Katy Perry - 'Rise'

No one does pop like Katy Perry does. Her signature voice and fun sound often gives way to the summer's biggest jams and sweet tracks to accompany the realities of every day life. After nearly two years of general studio silence since her last record PRISM, Katy Perry has returned out of the blue with the massive new single 'Rise', an uplifting anthem that will be part of the soundtrack to your success story.

'Rise' is huge track. It has a very anthemic and call-to-arms vibe to it, its electronics and immense synths building giant walls of noise, the pulsating sound moving like your heartbeat as you race to the finish line. Perry confidently chants, "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" in the chorus, painting the picture of being at the end of hope, but fighting back against that. This song screams hope and energy - that final push to keep going.

Sonically, this song feels really pleasing to listen to. The intro features Katy Perry singing reverberates almost defeatedly as a brooding beat kicks into the atmospheric synth. The pre-chorus builds up epically with powerful splashes of percussion bring the song to its massive chorus, the beat pounding as Katy's voice soars above a cavernous instrumental. The song continues in much the same way throughout, without much change. It doesn't really feel like it needs much changing - the song flows incredibly well and doesn't lose pace or conviction as it progresses. The vocalizations towards the end are a great touch, providing for one final epic touch before the song concludes.

'Rise' is a motivational song in the simplest sense. It's about rising up against the rest when everything is against you. That seems to be the recurring theme for the songs chosen to be the song of the Olympics. Katy Perry really channeled that awesome feeling of beating all expectations and coming out on top. This could also mean her next album is just on the horizon, and that'll be a welcome surprise, too.

'Rise' is available for purchase via Apple Music.

Rating: 85 / 100