It’s Vegas baby.

 

Katy Perry kicked off Las Vegas residency last night, and it’s as over the top as you were probably expecting from her. The first performance of PLAY at the Resorts World Las Vegas was big, colourful, and fun. Here’s a clip of her on GMA talking about it yesterday. 

Years ago, a Vegas residency meant career decline. Celine Dion changed all that and it’s the biggest artists now who head to Vegas: Mariah Carey, Lady Gaga, JLo, and soon, Adele too. Katy getting a spot on the list is both fitting, and exciting, and this residency feels like a fresh start for her career as opposed to a dead end, especially since she’s been taking it slightly slower than she was in the 2010s. 

Katy explained that she plays a doll in the show, which is why everything is larger than life. She also spoke about wanting everyone who comes to just have a fun time, and I couldn’t think of a better way to market a show after a year like 2021. 

 

Here’s some content for y’all out there just like me who aren’t able to make the trip to Las Vegas:

 

While scrolling through Twitter, I couldn’t ’t help but think of how much this Katy reminds me of the “I Kissed a Girl” Katy. Don’t get me wrong—I liked her blonde hair. But the return to her classic jet black ponytail (I know she wore black wigs but it wasn’t the sameeee) is bringing me back to middle school days and it’s giving me a sense of comfort I’m digging. (Lainey: LOL, “middle school”. These babies!) Back in November when she dyed her hair, she captioned the behind-the-scenes photo with, “I just think it’s time to give them everything they want,” so it’s safe to say she knew this change would turn heads as she prepped for the residency. 

As for the production, she never really left her bright, colourful vibe throughout the years, but seeing her sing from inside a ginormous orange toilet beside ginormous toilet paper rolls only tells us that she is embracing this bigger than life, camp experience to the fullest. Outfits are also another important part of any show, and especially a Vegas show, and the variety she offers is impressive. There’s every kind of texture, colour, and style, but my favourite has to be the all-red tassled look.

 

If the residency wasn’t enough to let us know that Katy is back in full action, she also dropped a song with DJ Alesso called “When I’m Gone”. 

 

Right now, all we have is the song no official video and I don’t think it’s a song that especially stands out, but Katy sounds good on it and it’s solid and catchy for the club. The official music video for the song will premiere on January 10th at the halftime of the College Football Playoff National Championship. This also happens to be the first time an artist has done a music video premiere at the event. I’m definitely the last person to know anything about football playoffs, but maybe this is Katy’s way of letting us know that this residency is indeed the mark of a new era. 

Katy’s residency is expected to have a 16-show run until March 19th.