Metro Weekly

Katy Perry Teases Her New Album, ‘KP6’

Fans have been waiting years for news of new music from the pop superstar, and they may have just received the first hint that it's on the way.

Katy Perry (instagram.com)
Katy Perry (instagram.com)

Katy Perry’s fans have been asking for new music, or at least any information regarding when they might get to hear something new from the pop superstar, but for the most part, the singer has remained quiet about the future of her music career. Earlier this week, however, the Grammy nominated powerhouse gave fans a big hint and a reason to be excited. 

During a performance of her hit Las Vegas residency PLAY, the multi-platinum star said from the stage, “Now if you can’t love me at my Witness’ or Smile era, then you can’t love me at my KP6 era!” This is a reference to her last two albums, which were both commercial disappointments compared to her earlier work, as well as her as-yet-untitled set. Fans have affectionately titled that KP6, as it will be her sixth release.

Based on her comment, Perry seems confident that her upcoming album, the aforementioned KP6, will be a return to form. It’s one that she needs, after the other two titles she mentioned didn’t do as well as expected.

Witness was the first of the two, and it still managed to hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. While it started off strong, it only produced one top 10 hit, with “Chained to the Rhythm.” Follow-up cuts like “Bon Appétit” with Migos and “Swish Swish” with Nicki Minaj failed to break into the top 40 on the Hot 100, which was very rare for a single from her at that time.

A few years later, she returned again with Smile. That set failed to reach No. 1 on the Billboard, instead peaking at No. 5 for one week. Sadly, the title didn’t produce any top 10 hits at all. Lead single “Never Really Over” came close, rising all the way to No. 15 on the Hot 100, but the many other tracks released as proper singles, like “Daisies,” “Small Talk” and “Harleys in Hawaii” didn’t live on the list for very long, if they reached it at all. 

This was a major disappointment for Perry, who had previously released three consecutive albums that were all massively successful. She launched her career with the pop-rock One of the Boys, which catapulted her to fame with hits like “I Kissed A Girl,” “Hot n Cold” and “Waking Up in Vegas.”

She really hit her stride with her sophomore set, Teenage Dream, which spun off a record-tying five No. 1 hits on the Hot 100: “California Gurls” with Snoop Dogg, “Teenage Dream,” “Firework,” “E.T.” with Kanye West and “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.).” She then returned with a deluxe edition, which featured another No. 1, “Part of Me.”

Prism came next, which also contained a pair of No. 1s, “Roar” and “Dark Horse” with Juicy J. All three albums went right to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and solidified her position as pop royalty. For a while, it seemed like she could do no wrong, but then both Witness and Smile proved that nothing was for certain.

Despite the commercial failures of her last two albums, Perry has remained a popular figure in the music industry, and she has still been very busy, even if she’s not releasing music. She is a judge on American Idol, she is engaged to Orlando Bloom, she recently became a mom, and she has her own successful business ventures.

Fans have been eagerly awaiting new music from Perry for some time now, and her recent comments suggest that her comeback is imminent. She has reportedly been working on KP6 for the past few years, but she has been very secretive about the project. But, now that she’s actually talking about the set, perhaps it’s closer than anyone realizes?

Support Metro Weekly’s Journalism

These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!