Katy Perry Slammed for Cringe Choreography and Empty Seats on 'Lifetimes' Tour: 'Please Retire Gracefully'

Katy Perry
Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Katy Perry

Katy Perry has been hit with a renewed wave of online mockery after kicking off her "Lifetimes" Tour in Mexico, where fans were quick to ridicule her dance moves and saw the visible empty seats.

This comes after days of the pop star enduring an avalanche of criticism for another new venture — a controversial space flight with Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin.

Critics took the record down a peg soon after it dropped, but the 40-year-old performer kicked off the tour Wednesday in support of her seventh studio album "143." Critics on social media targeted Perry's on-stage movements, calling her dance moves robotic and clumsy.

Ticket Sales Struggle to Meet Projections

The Grammy-nominated artist is also getting the live music blues with a dismally performing US tour leg that begins May 7 in Houston. Ticketmaster seat maps indicate scores of unsold seats in cities ranging from Minneapolis to Denver to Oklahoma City. There are also thousands of resale tickets listed, some VIP packages selling for more than $1,000.

"There were already concerns about poor ticket sales even before Blue Origin," a source told Daily Mail. "Katy truly believed her tour would take off like Taylor's."

Two shows were axed after the venue in Guadalajara, Mexico, where they were set to perform on May 1 and 2, fell behind on renovations. "I wish I could fix this but it is beyond my control," the "Dark Horse" singer said, and assured her fans that she would be "doing something special" for them.

However, while a few venues are still left underbooked, others are approaching sellouts, like Chicago and a few Canadian cities. Additional dates were also added in Europe and Australia due to high international demand.

Space Mission Draws Heat

The controversy intensified after Perry's recent jaunt with Blue Origin for the company's historic all-female mission. Perry sang onboard during the 11-minute flight, shortly kissing the ground after he landed.

"It's not about singing my songs. It's about a collective energy in there," she said in a post-flight interview. "It's about making space for future women and taking up space and belonging... This is all for the benefit of Earth."

The moment was panned online as "tone deaf" and "dramatic," especially coming just days after two NASA astronauts launched home from a week-long nine-month space mission.

"She regrets making a public spectacle out of it," a source said. "She thought it would be good PR for her tour."

Perry also addressed the backlash during her show in Mexico City, asking fans, "Has anyone ever called your dreams crazy?"

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