Roar
Katy Perry · PRISM (Deluxe Version)
Real courage, self as the only hero
What do these signals mean?
- Edifying: Points the heart toward God, truth, hope, or love.
- Worth Weighing: Real good and real concern together. Test it before you take it in.
- Take Caution: Leans toward what could dull or mislead. Approach carefully.
- Consider Avoiding: Celebrates what Scripture warns against. Little here builds up.
Weighed against Scripture
“For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.”
The psalmist credits God as the source of strength for standing against what overwhelmed him. The song sings the same rising narrative but assigns all agency to the self.
“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
Paul's 'I can do all things' is structurally similar to the song's champion declaration, but the verse immediately roots that confidence in Christ rather than in the self alone.
“The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.”
The song begins in a place of being crushed and silenced, and Psalm 34 speaks directly to that starting point, even if the two answers to it diverge.
Roar is a straightforward empowerment anthem about finding your voice after being diminished by someone else. The story it tells, standing up after being held down, is genuinely good. The tension worth naming is that the song plants its flag entirely in self-sufficiency: 'I went from zero, to my own hero.' That framing is not hostile to faith, but it leaves God completely out of the picture. For a listener whose sense of dignity has been crushed, the song can function as a first step. For one already prone to treating self as the ultimate anchor, it reinforces that without any counterweight.
No profanity, no sexual content, no violence. Straightforward empowerment language throughout.
The song celebrates rising from being silenced and pushed down, which resonates with genuine human dignity. The source of strength, however, is entirely the self. There is no reaching beyond the individual, no gratitude to anything outside, and no acknowledgment of a source greater than personal resolve.
Clearly written as an anthem for people leaving oppressive or silencing situations. The intent is encouragement and release, not celebration of sin or harm to others.
When you find the courage to rise, what or who are you ultimately leaning on to hold you up once you get there?