New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Katy Perry's new album, Smile, was released today by Capitol Records/Universal Music. Brimming with resilience and gratitude, the songs were born of Katy's personal journey through dark times, as she explained in an interview with NPR "Morning Edition" yesterday.
Tune in to "CBS This Morning" today for Katy's interview with
Gayle King. Check out her new video, "Cry About It Later," unveiled today. Directed by U.K. animator/illustrator SykoSan, the playful clip reimagines classic tales such as "
Cinderella" and "Dracula," with the heroine turning the tables on her male counterparts. Katy shared alternate videos for "
Never Really Over" and "Harleys in Hawaii" earlier this week and will continue to reveal a new video daily as she celebrates the release of Smile.
In keeping with the joyful tone of the album - and the circus theme of the official video for the title track "
Smile" - she is introducing a new game tomorrow: Katy's Quest. Developed by
Double A Labs and Alienware and curated by Mathew Cullen, who directed the "
Smile" video, it takes players on a fun, fast-paced romp through a Circus of Misconceptions. The two-level video game, accessible via web browser, will launch tomorrow with a weekend-long kick-off event on Twitch that will benefit MusiCares and Extra Life.
On August 27, Katy and Postmates teamed up with World Central Kitchen to donate meals from Tender Greens to Good News Baptist Church in Los Angeles. Postmates is launching a special edition of their "The Receipt" and offering free delivery for fans this weekend.
Last week, Katy set a new record when her single "
Firework" was certified 12x Platinum, marking the highest certified track by a lead female artist in RIAA history. The song was one of five singles from the 8x Platinum album Teenage Dream, which was released 10 years ago.
Fans will find exclusive vinyl editions of
Smile offered by Walmart and Target. The Target vinyl is translucent cobalt blue and includes "High On Your Supply," which is a bonus track exclusive to Target, plus a voice memo from Katy. The Walmart vinyl is a stunning ruby red. A CD edition with a lenticular cover and a picture disc are available exclusively at Katy's store.
In the lead-up to the release of Smile, Katy shared several songs from the album, including the title track plus "Daisies," the Gold-certified "Never Really Over," "What Makes A Woman" and "Harleys In Hawaii.". She recently spoke with Associated Press and, for a cover story, People.
The Los Angeles Times hailed
Smile as "still quintessentially Perry: buoyant, playful, neon pop" in a recent Sunday Calendar cover story. Rolling Stone said, "Katy Perry gets back to basics" with
Smile and, praising the title track, noted, "Over an upbeat, dance-driven groove to match the positive vibes of the lyrics, Perry extols the virtue of perseverance." US Weekly said, "'Only Love' is a stunning, finger-snapping midtempo about moving on from mistakes." USA Today observed, "Perry's newfound joy and contentment come through on much of 'Smile,' which contains some of her catchiest and most carefree songs since 2013's 'Prism.'" RIFF Magazine declared, "Smile is the album that meets the moment of the age we live in. A fitting celebration of strength, pain and individuality under dire circumstances."
Since Katy Perry's Capitol Record debut in 2008 with One of the Boys, she has racked up a cumulative 45 billion streams alongside worldwide sales of over 45 million adjusted albums and 135 million tracks with her albums One of the Boys, Teenage Dream, PRISM, and Witness, and her latest singles, gold-certified "Never Really Over," "Small Talk," and "Harleys In Hawaii." Katy was the first female artist to have four videos surpass a billion views each. Her videos for "
Firework" and "Last Friday Night" have over one billion views, while "Roar" and "
Dark Horse" have surpassed the two billion mark. Katy's 2015 Super Bowl performance is the highest-rated in the event's history. She is one of only five artists in history to have topped 100 million certified units with their digital singles - and the first-ever Capitol Records recording artist to join the elite RIAA 100 Million Certified Songs club.
Aside from being one of the best-selling musical artists of all time, Katy is an active advocate of many philanthropic causes. In 2013, Katy was appointed a UNICEF
Goodwill Ambassador as a result of her commitment to improving the lives of children worldwide. From traveling to Vietnam and Madagascar to highlight the needs of some of the world's most vulnerable children, to recording PSAs about the importance of empowering girls and supporting adolescents living with HIV/AIDS, as well as raising awareness for UNICEF's emergency relief efforts, Katy has used her powerful voice to advocate for children and support UNICEF's mission to ensure every child's right to health, education, equality, and protection. She was awarded with the Audrey Hepburn Humanitarian Award in 2016.
