Katy Perry Reveals Some Second Thoughts About ‘I Kissed a Girl’ 10 Years Later

It’s hard to believe 2008 was 10 years ago. It was a simpler time when the world was still heartbroken over Chad Michael Murray and Sophia Bush’s quick divorce, Kim Kardashian was just another rich girl with a sex tape who landed a reality show, and someone thought fedoras should make a comeback. It was also the year a new popstar named Katy Perry released a controversial track about kissing girls.

When Katy Perry said “ I kissed a girl and I liked it “ I FELT THAT

— Mel (@mel______any) February 6, 2018

Camila should cover “I kissed a girl” 😏

— rainbow 🦄 (@sourcecamren) February 5, 2018

Katy changed I Kissed A Girl’s lyrics from “it’s not what good girls do” to “it’s ALL what good girls do” in Tacoma last night❤️😘

— KATHERYN (@likeathornrose) February 4, 2018

In the past decade, a lot has changed. Particularly, queer representation has made strides only possible with the momentum of the digital era. Whether it’s experimentation or identity, the act of a girl kissing a girl is no longer seen so much as a dirty little secret. While some saw it as “lesbian-friendly” and a huge step for progress, others felt that it perpetuated the idea of female sexuality as merely a form of entertainment for men.

Perry recently acknowledged this in an interview for her March Glamour cover. If the song were released today, she says she would do it differently.

“We’ve really changed, conversationally, in the past 10 years,” she said. “We’ve come a long way. Bisexuality wasn’t as talked about back then, or any type of fluidity. If I had to write that song again, I probably would make an edit on it. Lyrically, it has a couple of stereotypes in it. Your mind changes so much in 10 years, and you grow so much. What’s true for you can evolve.”

This video of @KatyPerry watching fans cover her songs is the cutest thing you’ll see all day 😍😍😍 pic.twitter.com/T7V78pkRlt

— Glamour (@glamourmag) February 6, 2018

So, while songs like “I Kissed a Girl” will forever remain fondly in our memories of a late-aughts adolescence, when queer rights and awareness were on the horizon and pop culture was at peak epicness, it’s ok to admit that some of our faves were totally problematic. We may not have realized it at the time, but it’s time to correct these nuances.