Perry explained the song's lyrics of "light about match" is a reflection on her "tough" past year and about wrestling with her "darkness".[14]
On June 18, 2026, Perry appeared on Apple Music's The Zane Lowe Show, where she opened up about her hesitation to release "Watch It Burn", admitting that she originally repeated to herself, "I'm never going to release this". She also discussed the honesty behind the lyrics, which reflect on moving past a painful relationship and putting herself first.[15][16]
Critical reception
Writing for Clash, Gennaro Costanzo rated "Watch It Burn" eight out of 10, describing it as "relentless, driving pop rock tempo anchored by an amazingly catchy, anthemic bridge". Costanzo called the song an "older sister" to Perry's "Hot n Cold", and "more mature, more nonchalant, and definitely angrier".[7] Sebas Alonso of Jenesaispop commented that the song "connects with the rock music of the 2000s of Linkin Park" and called the track's melody "pretty undeniable", preferring its rock elements over the electronic dance music of her albums Smile and 143.[17] Writing for Radio Hamburg, Chiara-Lee Haartje praised the combination of pop with rock in "Watch It Burn" as "catchy", and declared the track to be among Perry's "most emotional songs in recent years". Haartje also called its tone "powerful" and "unusually serious".[18]
Music video
Production and release
A music video for "Watch It Burn" premiered on the same day as its single release. It was directed by Christian Breslauer,[2] and the production was handled by London Alley and the Lucky Bastards.[19] The video received a premiere broadcast on MTV Live, MTVU, and on the Paramount Times Square billboards.[6] On YouTube, the music video for "Watch It Burn" surpassed 350,000 views within twelve hours of its release.[20]
Synopsis
Serving as a sequel to the video for "Bandaids",[2][6] the music video for "Watch It Burn" begins from a point-of-view perspective, showing a badly burned Perry being wheeled through the halls by nurses in hazmat suits. During surgery, a scorpion tail abruptly emerges from her back and attacks one of the surgeons. Amidst the ensuing chaos, a priest in protective gear arrives to perform an apparent exorcism while Perry repeatedly loses consciousness. Upon awakening, she examines herself in a shattered mirror. Though the tail initially seems to have disappeared, its sudden reemergence prompts her to flee the hospital in a red Jeep Wrangler. When taking the Jeep through a car wash, she undergoes a physical transformation there into a human-scorpion hybrid, complete with a large, articulated stinger. Perry exchanges the Jeep for a black suit and dresses in that before traveling down a city street. Her tail develops a mind of its own while outdoors, shattering windows, keying car doors, and setting fire to the surroundings and various media props, including a newsstand displaying fictitious magazines. The video concludes with Perry entering a church, where she collapses in front of the congregation before the churchgoers lift her and submerge her into a bath on the altar, which washes away her scorpion tail and restores her to human form.[21]
Analysis and reception
Costanzo of Clash wrote the music video's visuals leaned heavily into Perry's "5° Scorpio placement". He further called it "an uncompromising visual metaphor for a sign known for destruction, rebirth, and claws".[7] Writing for People, Lily Brown suggested that the use of a scorpion tail symbolizes self-acceptance and embracing "darker sides" without letting them take control. Brown also noted that the video's Easter eggs refer to media manipulation.[21] Margaret Farrell of Stereogum did not understand the church scene towards the end of the video, uncertain on whether it was supposed to connect to Perry's "Christian rock beginnings" or be "a literal spiritual rebirth or an artistic one".[22] Haartje of Radio Hamburg praised the visuals in the video, calling it "spectacular", and described Perry's physical transformation as "a symbol of a radical new beginning".[18]
Live performances
Perry performed "Watch It Burn" live for the first time on June 18, 2026, during the O Son do Camiño festival in Santiago, Spain, a week before the song's official release.[23] Two days later, she sang the track during Rock in Rio Lisboa 11.[24] On June 24, 2026, Perry performed "Watch It Burn" in Malahide Castle, Dublin, Ireland.[11]
Track listing
- Digital download and streaming[9]
- "Watch It Burn" – 2:55
- "Bandaids" – 3:08
Personnel
- Katy Perry – vocals, songwriting
- Amanda "Kiddo" Ibanez – songwriting
- Skyler Stonestreet – songwriting
- Justin Tranter – songwriting, production
- Jason Gill – songwriting, production
- Daniel Crean – songwriting, production
- Eren Cannata – songwriting, production
Credits adapted from Universal Music Group.[25]
Release history
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | June 25, 2026 | Capitol | ||
| Italy | June 26, 2026 | Radio airplay | Universal | |