During her recent performance at her Las Vegas residency PLAY, Katy Perry gave her fans a sneak peek of her much-awaited musical comeback. However, she also acknowledged her previous albums, Witness and Smile, which received criticism and caused a decline in her sales worldwide. Despite this, the 38-year-old multi-Grammy nominee confidently declared that those who couldn’t appreciate her during those eras would not be able to love her in her upcoming KP6 era. Her successful two-year stint at Resorts World for her Las Vegas residency, which will end in November, earned her the title of ‘Best Strip Headliner’ in 2022. Earlier this year, Perry hinted that she is ready to go on tour after not having done so since 2018.
Katy Perry has hinted at her much-awaited musical comeback during a recent performance of her hit Las Vegas residency, PLAY. She expressed excitement at the prospect of starting a new chapter after closing the PLAY chapter, according to an interview with Out. Her fourth and final concert tour, Witness: The Tour, supported her 2017 album of the same name. Prism, her third studio album, featured two of her nine no. 1 singles, including Roar and Dark Horse. Although Witness topped the Billboard 200 Albums chart in its first week, its lead single, Chained to the Rhythm, only peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100. Bon Appétit (featuring Migos), Roulette, Swish Swish (featuring Nicki Minaj), Save as Draft, and Hey Hey Hey failed to make it to the top 10. Perry described Witness as “purposeful pop” that addressed significant political and social issues while also showcasing her hyper-sexualized persona. She subsequently admitted that the album’s unfavorable critical and commercial reception caused her to experience severe depression. A new era is now on the horizon for the singer-songwriter.
However, the 38-year-old artist, who has been nominated for multiple Grammy Awards, also highlighted her recent albums, namely Witness (2017) and Smile (2020).
During her performance in December 2021, the singer declared to the audience, “If you can’t love me during my ‘Witness’ or ‘Smile’ era, then you won’t be able to love me during my KP6 era!” The mother of one delivered this statement with enthusiasm and confidence to her fans.
Critics were unimpressed with Katy Perry’s recent releases, causing a significant drop in her global sales. While her latest album, Smile, only managed to sell 1.5 million copies worldwide, her previous album, Teenage Dream (2010), has sold over 12 million copies. In an interview with Channel Seven’s The Morning Show in 2020, Perry revealed that she struggled with clinical depression and insecurity after the release of her previous album, Witness, which has reportedly sold just over 3 million copies worldwide since its release six years ago. Prism, on the other hand, has sold over 11 million units globally as of 2019, with 286,000 copies sold in its first week, making it the “best sales week for a woman” in 2013 according to Billboard. Despite being intended as a showcase of her resilience, Smile failed to impress, resulting in record-low sales for the once-popular artist.
Anticipation was running high for Witness, which served as the much-awaited successor to her previous album Prism.
Perry dubbed her work Witness as ‘purposeful pop’, with the intention of tackling current political and social concerns, all while showcasing her typically sexualized persona – a notable characteristic of hers in 2019.
On another note, Smile has recorded the lowest album sales in its first week for Smile. The album sold around 50,000 units in the US.
As of 2021, Katy Perry’s album Smile has sold just over 1 million units worldwide. However, the album had her lowest first-week album sales to date, with only 50,000 units sold in the United States. It debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 chart and became her second album, after One Of The Boys in 2008, to fail to hit the number one spot. The lead single Daisies peaked at number 40, and the follow-up singles Smile and Not The End Of The World did not perform well either. Despite this, Perry’s most successful album remains her sophomore album Teenage Dream, which sold 192,000 units in its first week and produced five chart-topping singles: California Gurls, Teenage Dream, Last Friday Night (TGIF), E.T. (featuring Kanye West), and Firework. This achievement made her the second artist in history and the first female artist to score five Billboard Hot 100 number one singles.
Perry’s second album, Teenage Dream (2010), continues to be her most triumphant work yet. Even though Billboard reported it sold 192,000 units during its first week.
In 2011, the album churned out an impressive five singles that topped the charts: California Gurls, Teenage Dream, Last Friday Night (TGIF), E.T. (which featured Kanye West), and Firework.
Perry’s first-ever album, One Of The Boys, just marked its 15th anniversary. This album was significant for Perry as it was her debut album and introduced her to the music industry. The album featured her first single, I Kissed A Girl, which made it to number one on the charts just six weeks after its release. Perry continued to impress her fans with other notable tracks like Hot N’ Cold, Waking Up In Vegas, and Thinking Of You. Remarkably, One Of The Boys remains Perry’s third highest-selling album, having sold a whopping seven million copies worldwide since its release in 2008.
