How Katy Perry tried and failed to use Orlando Bloom in a desperate attempt to help promote her new album 143

After years of keeping their relationship relatively private, Katy Perry attempted to use her romance with fiancé Orlando Bloom as a tool to boost interest in her new album, 143, insiders have claimed.

The singer, 39, has been on an embattled promo tour for her seventh studio release, which became the lowest scoring album on Metacritic since 2011 when it dropped last month.

Fans were left shocked by Perry's decision to share graphic information about her sex life with the British actor, 47, as well as uploading racy posts of him on social media as she started to tease new tracks. The A list couple also enjoyed a steamy kiss after she performed live at the MTV VMAs.

But attempts to boost sales of the album, which featured controversial producer Dr. Luke, failed, claims insiders who branded both the record and subsequent promo a 'train wreck.'

'Katy is seeing that she may not be able to recover from this and she is blaming everyone but herself,' a source exclusively told DailyMail.com.

'This was like a train wreck in slow motion. Everyone saw it coming. But it was ultimately her idea to hire Dr. Luke.'

The insider continued: 'She has tried to sell it with her sexuality and use Orlando to help promote it with jokes about their sex life. 

'She thought that the less clothes she wears and the raunchier she is the more publicity 143 would get.'

Bloom and Perry got engaged in 2019, and welcomed their daughter, Daisy Dove, the following year. 

The British actor also shares son Flynn, 13, with his ex-wife, model Miranda Kerr, 41.

Perry first stepped up her posts about Bloom amid the backlash over her albums lead single, Woman's World.

Despite being billed as an empowering feminist anthem, the track was dismissed as unoriginal, hypocritical and formulaic.

Many also took issue with the fact Perry collaborated with Dr. Luke, the music producer accused of sexual assault by Kesha in a lawsuit that was later dismissed. Dr. Luke has consistently denied the allegations.

Days after the song was released, Perry shared a rare clip of Bloom stripping off his T-shirt as they ran on neighboring treadmills. 

Weeks later, the Peacock singer took things a step further when she boasted about performing a sex act on her partner as a playful way to reward him for completing household chores. 

The singer, who has been with the Lord of the Rings actor for eight years, spoke about her love languages in an X-rated interview on Call Her Daddy.

'If I come downstairs and the kitchen is clean, and you've done it all, and you've done all the dishes, and you've closed all the pantry doors, you better be ready to get your d*** sucked,' she told host Alex Cooper. 

'I mean like literarily. That is my love language.' 

Towards the end of the clip, Perry - who previously called Orlando a 'wild stallion' -playfully exclaimed: 'I don't need a red Ferrari! I can buy a red Ferrari. Just do the f*****g dishes. I will suck your d***! It's that easy.' 

The singer continued to make cheeky comments in interviews before the pair put on an amorous display at the MTV Video Music Awards where Perry was honored with the Video Vanguard Award.

The duo couldn't keep their hands off each other as they locked lips on stage after he presented her with the gong.

Bloom paid a sweet tribute to his 'loving and irresistible' fiancée during his speech.

He told the audience: 'She loves with her whole heart, and it's kind of irresistible. I see it reflected everywhere; in our home, in her love for her work, but especially in her love for her fans. Congratulations on this honor, baby, I'm so proud of you. 1-4-3. Ladies and gentleman, your 2024 MTV video vanguard: Katheryn Hudson, Katy Perry.'

During her acceptance speech she made another cheeky remark about their sex life, telling the audience: 'Thank you to Orlando for keeping me grounded, celebrated and doing the dishes.'

The star's album title is a code for 'I love you' which was often used in messages sent on pagers during the 1990s. 

Katy said in a statement: 'I set out to create a bold, exuberant, celebratory dance-pop album with the symbolic 143 numerical expression of love as a throughline message.'  

It marked the star's first album since 2020's Smile, which also failed to replicate the success of her previous records.

One damning review from a top entertainment outlet declared that Perry 'struggles to reclaim past glory on the flat 143.' 

The Guardian gave it two out of five stars saying the album 'isn’t the calamity expected – but it isn’t good, either.' 

Mark Kennedy for AP said the album was 'uninspired and forgettable' and added: '143 has no soul or emotion; it’s just a number.' 

The Independent also gave it two stars and said it was 'painfully dated and glaringly out of touch.'

Critic Steven J. Horowitz, who writes for Variety, said: 'Like with her past few albums, the lyricism on '143' is rife with clichés, as though it was generated through AI.' 

The album faced mounting criticism even before its release over Perry's decision to collaborate with Dr. Luke.

A source previously told DailyMail.com: 'She was insane to think that Dr. Luke was a good idea. She didn’t listen to anyone.

'Instead of diving deep and creating art she put something out that sounded like it could have been on an album of hers from 2010.'