What Makes a Woman
What Makes a Woman is a ballad by Katy Perry from her sixth album, Smile. It was released as the album’s first promotional single on August 20, 2020, by Capitol Records. The song runs 2 minutes and 11 seconds and was written by Katy Perry, John Ryan, Jacob Kasher Hindlin, and Sarah Hudson, with Johan Carlsson producing and Elvira Anderfjärd providing backing vocals and co-producing.
The track is a celebration of womanhood and was written for Perry’s daughter, Daisy Dove Bloom. Perry has said the song carries a hope for her future child: that she won’t be limited by dreams or who she can be, and that she can explore what fits her. In interviews, Perry described the idea that a woman can be many things at once and still be strong, capable, and resilient, often juggling life and work.
Musically, the song is in the key of D minor and features electric guitars, with Perry’s vocals spanning from E3 to B4. Some outlets described the production as country-influenced. The release came with two visuals: an acoustic performance video published the same day, directed by Tim Sekiguchi and showing Perry pregnant in a purple dress performing the song live; and an animated video in The Smile Video Series released on September 1 that highlights strong, beautiful women.
The song received mixed reviews from critics. Some praised Perry’s performance and the production, while others criticized the lyrics as clichéd or unfocused. It did receive positive notes from several outlets and reached number 40 on the New Zealand Hot Singles chart. Perry discussed the song publicly in June 2020, explaining that it expresses her hopes for her future child and the idea that a woman can be many things and still succeed.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 11:59 (CET).