Walking on Air (Katy Perry song)

[4] Composed in the key of F♯ minor, "Walking on Air" is a deep house[6][7] and disco[8] song set in a 4/4 time signature at a moderately fast tempo of 128 beats per minute.

[11] The singer has cited CeCe Peniston's "Finally" and Crystal Waters' "100% Pure Love" as inspirations for the sound she was aiming for with this song.

[13] Written by Perry, Klas Åhlund, Max Martin, Adam Baptiste, and Caméla Leierth, "Walking on Air" discusses a love "so strong that even heaven is jealous".

[13] Gil Kaufman from MTV commented on the song's composition: "Between her wailing diva vocals, a gospel choir that kicks in during the final minute and the driving beat, Perry has captured a unique sound that both recalls the classic 1970s disco era as well as the EDM thump of today's clubs.

"[11] HitFix writer Melinda Newman opined that the song was "redolent of '90s dance thumpers and is light as cotton candy and just as enjoyable", adding that it would "make you long for C+C Music Factory".

[14] Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine was very positive of the song: he described it as "surprisingly soulful, throwback" to 1990s deep house, although he noted that Åhlund decided to give Perry a different sound from the Euro electro-pop he had produced for Body Talk (2010).

[15] Greg Kot from Chicago Tribune deemed the single a "catchy pop tune",[16] while Randall Roberts from the Los Angeles Times wrote that the song's "euphoria" was "infectious",[17] and Rob Harvilla from Spin classified it as "delicious".

[23] Helen Brown from The Daily Telegraph classified "Walking on Air" as a "forgettable bit of Nineties rave nostalgia",[24] while James Reed from The Boston Globe deemed it "buoyant",[25] and ABC News music writer Mesfin Fekadu called it "irresistible".

[27] Sam Lansky from website Idolator wrote that the song was "pleasurable",[28] while Trent Wolbe from The Verge said it was a "triumphant ode" to various artists from the 1990s.

[citation needed] "Walking on Air" was added to the setlist of Perry's first concert residency Play (2021–2022) in a medley with her 2021 collaboration with Alesso "When I'm Gone".