Katy Perry is taking a defensive stance when it comes to her new image. The pop star has a new album (Witness) with a sound that greatly varies from her past performances, a new haircut, and a new take on life -- all of which has caused confusion among both critics and fans.

"It's a departure, and it's a necessary evolution that I have to take," Perry says In a New York Times article. She continues, "I feel very empowered [and] extremely liberated." At the same time, she admits, "I literally know nothing."

The reinvented Perry does believe, she says, "All the awards shows are fake, and all the awards that I've won are fake. They're constructs." She explains to the Times that the shows and accolades don't represent the audience.

And what of Perry's past poppy and peppy person?

"I didn't kill her," she says, "because I love her, and she is exactly what I had to do then. And I'm not a con artist, I didn't con people, like, that was just me. And this is me now."

Katy Perry's Best Live Vocals:

Katy Perry's Colorful Album Art:

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