Katy Perry won #tbt this week, try again next Thursday, everybody

If you don’t know already, Throwback Thursday is a hotly competitive event where we all gaze back into our past for our most share-worthy memories. There’s typically a lot of hair and outfits of yore that feel a little cringe-worthy now, and this week Katy Perry showed us even mega-stars aren’t immune to sins of the past.

On Thanksgiving, the “Roar” singer posted this #tbt gem on her Instagram account and in response, we type a straight line of praise emoji hands:

Let’s break this down for maximum enjoyment, because there’s quite a bit to unpack.

1) The sheer amount of color coordination.

We’re not sure when this photo was taken, but we’re guessing it was before Tim Gunn introduced us to the terms “matchy-matchy,” which they are, and “make it work,” which, honestly, they are. That’s just an awful lot of red, but Dad’s jazzy black and white cardigan sets it off in a spectacular modern art sort of way.

2) Dogggggy!

I have never seen a more photogenic dog in my life. That dog understands that it’s the 1990s, that the economy is booming and the kibble is endless, that Clinton is president and that no dog in this family’s future will ever be cuter and more in charge than this dog is at this particular moment. This dog is living in the now (back then.)

3) The Blocking

Look at Katy Perry’s dad, Pastor Keith Hudson, surrounded by his adoring wife and offspring like the kings of old! I’m not saying dad should be the center of the family, of course, but in this photo, Dad is totally feeling himself and we are here for that.

4) Oh yeah, Katy Perry is in there.

The star captioned this photo “when ur face is desperate for likes” with a little self-deprecation, but let’s just say it together: “Awwwww!” Look at Ms. Perry, on the right, rocking that red pinafore and holiday white tights! She’s lovely and awkward and cute as a button, and you want to hug her and tell her that her future is going to be an insane collision of talent and magic and tigers and mermaid hair, and that one day, one brave day, she’ll post this photo for her adoring fans, and it will only make us love her more.

(Image via Capitol Records)