"Hey Hey Hey" is a song recorded by American singer

Katy Perry Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. She is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling music artists in hist ...

for her fifth studio album ''

Witness In law, a witness is someone who, either voluntarily or under compulsion, provides testimonial evidence, either oral or written, of what they know or claim to know. A witness might be compelled to provide testimony in court, before a grand jur ...

'' (2017). It was sent to Italian

contemporary hit radio Contemporary hit radio (CHR, also known as contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top ...

stations on January 12, 2018 by

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as the album's fifth single. The song was written by Perry, Sia, Sarah Hudson,

Max Martin Karl Martin Sandberg (born 26 February 1971),Max Martin
AllMusic known professional ...

and

Ali Payami Ali Payami is a Swedish record producer, songwriter, and DJ. Payami's first number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 was The Weeknd's single "Can't Feel My Face". In 2016, he won a Grammy for Album of the Year for his contributions on Taylor S ...

, while production was handled by Martin and Payami. "Hey Hey Hey" is a

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

- and

electronica Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that came to prominence in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mos ...

-influenced, dark

electropop Electropop is a popular music fusion genre combining elements of the electronic and pop styles. It has been described as a variant of synth-pop with emphasis on a hard electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a rev ...

track about female empowerment. Reviewers speculated that the song was also about the

2016 United States presidential election United States presidential election, Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 8, 2016. The Republican Party (United States), Republican ticket of businessman Donald Trump and Indiana Governor, Indiana governor Mike P ...

nominees

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

and

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer and diplomat. She was the 67th United States secretary of state in the administration of Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, a U.S. senator represent ...

. Music critics gave mixed reviews of "Hey Hey Hey", with some praising it as one of the highlights of ''Witness'' and others deeming it mediocre. It was also compared to the works of American singer

Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the "Princess of Pop", she has sold over 150 million records worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling music artists. Cultural impact of Brit ...

and New Zealand singer-songwriter

Lorde Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O'Connor (born 7 November 1996), known professionally as Lorde ( ), is a New Zealand singer and songwriter. She is known for her unconventional style of pop music and introspective songwriting, and has been referred to ...

. To accompany the track, a music video was uploaded onto Perry's official

YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...

account on December 20, 2017. The clip was filmed by Isaac Rentz in

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and is set in the 18th century and the

Ancien Régime ''Ancien'' may refer to * the French word for " ancient, old" ** Société des anciens textes français * the French for "former, senior" ** Virelai ancien ** Ancien Régime ** Ancien Régime in France {{disambig ...

, with the singer's outfits resembling those of the last Queen of France before the French Revolution

Marie Antoinette Marie Antoinette (; ; Maria Antonia Josefa Johanna; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was the last List of French royal consorts, queen of France before the French Revolution and the establishment of the French First Republic. She was the ...

and French heroine

Joan of Arc Joan of Arc ( ; ; – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the Coronation of the French monarch, coronation of Charles VII o ...

. For further promotion, Perry gave several live performances of "Hey Hey Hey", including those during her concert tour Witness: The Tour (2017–2018) and her four-day YouTube live stream Katy Perry Live: Witness World Wide (2017). Commercially, the song appeared on charts in Czech Republic, New Zealand and Sweden.

Recording and composition

"Hey Hey Hey" was recorded at MXM Studios in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, and at Wolf Cousins Studios in

Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...

, Sweden. It was mixed at MixStar Studios in

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, by Serban Ghenea and John Hanes, and mastered at Sterling Sound in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

by Randy Merrill. It was written by

, Sia, Sarah Hudson,

Max Martin Karl Martin Sandberg (born 26 February 1971),Max Martin
AllMusic known professional ...

and

, and was produced by Martin and Payami. Martin performed percussion on the track and Payami provided percussion, bass, synths and piano. Cory Bice and Jeremy Lertola both served as engineer assistants and Peter Karlsson was credited as vocal producer. Perry sang lead and background vocals for "Hey Hey Hey", with

Astrid S Astrid Smeplass (born 29 October 1996), known professionally as Astrid S, is a Norwegian singer and songwriter. In 2013, she placed fifth in the Norwegian version of '' Pop Idol'', entitled '' Idol – Jakten på en superstjerne''. In 2020, she ...

providing additional background vocals. The song is the second track on ''

'' (2017), Perry's fifth studio album. Musically, "Hey Hey Hey" is a

and

-influenced and "

2000s File:2000s decade montage3.png, From top left, clockwise: The Twin Towers of the original World Trade Center (1973–2001), World Trade Center on fire and the Statue of Liberty on the left during the September 11 attacks, terrorist attacks on Sep ...

song. It lyrically "asserts that women can be complex people with a multitude of personality traits" and deals with themes of female empowerment.

Annie Zaleski Annie Zaleski is a ''New York Times'' best-selling author and music historian. Career Zaleski is a regular writer for mainstream media outlets such as The Guardian and NPR Music, and a columnist at ''Salon''. She is based in Cleveland, Ohio w ...

of ''

The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was created in ...

'' wrote that "the song depicts a narrow version of femininity and success—lipstick and a dress, and being rich, respectively—and it perpetuates irksome stereotypes about strong women". Lyrics from "Hey Hey Hey" include: "A hot little hurricane/'Cause I'm feminine and soft, but I'm still a boss, yeah/Red lipstick but still so raw, yeah/ ..I smell like a rose and I pierce like a thorn", and "I ain't got no strings/I'm no one's little puppet". Throughout the recording, Perry denies "she's a fragile little Fabergé", and refers to herself as "a seasoned PR pro". ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...

'' writer Leonie Cooper described the line, "

Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe ( ; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; June 1, 1926 August 4, 1962) was an American actress and model. Known for playing comic "Blonde stereotype#Blonde bombshell, blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex ...

in a monster truck" as "retro-meets-trashy" and

Lana Del Rey Elizabeth Woolridge Grant (born June 21, 1985), known professionally as Lana Del Rey, is an American singer-songwriter. Lana Del Rey discography, Her music is noted for its melancholic exploration of Glamour (presentation), glamor and Romanc ...

-influenced.

Critical reception

its release, music critics gave "Hey Hey Hey" mixed reviews. Sal Cinquemani of ''

Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yor ...

'' praised Perry for being "at her most effective and comfortable".

Idolator An idolator is a practitioner of idolatry. Idolator or Idolater may also refer to: * Idolator (website), an American music blog * ''Idolator'' (album), a 2005 album by Blood Stain Child * ''Idolator'', a 1986 album by Ole Evenrud * "Idolater", a ...

writer Mike Wass positively likened the track to material from American singer

' seventh studio album ''

Femme Fatale A ( , ; ), sometimes called a maneater, Mata Hari, or vamp, is a stock character of a mysterious, beautiful, and Seduction, seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers, often leading them into compromising, deadly traps. She is an archetype ...

'' (2011), and called it a highlight of ''Witness''. Although labelling the production of "Hey Hey Hey" formulaic, Andy Gill of ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'' also highlighted the song as one of the best on the album. Cooper of ''NME'' compared the recording's "languid, spacious sound" to the works of New Zealand singer

. Other reviewers speculated that "Hey Hey Hey" dealt with the

nominees

and

, with Perry taking side with the latter. Zaleski of ''The A.V. Club'' was negative towards the track, calling it "galling" and "particularly oblivious". She noted the line, "'Cause I'm feminine and soft, but I'm still a boss, yeah", was not in concordance with the "not ..warm or relatable" Clinton, whom Perry supported on multiple occasions. The ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'' Mikael Wood negatively wrote: "'Hey Hey Hey' plays like a weak attempt to duplicate the success of her uplifting 2013 smash '

Roar A roar is a type of animal vocalization that is loud, deep and resonating. Many mammals have evolved to produce roars and other roar-like vocals for purposes such as long-distance communication and intimidation. These include various species of ...

', this time with a paper-thin tune and clunky words". Fabian Gorsler from

Highsnobiety ''Highsnobiety'' is a global fashion and lifestyle media brand founded in 2005 by David Fischer. The youth-focused company is difficult to pigeonhole, as it straddles the line between a media company that reviews fashion and lifestyle products, ...

described the single as "underwhelming".

Music video

Production and release

Before the release of an accompanying music video for "Hey Hey Hey", Perry began teasing it with a series of

-themed pictures of herself. The clip was subsequently uploaded onto the singer's official YouTube channel on December 20, 2017, with a behind-the-scenes video premiering on January 4, 2018 on the same platform. When posting the clip on her

Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...

account, Perry added the caption:

After a year of peaks and valleys (remember, it's all a journey), I wanted to end 2017 with a fun, triumphant piece of pop candy. Just think of it as a glam little stocking stuffer from me to you. 'Hey Hey Hey' is one of my favorite songs from "Witness" and for me, it embodies the fighting spirit I always want you to be able to find within yourself, and to see in me.

The song's video was filmed in

Isaac Rentz Isaac Rentz (born August 21, 1982) is an American feature film, music video, and commercial director. Biography Rentz was born in Japan, and was raised in Tempe, Arizona. He was signed to Draw Pictures for UK and US music video representati ...

, and was produced by Nina Dluhy-Miller and Danny Lockwood. Six backup dancers were hired; Megan Lawson was credited as their choreographer. During the accompanying behind-the-scenes video, Perry resumed the clip's message: "You don't have to be just one thing if you're a woman, you can be all things. And just 'cause you're vulnerable does not make you weak". Reviewers said the music video depicts events occurring in the 18th century and

, while also incorporating modern elements. During the clip, Perry wears a sculptural blonde wig with curls, and her looks resemble those of French heroine

and Antoinette. Joey Nolfi of ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...

'' found similarities between the singer's wardrobe and that of

Sofia Coppola Sofia Carmina Coppola ( , ; born May 14, 1971) is an American filmmaker and former actress. She has List of awards and nominations received by Sofia Coppola, won an Academy Awards, Academy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, a Golden Lion, and a Can ...

's 2006 film ''

''.

Synopsis

The music video opens with a shot of a palace and one of its French-inspired hallways. Lying in her bed, Perry is awakened by the sound of a horn blown by three women, and is given a brown drink ("Napoleon's Coffee") and her smartphone, where she communicates in-video with Prince Piggy (played by Tad Brown) regarding their date. The three women are seen cleaning Perry's underwear, lacing her corset and walking with books on their heads, among other activities. Perry, seemingly overwhelmed, falls down and sees a book titled "JOAN!", with its cover displaying a female warrior. The video subsequently transitions to a scene depicting Perry holding a sword and wearing a dress with an eye placed on her breast. She dances with three female background dancers and eats cake with them. Following this, a scene shows Perry's and Prince Piggy date; the latter makes advances towards Perry and arranges his vegetables on his plate to spell DTF. Disgusted, Perry seeks the advice of her friend Lord Markus on her phone, who tells her to "get out of there!". Perry then fights with Prince Piggy in a

video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...

theme, defeating him. Returning to the video's main plot, Perry and the prince dance together and watch a puppet show. Prince Piggy tries to kiss the singer; she slaps him and gets decapitated, but her head is picked up by the version of Perry seen earlier. The clip ends with Perry running with her sword towards the prince and his servants.

Reception

Critics gave mixed reviews of the music video upon its premiere. Nina Braca from ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' called it "triumphant", while ''

The Malay Mail ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...

'' said it was "humorous", and Nolfi from ''Entertainment Weekly'' described it as "candy-colored".

Direct Lyrics MRC II Distribution Company, L.P., doing business as MRC (formerly Media Rights Capital), is an American film and television production company founded by Mordecai (Modi) Wiczyk and Asif Satchu in 2006. Based in West Hollywood, California, the c ...

' Kevin Apaza wrote: "We totally dug this video. We liked the high budget, all the perfect details, the deep message conveyed, and of course Katy's humor too". Ross McNeilage from MTV (UK and Ireland), MTV UK similarly praised the video, pointing out its "high-concept" and stating: "The ..singer's visual treatment brings the lyrics to life, highlighting its themes of resilience with a fitting storyline. Despite the serious undertones of defiance, the video is jam-packed with Katy's goofy humour throughout and doesn't take itself too seriously at all." Evan Jorssen of NRJ likened the three women seen in the clip accompanying Perry to characters from the 1993 American comedy horror fantasy film ''Hocus Pocus (1993 film), Hocus Pocus'' and the 1899 French film ''Cinderella (1899 film), Cinderella''. Julien Goncalves of Pure Charts compared parts of the video's concept to Madonna (entertainer), Madonna's live performance of "Vogue (Madonna song), Vogue" (1990) at the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards. In a negative review, Highsnobiety's Gorsler wrote: "The visuals are, to put it kindly, less than stellar, with over-the-top production and a lavishly nonsensical plot making the music video one of the weirdest things to come out this year. But all that is to be expected from an artist like Katy Perry, who is famous for her eccentricity." He also criticized the heavy product placement and the use of an air horn rap trumpet sound at the beginning of the video, which "sound[s] like Katy Perry spent a little too much time playing around with Virtual DJ". ''Vice (magazine), Vice'' magazine also slightly criticized the product placement sequences.

Live performances

Perry promoted "Hey Hey Hey" with several live performances and included the song in the closing segment of her Witness: The Tour (2017–2018) concert tour, where she performed it on a ''Tron''-style motorcycle. Perry also sang the track during her four-day YouTube live stream Katy Perry Live: Witness World Wide (2017); at the Glastonbury Festival near Pilton, Somerset, England, on June 24, and for British radio station Kiss (UK radio station), Kiss on June 26, 2017, where she performed an acoustic version of the song.

Credits and personnel

Credits and personnel adapted from the liner notes of ''Witness''.

Recording

* Recorded at MXM Studios (Los Angeles, California), MXM Studios (

, Sweden) and Wolf Cousins Studios (Stockholm, Sweden) * Mixed at MixStar Studios (Virginia Beach, Virginia) * Mastered at Sterling Sound (

, New York (state), New York)

Personnel

– songwriting, lead vocals, background vocals *

Max Martin Karl Martin Sandberg (born 26 February 1971),Max Martin
AllMusic known professional ...

– songwriting, production for MXM Productions, Programming (music), programming, percussion, Max's tooth * Sia – songwriting *

– songwriting, production for Wolf Cousins Productions, programming, percussion, bass, synths, piano * Sarah Hudson – songwriting *

– background vocals * Sam Holland – Audio engineer, engineering * Cory Bice – engineering assistant * Jeremy Lertola – engineering assistant * Peter Karlsson – vocal editing * Serban Ghenea – Audio mixing, mixing * John Hanes – mixing engineering * Randy Merrill – Audio mastering, mastering

Charts

Certifications

Release history

References

{{authority control 2018 singles 2017 songs Cultural depictions of Joan of Arc Cultural depictions of Hillary Clinton Cultural depictions of Marie Antoinette Dream pop songs Electropop songs Katy Perry songs Songs about Donald Trump Songs written by Katy Perry Songs written by Max Martin Songs written by Sia (musician) Songs written by Ali Payami Songs written by Sarah Hudson (singer)