Accepting the MTV Video Vanguard Award at the 2024 VMAs, Katy Perry delivered a defiant speech, urging her critics to “get their feet on the ground” and saying there are “no decades-long accidents.”
“I’m excited when I look at the music scene today and see all the amazing young artists who are being confident, self-assured, vulnerable and authentic,” she said after her epic performance. “I’ve heard a lot of: do this, don’t say that, wear less, wear more now, hey. Don’t cut your hair. One of the main reasons I’m standing here now is because I’ve learned to tune out all the noise that every single artist in this industry has to constantly fight against, especially women. I just want to say from the bottom of my heart: do whatever it takes to be true to yourself and your art. Turn off social media, take care of your mental health. Take a break. Touch grass. And do what you were born to do, like I was born to do that.”
The impassioned speech followed a medley of some of her biggest hits and tracks from her upcoming album, “143,” out Sept. 20. The performance, introduced by her husband, Orlando Bloom, was a victory lap of sorts, with Perry soaring above her backup dancers and bringing Doechii onstage as a special guest.
The speech itself began with Perry asking the audience if they could believe she did the performance “on the first day of my period.” She then referenced her legacy since her mainstream debut with “One of the Boys” in 2008, saying that “so many things have to fall into place to have a long and successful career as an artist.”
After thanking her team, family, the Katy Cats and the LGBTQ+ community, she praised Bloom for “doing the dishes” – a reference to a viral line from a recent interview in which she said she would reward a man with sexual favors for doing mundane household chores – as well as her daughter Daisy.
Songs performed include “ET,” “California Gurls” and “I Kissed a Girl,” as well as new songs “Lifetimes” and “I’m His, He’s Mine,” the latter of which features Doechii and is out Friday.
