Katy Perry has once again become the internet’s favorite meme: this time for the way she pronounces her lyrics. Her 2008 ballad “Thinking of You” recently went viral on TikTok, not for its emotional lyrics, but for her classic theatrical over-enunciation.
Folks participating in the trend made parody videos of Perry’s exaggerated vocal delivery. They do this through over-acting and lip-sync videos to her original song recording. While many did it in jest, some fans couldn’t help but genuinely question her singing choices.
The most-mocked line is, “You’re like an Indian summer in the middle of winter, like a hard candy with a surprise center.” TikTokers leaned into the dramatic pauses and sharp syllables, pairing their performances with exaggerated facial expressions.
This ironic trend sparked thousands of recreations, with viewers either laughing along or defending Perry’s signature style. One of the most common searches for the trend on TikTok is “Katy Perry Chewing on Those Words.”
Katy Perry’s response to the trend
Instead of ignoring the trend, Perry leaned into the moment during the U.S. kickoff of her Lifetimes tour on May 7, 2025. Folks recorded the moment and shared it on social media.
Perry addressed the crowd, saying cheekily, “I’m not going to do it,” before launching into an over-emphasized rendition of the popular lip-sync verse, complete with facial expressions to match. After singing the line, “candy with a —,” she paused, looked at the crowd, and insisted, “I don’t sing like that,” and didn’t finish the song.
@katyperryuniverse “I don’t sing like that” 😂 #TheLifetimesTour ♬ Thinking Of You – Katy Perry
Fan reactions to Perry’s response are mixed
However, fans online quickly pointed out the obvious: she does sing like that, though. One Redditor commented, “This IS the way she sings it normally tho, in fact if anything it’s a bit toned down from the recorded version lol”
“She also sings the song exactly like that, there was no difference other than widening her eyes, so it was confusing for everyone,” another person added.
Redditor u/pugbreath shared their confusion about the singer’s claim that she doesn’t sing like the trend claims. “But isn’t the trend using HER audio, people are just exaggerating the facial expressions while lip syncing? lol”
Social media couldn’t get enough of the interaction with the TikTok trend. While some praised Perry for clapping back in such a lighthearted way, others debated whether her version of the song was even “mocking” enough.
TikToker @mariammarksart painted a cartoon rendition of the singer on the side of their face to lip-sync with the song. Their video has been viewed over 8 million times and has nearly 800K likes.
Katy Perry herself replied to @mariammarksart’s TikTok with a simple, “oh dear.”
As one Redditor kindly pointed out, “If anything, she usually struggles singing live, and I thought she was doing a pretty good job sounding like the record (for once).”
@katyperrycrave btw she was laughing right after this y’all can’t take a joke #katyperry #thinkingofyou #thelifetimeatour ♬ Thinking Of You – Katy Perry
Many TikTok users have now come full circle with the trend, taking it one step further. They’re not just mocking Katy Perry’s over-enunciation: they’re now mocking her for mocking the trend itself. In a way, it’s become a parody of a parody, with creators layering the joke for even more absurdity. The result is a self-aware cycle of satire that highlights just how deeply internet culture loves to remix itself.
The internet is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here to get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.
