FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 19, 2017
KATY PERRY IS NO. 1
Witness, Katy’s Third Album To Debut At No. 1 On Billboard 200,
Sets Record For Biggest First-Week Sales By A Female Artist In 2017
Album Tops The iTunes Chart In 46 Countries
Katy Is First Person To Reach 100 Million Followers On Twitter
“Witness World Wide,” 96-Hour Live Stream Event On YouTube, Generates More Than 49 Million Views, Reaching Fans In Over 190 Countries
Tickets On Sale Now For WITNESS: The Tour
Katy Appears On Cover Of The New York Times Sunday Arts & Leisure Section
“‘Witness’ is the confessional album the world has been waiting for Katy Perry to make. And her admission is this: She’s indomitable and awesome.”- Variety
Katy Perry’s new album, Witness (Capitol Records), is No. 1 on the Billboard 200, marking her third album to debut atop the chart. With 180,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S., it marked the biggest week for an album by a female artist in 2017. It also claimed the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Top Current Albums and Current Pop Albums charts.
Globally, Witness topped the iTunes Albums chart in 46 countries. It contains the Platinum-certified hit “Chained to the Rhythm” featuring Skip Marley, “Bon Appétit” featuring Migos, and Katy’s new single, “Swish Swish” featuring Nicki Minaj, which has begun its climb, breaking into the Top 40 at Pop radio, iTunes and Spotify this week.The official video for “Bon Appétit,” which can be seen HERE, has set a new record for Katy, surpassing 100 million views in just 18 days.
Last week, she reached a new milestone on Twitter, becoming the first person to reach 100 million followers. Katy has been the most followed person on Twitter since 2013. She recently partnered with YouTube on the 96-hour online phenomenon, “Katy Perry – Witness World Wide.” Documenting every minute of every day, Katy revealed it all throughout the live-streamed global event, which generated over 49 million views by fans from over 190 countries. From thought provoking conversations about feminism, politics and issues of diversity, to lighthearted segments and exclusive music performances, the event featured such celebrities and friends as: James Corden, Sia, Caitlyn Jenner, Gordon Ramsay, Anna Kendrick, Dita Von Teese, America Ferrera and Arianna Huffington plus YouTube stars like Pentatonix, Liza Koshy and Gigi Gorgeous. The event culminated with an exclusive concert in Los Angeles for 1,000 fans, which was broadcast live exclusively on YouTube.
Tickets are on sale now for Katy’s upcoming North American tour. Each ticket purchase for WITNESS: The Tour also includes a copy of her new album.The run, which kicks off on September 7, will include three New York City shows – October 2 and 6 at Madison Square Garden and October 11 at Barclays Center – plus three evenings at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles on November 7, 8, and 10. See below for itinerary or visit http://katyperry.com. Katy will be partnering with Boys & Girls Clubs of America in a variety of ways on the tour and $1 per every ticket sold will also be donated to the organization.
Katy spoke at length about Witness to The New York Times’ Caryn Ganz for yesterday’s Arts & Leisure cover story, which can be found HERE. “Change is…the theme of the throbbing ‘Witness,'” Ganz noted. While there are still plenty of relationship songs…seven tracks deal plainly with her new mind-set. The most direct is ‘Bigger Than Me,’ a statement of purpose akin to Michael Jackson’s ‘Man in the Mirror.'”
Variety said, “‘Witness’ is the confessional album the world has been waiting for Katy Perry to make. And her admission is this: She’s indomitable and awesome.”Stereogum praised the album’s “bright, bold melodies and exultant shades of gospel and house” while Entertainment Weekly observed,”the thumping jam ‘Swish Swish’ is one of the best party-starters of her career.”
Katy wrote each of the album’s 15 soul-baring songs, working with a variety of collaborators. She and longtime collaborator Max Martin served as Executive Producers. Witness follows 2013’s PRISM, which has sold more than 12.5 million adjusted albums worldwide. Katy is the first female artist to earn two RIAA Digital Single Diamond Award. A Diamond Award honors U.S. sales of 10 million or more. In her 10 years with Capitol, she has racked up a cumulative 18+ billion streams alongside worldwide sales of more than 40+ million adjusted albums and 125+ million tracks.
Katy Perry’s WITNESS: The Tour – North American Leg
2017
9/7 – Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center
9/9 – Montréal, QE @ Bell Centre
9/10 – Quebec City, QE @ Videotron Centre
9/12 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
9/13 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
9/16 – Buffalo, NY @ KeyBank Center
9/18 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
9/21 – Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza
9/22 – Pittsburgh, PA @ PPG Paints Arena
9/25 – Washington, DC @ Verizon Center
9/27 – Charlotte, NC @ Spectrum Center
9/29 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden
9/30 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden
10/2 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
10/6 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
10/8 – Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center
10/11 – Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center
10/16 – Louisville, KY @ KFC Yum! Center
10/18 – Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
10/22 – St. Louis, MO @ Scottrade Center
10/24 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
10/25 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
10/27 – Kansas City, KS @ Sprint Center
11/7 – Los Angeles, CA @ STAPLES Center
11/8 – Los Angeles, CA @ STAPLES Center
11/10 – Los Angeles, CA @ STAPLES Center
11/14 – San Jose, CA @ SAP Center at San Jose
11/22 – Santa Barbara, CA @ Arlington Theatre
11/24 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Vivint Smart Home Arena
11/26 – Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center
11/28 – Omaha, NE @ CenturyLink Center
11/29 – Tulsa, OK @ BOK Center
12/1 – St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center
12/2 – Des Moines, IA @ Wells Fargo Arena
12/4 – Milwaukee, WI @ BMO Harris Bradley Center
12/6 – Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena
12/7 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Van Andel Arena
12/9 – Indianapolis, IN @ Bankers Life Fieldhouse
12/10 – Cleveland, OH @ Quicken Loans Arena
12/12 – Atlanta, GA @ Philips Arena
12/15 – Tampa, FL @ Amalie Arena
12/17 – Orlando, FL @ Amway Center
12/20 – Miami, FL @ AmericanAirlines Arena
2018
1/5 – New Orleans, LA @ Smoothie King Center
1/7 – Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
1/10 – San Antonio, TX @ AT&T Center
1/12 – Little Rock, AR @ Verizon Arena
1/14 – Dallas, TX @ AmericanAirlines Center
1/19 – Phoenix, AZ @ Gila River Arena
1/20 – Las Vegas, NV @ T-Mobile Arena
1/31 – Sacramento, CA @ Golden1 Center
2/2 – Portland, OR @ Moda Center at Rose Quarter
2/3 – Tacoma, WA @ Tacoma Dome
2/5 – Vancouver, BC @ Pepsi Live at Rogers Arena