Katy Perry Dances Back at the Haters During Houston Show

You can try to bring her down, but Katy Perry just keeps dancing—literally. After getting some shade online about her recent performances overseas, the pop star kicked off the North American part of her Lifetimes Tour at Houston’s Toyota Center on May 7. And she didn’t just perform—she clapped back in true Katy style.

While singing her hit “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.),” Perry took a playful pause during an instrumental break. In a moment captured on social media, she told the crowd, “Show them this when they say I can't dance!” Then she busted out some bold moves—arms and legs flying like she was doing jumping jacks—before cheekily lifting her skirt and flashing her backside to the audience.

The tour originally launched on April 23 in Mexico City at Arena CDMX. But soon after, some critics online called her choreography “embarrassing” and “cringe.” On top of that, she also stirred up drama by joining a high-profile Blue Origin space flight, which some people slammed because of its price tag and concerns about the privatization of space.

Still, Katy’s not letting the negativity get to her. She shared a thoughtful message on Instagram last week after seeing some not-so-nice posts about her online. Under a fan-made billboard in Times Square that showed her some love, she wrote:

“When the ‘online’ world tries to make me a human Piñata, I take it with grace and send them love, cause I know so many people are hurting in so many ways and the internet is very much so a dumping ground for unhinged and unhealed,” she wrote in an April 29 comment.

She also told her fans how much they mean to her:

“We’re in this beautiful and wild journey together. I can continue to remain true to myself, heart open and honest especially because of our bond. I love you guys and have grown up together with you and am so excited to see you all over the world this year!”

Perry went on to reassure everyone she’s doing just fine:

“Please know I am ok, I have done a lot work around knowing who I am, what is real and what is important to me. My therapist said something years ago that has been a game changer, ‘no one can make you believe something about yourself that you don’t already believe about yourself’ and if I ever do have any feelings about it then it’s an opportunity to investigate the feeling underneath it.”

And even when she’s facing criticism, she’s still all about connection:

“What’s real is seeing your faces every night, singing in unison, reading your notes, feeling your warmth. I find people to lock eyes and sing with and I know we are healing each other in a small way when I get to do that.”

The “Unconditionally” singer also kept it real by admitting she’s not perfect—and she’s cool with that:

“I’m on a human journey playing the game of life with an audience of many and sometimes I fall but… I get back up and go on and continue to play the game and somehow through my battered and bruised adventure I keep looking to the light and in that light a new level UNLOCKS,” she concluded.