Katy Perry gave her brand new single, ‘Chained To The Rhythm’, its live debut at the Grammys on Sunday night (12 February), in an exciting performance with political undertones.
Prior to the awards ceremony, Katy had teased that her new album campaign will see her putting forward what she’s dubbed “purposeful pop”.
She gave this its first outing at the Grammys, where she performed her new single while sporting a white suit, complete with rose-coloured glasses, as well as an armband which sported the message “persist”.
During the performance, she circled a white house and picket fence onto which a number of scenes were projected, before being joined by Skip Marley, who contributes vocals to the song.
As the performance drew to a close, in its final chorus, the house and fence were taken apart by dancers also clad in white bodysuits, throwing what had been orderly into chaos.
And while most of the routine’s symbolism was open to interpretation, the number ended with Katy and Skip holding hands in front of a projection of the US constitution, a clear response to the current political situation in America.
Katy wasn’t the only one to take a stand on the Grammys stage, though.
Beyoncé made an impassioned speech about the importance of representation after her visual album ‘Lemonade’ received an award, while rapper Busta Rhymes called out US president Donald Trump during a group performance, alongside A Tribe Called Quest, Consequences and Anderson .Paak.
Prior to the event, Katy faced a backlash on social media, due to a joke she made about Britney Spears’ past personal problems on the red carpet.