Katy Perry Explains ‘What Makes a Woman’ in New Song

Katy Perry has released a new song, “What Makes a Woman,” from her upcoming album Smile, out August 28th.

The track, as you may have guessed, is a celebration of womanhood — and, in a live performance video directed by Tim Sekiguchi, a pregnant Perry delivers a stripped-down, emotional version of the track: “Could spend your whole life, but you couldn’t/Describe what makes a woman/She’s always been a perfect mystery/Could spend your whole life, but you couldn’t/Describe what makes a woman/And that’s what makes a woman to me.”

Along with “What Makes a Woman,” Smile will also feature the singles “Smile,” “Daisies,” “Never Really Over” and “Harleys in Hawaii.” Perry released the music video for “Smile” earlier this month.

“I wrote the title track from the album when I was coming through one of the darkest periods of my life and had lost my smile,” Perry wrote on Instagram. “This whole album is my journey toward the light — with stories of resilience, hope and love.”

Earlier this year, Perry also released the non-album single “Never Worn White,” a song that chronicled her anxiety around marriage and accompanied a video where she revealed that she was expecting her first child with fiancé Orlando Bloom.