Thread by @ferretbloom, Meaning of Wide Awake: A Thread Wide Awake was a song written [...]

Meaning of Wide Awake: A Thread

Wide Awake was a song written for Katy Perry's documentary, and navigates themes related to self-love and recovery. The story begins by showing Katy's positive self as she finishes filming the California Gurls MV.

When she's alone, she takes off her costume and her positive stage persona vanishes along with it. She is left alone with her thoughts and her mind takes over.

Within Katy's mind, we see that she is lost in a maze. This represents all of the personal struggles and inner demons that hold her back and continue to haunt her.

Katy struggles as the maze closes in on her. She fights to hold back her negative thoughts from consuming her entirely, and this shows that no matter what, she is a fighter and will never let the darkness win.

A new path opens up to reveal Katy's childhood self, who represents the innocence Katy lost growing up. They decide to navigate the maze together and find a way out.

Next, we see Katy fight against the hate and backlash she receives online from the media and the public. She finds that she can't face the negativity in her current state, leaving her weak and helpless.

Katy holds a poisoned strawberry, a reference to Snow White. Katy feels that she has been so blind and naive for realizing just now how people (ex. Russell Brand) have been feeding her poison her entire life.

However, Katy's younger self shows that Katy's innocence isn't lost forever, and that by embracing her true self, nothing can stand in her way. Katy wakes up with this realization and she escapes.

Katy realizes that she needs to stop listening to the empty promises of fairy tales and knights in shining armor, and finds that true freedom and happiness comes from within.

After revisiting her childhood and overcoming her personal struggles, Katy is finally able to put the past behind her and truly live in the present. She closes the chapter on her past and says goodbye to her childhood self.

Katy is ready to return to her career and embrace the love and support her fans give her. This ending is also a reference to the concert where Russell Brand divorced her over text, showing that she hides so much of her personal life to continue putting a smile on our faces.

In conclusion, Wide Awake is a symbolic music video that represents a beautiful turning point in Katy's life. This music video is one of my personal favorites, and shows that there is much more to Katy than what we see on the surface. Thank you for reading!