Y’all heard Alligator Bites Never Heal yet? Doechii’s new mixtape is one of my favorite releases of the year. Between that and her ultra-fun single “Alter Ego,” I was starting to believe the TDE upstart from Florida had a Midas touch. Then she went and made a song with Katy Perry in 2024.

Perry’s rollout for new album 143 has been a disaster. Lead single “Woman’s World” tried to spin Obama-era feminism out of Dr. Luke production, and its video was so cringe that Perry tried to retcon it as satire. “Woman’s World” quickly fell off the Hot 100, and the video for follow-up single “Lifetimes” — another non-starter commercially — sparked an investigation for environmental infringement. Third time’s the charm?

One bright spot for Perry during these trying times was MTV’s decision to bestow the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award on her at this week’s Video Music Awards, allowing her the chance to remind us of all of her hits in a big medley at the ceremony. That sort of backfired too because Perry seemed washed during the performance, and it accentuated how long she’s gone without a proper smash. In the midst of the oldies, she brought out Doechii to debut “I’m His He’s Mine,” a new collaboration built on a sample of Crystal Waters’ “Gypsy Woman (She’s Homeless).” Today, the song is officially out.

Like “Lifetimes,” “I’m His He’s Mine” is perfectly competent pop music, but it’s hard to take it seriously with Perry’s tryhard energy smothering any kind of swag, even when she’s armed with multiple effective hooks on a mesmerizing minimalist beat. She just seems like the kind of person who still says “amazeballs,” you know? The whole operation is just poisoned. Even Doechii can’t save it.

Maybe you’ll feel differently. Maybe you’ll conclude that this song is strong enough to overcome the vibes. The Torso-directed “I’m His He’s Mine” video is below for your consideration.

143 is out 9/20 on Capitol.