Katy Perry new song: Listen to surprise Rio Olympics anthem 'Rise'

The track will tie-in with NBC's coverage of the games, with Perry announcing its release on her own Twitter

Clarisse Loughrey
Friday 15 July 2016 08:47 BST
Comments

Ahead of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games next month, Katy Perry has unleashed yet another inspirational anthem upon the world.

The track "Rise" marks the artist's first release of new music since her 2013 album Prism, which itself featured the rousing likes of "Roar" as its lead single. "When, when the fire's at my feet again/And the vultures all start circling/They're whispering, 'you're out of time'/ But still I rise," she sings.

The track will tie-in with NBC's coverage of the games, with Perry announcing its release on her own Twitter; though this isn't any hint as to a possible upcoming album, with the pop star intending the song entirely to be a one-off piece of music to commemorate the Games.

"This is a song that’s been brewing inside me for years, that has finally come to the surface. I was inspired to finish it now, rather than save it for my next album, because now more than ever, there is a need for our world to unite," Perry said in a statement (via Billboard). "I know that together we can rise above the fear – in our country, and around the world."

"I can’t think of a better example than the Olympic athletes, as they gather in Rio with their strength and fearlessness, to remind us how we ALL can come together, with the resolve to be the best we can be. I hope this song can inspire us to heal, unite, and rise together. I am honored that NBC Olympics has chosen to use it as an anthem before and during the Rio Games."

Artwork for the track has also been released, a moody piece, featuring Perry rising out of the waters; alongside a brief snippet of the song (found Perry's Twitter), which very much sees the singer in her usual power anthem mode.


The track is currently available exclusively to stream on Apple Music and to download at iTunes.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in