Katy Perry's Vegas Show Is a Campy Delight!

Left Shark. The hamburger Met Gala look. The entire “California Girls” music video. 

Katy Perry has been a Certified Camp Icon™ ever since her first hit single “I Kissed A Girl” back in 2008. Since then, she’s chugged out Top 40 hit after Top 40 hit, from the 4th of July-evoking “Firework” to the dark horse that was. well, “Dark Horse”! She’s one of the world’s best-selling artists with over 143 million records sold worldwide, and her bubblegum-pop style helped shape the 2010 music scene. In 2019, Billboard even named “Teenage Dream” as one of the defining songs of the decade. 

As an A-list pop star, Perry has played on virtually every stage in America. So it’s no wonder that, after four concert tours as well as a stint on "American Idol", she’s ready to stick to one stage for a while and perform all her greatest hits. In the illustrious words of Katy herself, “Shut up and shake the glitter off your clothes now,” because it’s time to get the full scoop of her in-house residency at Resort Worlds in Las Vegas, running from January 2022 to March 19t! 

Titled Play, Katy Perry’s show does just that. The 2-hour-long show with 5 acts and an encore is meant to take KatyKats through a journey of Perry’s career—and all the kitschy, camp elements that have come along with it! Designed as a giant “sing-a-long”, Perry released the setlist before the concert, encouraging fans to have fun in “Perry Playland”. 

During the opening number, Perry is dressed like a Barbie doll held together by a giant hand that helps her descend from the ceiling by pinching the bow on the back of her fantastic purple sequined coat, created by RuPaul’s favorite designer Zaldy. After landing on a giant bed, she begins her set with "E.T."— the perfect song to start this strange, almost hallucinogenic journey. 

From there, Perry takes us through a journey full of fantastical elements. The audience watches Perry interact and sing alongside talking bed pillows, dancing mushrooms and gym socks, soldiers marching around with crayons in hand, and, in one of the most viral clips of the show, Perry twerks alongside a talking Mr. Poo that resides in a giant toilet. No, I’m not joking. 

While Perry relishes in the sheer camp it all, she does share some emotional moments with the audience. In the midst of lactating beer from a tin-can bra, she has a dialogue with Mr. Masky about the current state of the pandemic. “You’ve really helped us out this year,” Perry says to the giant mask, “Give applause to Mr. Masky — especially if you believe in him.”

Alongside performances of her greatest hits such as “Teenage Dream”, “Chained to the Rhythm”, and “Roar”, Perry added some surprises for fans—her cover of Whitney Houston’s “The Greatest Love of All” had everyone in tears! 

Perry also debuted her new song “When I’m Gone” feat. Alesso on-stage. Although the pop star’s past few albums have not reached the same level of success as Perry’s certified double platinum Prism or Teenage Dream, this spacey pop single could spell her comeback.

With new hits and a Vegas residency, Perry is sure to retain her status of the queen of pop—and, of course, the queen of camp!