Katy Perry sends a jolt of millennial energy through the Democratic convention
Katy Perry sends a jolt of millennial energy through the Democratic convention
Pop music superstar Katy Perry crossed platforms into presidential politics on Thursday night, performing her aspirational new anthem, “Rise,” and in doing so sent a jolt of millennial energy into a convention eager to connect with a new generation of voters.
Perry — wearing a shiny, striped form-fitting dress — opened with comments about her background as the daughter of parents who were pastors and staunch Republicans.
“I don’t have a formal education,” she said, “but I do have an open mind and a voice.” She urged the crowd, and her fans, to vote because “you’ll be just as powerful as any NRA lobbyist. You’ll have as much say as any billionaire.” Or, she added, “you can just cancel out your weird cousin’s vote if you like.”
Perry also acknowledged her “closet full of Hillary-themed dresses” that she’s worn while campaigning for Clinton.
Standing before a microphone decorated in red, white and blue spangles, Perry opened with “Rise,” followed by another of her anthems, “Roar.”
Relatively speaking, her performance was a conservative affair. Over the years, after all, Perry has performed while sitting in a gigantic clam and in an oversize banana suit, and first gained fame with her coy nod to youthful experimentation, “I Kissed a Girl.” Why, then, would the Clinton campaign enlist her to perform during the convention’s apex? One reason is the mathematics of social media. In 2012, about 126 million people cast votes in the presidential election. Across three social media platforms — Instagram, Twitter and Facebook — Perry has a combined 215 million followers.
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