Katy Perry is “Chained to the Music”

Photo by AP Photo

Photo by AP Photo

With her first single since Rise in 2016 and This is How We Do It in 2014, Katy Perry is back with a new rhythm. Last Monday, February 7, Perry posted her first clue about a possible single. She then posted a video on Tuesday of a billboard which had her name, a photo, and the date “February 10th.” She followed this video with another clip of a disco ball chained to her ankle and a clip of the song.

Perry continued to add to the trail of clues later in the week. On Wednesday, she posted a video of a disco ball with a headphone jack and someone’s nails painted saying Find Me. This post led to a unique opportunity: fans had the opportunity to listen to the new single before its official release on Friday, February 10. Perry posted a link to a map which pinned disco balls in locations like New York City, Los Angeles and London. At these locations, fans found disco balls and headphones through which they could listen to the new song. Fans took to Twitter to post their selfies at the select locations. Later that day, the single’s title was released: Chained to the Rhythm.

The night before the official release, Perry released a lyric video on Youtube which featured a hamster in a miniature house. The video already has over 1 million views. The song came out last Friday and instantly debuted at #1 in over 17 countries. The song features Jamaican singer Skip Marley, who is Bob Marley’s grandson and is co-written by Sia Furler, better known by her stage name “Sia”.

Chained to the Rhythm, is different than most of Perry’s past songs. The song has a disco dancehall vibe and a mid-tempo beat. Perry told Ryan Seacrest back in August, “I aspire to make material that connects, relates and inspires. I was just having a lot of fun by experimenting and trying different producers, and different collaborators, and different styles.”

iTunes went on to review the song, “A breathy, bombastic blend of dancehall and disco with an empowering verse from Skip Marley. The song is a plea to set aside our differences and find unity on the dance floor.”

Fans and reviewers are speculating as to whether the song is a political statement. Perry’s recent past indicates that this is possible: she openly supported Hillary Clinton during the 2016 elections and performed at the Democratic National Convention. Perry is also releasing a footwear collection on the 16th, in which she dedicates a rose-gold shoe to the former presidential candidate.

“ Are we crazy?

Living our lives through a lens

Trapped in our white-picket fence

Like ornaments

So comfortable, we live in a bubble, a bubble

So comfortable, we cannot see the trouble, the trouble “
Perry’s fans, or KatyCats, have been awaiting the new single and took to social media to express their thoughts on the song. Perry sang her new song at the 57th Grammy Awards Sunday on February 12 and everyone danced along to the catchy upbeat disco song. Fans are excited to see what’s next for Perry in terms of a new album.