In partnership with Rock In Rio Lisbon
Katy Perry headlined Rock In Rio Lisbon last night (July 20), where she played her new song ‘Watch It Burn’ and admitted that she “lost her roar” amid a torrid 2025.
Wearing the same outfit that she sported during her Hello Katy Tour when she played Lisbon back in 2009, she told the crowd: “Little did I know when I was wearing this outfit [all those] years ago in Lisbon that I would write a song called ‘Roar’, and I’d sing it all around the world for millions of people and at some point, I would lose my own roar.” She then performed an emotive acoustic rendition of the 2013 chart-topper.
Seemingly alluding to a run of negative press that she has weathered – which included scathing reviews for her 2024 seventh studio album ‘143’ and mockery for her participation in last year’s all-female Blue Origin flight – she continued: “’Cause life goes in seasons. And sometimes you don’t want to get out of bed and sometimes you can’t roar. And sometimes the things that people say about you actually hurt your feelings because you’re not a robot; you’re a human being. That’s why we have to be kind. That’s why we have to choose kindness. ‘Cause you never know what someone’s going through, do you?”
She further added: “And I’ll admit, I lost my roar for a little bit. It was just a whisper, but as I’m about to release my next song next week – ‘Watch It Burn’ – I will tell you, my roar is back.”
Due for release on June 25, the rock-inflected ‘Watch It Burn’ was performed for only the second time live, following its debut at Spain’s O Son do Camiño on June 18 – with the assistance of an oversized box of prop matches.
Perry has previously described the song as about “giving myself permission to be angry” about her annus horribilis last year and it contains the lyrics: ‘You know I gave and I gave / Now I’m giving up, there’s nothing more you can take / Don’t wanna cause a scene, but give me the gasoline. Tonight’s the night, I light a match / Throw it hard behind my back / Gonna try to forgive and forget / Light a cigarette, and watch it burn.’
During her hit-packed set, Perry also took humorous swipes at her exes. While singing ‘Never Really Over’, the contact ‘GROBAN’ flashed on a giant novelty phone screen, referring to her relationship with Josh Groban in 2009, promoting her to jokingly hit ‘DECLINE’. On another prop phone, ‘RB’ called, as she kicked the “BLOCKED” button. Perry was married to Russell Brand from 2010 until their divorce in 2012.
Rock In Rio Lisbon continues tonight with a line-up that includes Linkin Park, Cypress Hill, The Pretty Reckless, Grandson and Kaiser Chiefs.
Katy Perry played:
‘California Gurls’
‘Teenage Dream’
‘Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)’
‘Chained to the Rhythm’
‘Never Really Over’
‘Dark Horse’
‘E.T.’
‘Part of Me’
‘I’M HIS, HE’S MINE’
‘Bon appétit’
‘bandaids’
‘Watch It Burn’
‘Heads Will Roll’
‘Legendary Lovers’
‘The One That Got Away’
‘Thinking of You’
‘Hot n Cold’
‘I Kissed a Girl’
‘Harleys in Hawaii’
‘ALL THE LOVE’
‘LIFETIMES’
‘Wide Awake’
‘Roar’
‘Firework’