Witness (Katy Perry album)

(Redirected from Roulette (Katy Perry song))

Witness is the fifth studio album by American singer Katy Perry. It was released on June 9, 2017, by Capitol Records. For the album, Perry worked with numerous producers, including Jeff Bhasker, Mark Crew, Duke Dumont, Jack Garratt, Oscar Holter, Illangelo, Ilya, Max Martin, Ali Payami and Shellback. Witness is an electropop album that delves into dance and EDM genres, with lyrics on self-empowerment and feminism. Perry described it as an album of "liberation" and "purposeful pop".

Witness
Katy Perry with blonde short hair. She covers her eyes with her hands; an eyeball is visible inside her mouth as her lips are slightly parted.
Studio album by
ReleasedJune 9, 2017 (2017-06-09)
Recorded2016–2017
Studio
Genre
Length57:28
LabelCapitol
Producer
Katy Perry chronology
Prism
(2013)
Witness
(2017)
Smile
(2020)
Singles from Witness
  1. "Chained to the Rhythm"
    Released: February 10, 2017
  2. "Bon Appétit"
    Released: April 28, 2017
  3. "Swish Swish"
    Released: May 19, 2017
  4. "Save as Draft"
    Released: June 26, 2017[1]
  5. "Hey Hey Hey"
    Released: January 12, 2018[2]

Five singles aided Witness, out of which, three were released before the album and one reached the top-ten of the Billboard Hot 100 chart: the lead single, "Chained to the Rhythm" featuring Skip Marley, peaked at number four on the Hot 100. "Bon Appétit" featuring Migos peaked at number 59, while "Swish Swish" featuring Nicki Minaj reached number 46. "Save as Draft" and "Hey Hey Hey" were released as subsequent singles on June 26, 2017 and January 12, 2018, respectively, with "Hey Hey Hey" receiving a music video. To support the album's release, Perry broadcast herself on a four-day YouTube live-stream, titled Katy Perry Live: Witness World Wide. Upon release, critics were divided towards the album. Some criticized the production and lyricism, while others welcomed the album's personal nature and singled out certain tracks for praise.

Moving 180,000 album equivalent units in its first-week, Witness debuted atop the US Billboard 200 chart, becoming Perry's third chart-topping album in the country. The album also topped the charts in Canada and Spain, while reaching number two in Australia, South Korea, Mexico, and New Zealand and the top five region in nine other territories. To promote the album, Perry embarked on her fourth concert tour, Witness: The Tour. Prior to the release of the album, Perry had not released new material in four years, with the exception of the 2016 Summer Olympics anthem, "Rise". After releasing Prism (2013) and touring in 2014–2015, Perry went on hiatus to protect her mental health and to return afresh.[3] Perry decided to shed her on-stage persona and embrace her self-proclaimed authentic self as Katheryn Hudson, her real name. As a result, she retired her long, dark hair for a short pixie cut, and adopted her natural blonde hair color.[4]

Development

Following the release of her fourth album Prism in 2013 and the end of the Prismatic World Tour in October 2015, Katy Perry told The New York Times in February 2016 that she was in the "research and development phase" of a new album.[5] She decided to take a hiatus after the tour concluded to "give my mental health a break" before starting to write new songs the following June.[3] Perry felt "refreshed" after the hiatus, and had over 40 tracks "in progress" before the year ended.[6] In August, the singer stated that she aspired to make material "that connects and relates and inspires"[7] and told Ryan Seacrest that she was "not rushing" her fifth album, adding "I'm just having a lot of fun, but experimenting and trying different producers, and different collaborators, and different styles."[8] The album marked a departure from long time producer and co-writer Dr. Luke.[9] In February 2017, Perry stated that the album was "definitely a new era for me" and "an era of purposeful pop" she was proud of.[10] Later that month, she told Capital FM that "I've got something swirling, but I think I want to put out some songs first before I give them the full meal."[11] The following May, Perry revealed to Entertainment Weekly that the album would include 15 of the 40 songs she wrote for it, and described the record as "fun and dance-y and dark and light."[12]

The album was partially inspired by Hillary Clinton's loss in the 2016 United States presidential election. Perry, a vocal supporter of Clinton, claimed "I was definitely not okay [after the election]. I couldn't write a happy-go-lucky song. I wasn't in that place but I also don't want to preach to people because I'm not that person either. I want to empower people and lift people up."[13]

Composition

Musically, Witness is an electropop album,[14] containing influences of dance and EDM.[15] As analyzed by Annie Zaleski from The A.V. Club, hooks are in short supply, replaced by grooves and atmosphere that pick and choose elements from 1990s house music, mainstream EDM, electro-tinged hip-hop, and 1980s new wave.[16]

Witness opens with the title track, an electronic song backed by a 1990s house piano.[17] "Hey Hey Hey" asserts that women can be complex people with a multitude of personality traits, as noted by Annie Zaleski from The A.V. Club, "Hey Hey Hey" depicts a narrow version of femininity and success and it perpetuates irksome stereotypes about strong women.[16] "Roulette" is an EDM song described as "explosive" by Christopher R. Weingarten from Rolling Stone.[18] "Swish Swish" runs throughout a house-influenced beat[19][18] and contains a sample from "Star 69" by Fatboy Slim which itself samples "I Get Deep" by Roland Clark.[20] "Déjà Vu" is "an electro-R&B ballad about wanting to free oneself from a dead-end relationship."[21] "Power" is an electro[22] composition, which explores a theme of self empowerment, Jillian Males from Pitchfork noted that the song "approximates feminism by politicizing a personal struggle for control."[23]

Artwork

Commenting on the concept of the album cover, Perry said,

"Music has allowed me to travel, which has reeducated my mind and changed my perspective on so much, so my education and my consciousness comes from my voice, and that's how I see, and that's how I witness you and that's how you witness me and that's why the eye is in the mouth."[24]

On September 29, 2017, Urban Outfitters released a limited-edition exclusive vinyl of the album with alternate cover art.[25]

Billboard's Tatiana Cirisano listed the album cover as one of the worst of 2017, characterizing its "freaky alien theme" as "just a tad too horrifying".[26]

Promotion

 
Perry performing the album's title-track during Witness: The Tour at Madison Square Garden

In February 2017, Spotify announced that it would run a campaign to promote the album up to its release in the middle of the year.[27] On May 15, Perry confirmed the album would be titled Witness and would be released through Capitol Records on June 9, 2017. She also announced that the concert tour supporting the album would be titled Witness: The Tour.[28] It began in September 2017 and concluded in August 2018.[29] Tickets purchased would include a copy of the album.[30] The night before Witness came out, she hosted a live countdown for the record on her YouTube channel,[31] which featured the singer performing and discussing tracks on the record as well as responding to fan questions.[32] To accompany the album's release, Perry also broadcast herself on YouTube with a live-stream titled Katy Perry Live: Witness World Wide for four days, concluding with a live concert on June 12.[33]

Singles

The album's lead single, "Chained to the Rhythm" featuring Skip Marley, was released on February 10, 2017.[34][35] It went on to top the charts in Hungary[36] while reaching number four in the United States.[37] "Bon Appétit" with Migos followed as the second single on April 28, 2017.[34] The track reached number 59 in the United States[37] and number 14 in Canada.[38] "Swish Swish", featuring Nicki Minaj, was released as the third single on May 19, 2017.[39] The song peaked at number 46 in the United States,[37] and number 13 in Canada.[38] "Save as Draft" was released to American radio stations on June 26, 2017,[1] and "Hey Hey Hey" was released in Italy as the album's fifth single on January 12, 2018.[2]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?5.4/10[40]
Metacritic53/100[41]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [15]
The A.V. ClubC−[16]
Consequence of SoundC[42]
The Daily Telegraph     [43]
Entertainment WeeklyB[21]
The Guardian     [44]
NME     [45]
Pitchfork4.8/10[23]
Rolling Stone     [18]
Slant Magazine     [19]

Witness was met with mixed reception from music critics.[46][47] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 53, based on 20 reviews, which indicates "mixed or average reviews".[41]

Hannah J. Davies of The Guardian gave the album a rating of 4 out of 5 stars, writing that the singer "still has a flair for tunes that quickly seep into the collective consciousness" and praised "Swish Swish" as "a house-fuelled banger with undeniable groove," though felt that "Perry's heartfelt ballads feel tacked on in the face of all this weirdness."[44] Leonie Cooper from NME gave it the same rating and complimented the same track, arguing that while the album lacked subtlety, this is justified when "[delivering] important messages about female autonomy to a young audience".[45] USA Today's Maeve McDermott commended the album for being "sonically coherent" and noted it as a personal record, rather than the politically charged one that the marketing campaign for it had suggested.[48]

Idolator's Mike Wass gave Witness a score of 4 out of 5. He did not feel it had "introspection or maturity," though praised "Miss You More" as "the kind of brutally honest anthem that Katy isn't given enough credit for," and dubbed it "the album's emotional core." Wass concluded that "Witness might be overly ambitious and is definitely a couple of songs too long, but dance-pop experiments don't come much more enjoyable than this."[49] Kevin O'Donnell of Entertainment Weekly gave it a B rating stating, "Perry is reflective, anxious, and fired up on Witness," highlighting "Déjà Vu" and "Swish Swish" as the best tracks.[21]

Wren Graves from Consequence of Sound gave the album a rating of C. He listed "Swish Swish", "Power", and "Déjà Vu" as essential tracks, but felt that most of the other songs were more of a "filler," and that a lack of cohesiveness with Perry's output made Witness inferior to her previous material.[42] Giving Witness 3 out of 5 stars, Christopher R. Weingarten wrote in Rolling Stone that it was comparable to the music of Halsey and Camila Cabello, and that the songs blended "into the rest of the radio." He also did not like how Perry's voice was "devoured in effects and reverb."[18]

Sal Cinquemani gave the same score, praising the empowerment themes within "Hey Hey Hey" and "Power", though ultimately felt that the record "lacks both the big hooks that propelled Perry's past hits up the charts and the conceptual and sonic focus to give her pop real purpose."[19] AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave the album 2 out of 5 stars, saying it felt "relentless and a shade desperate" and called the record "a conceptual muddle." He added that Witness "erodes whatever adult contemporary progress Perry made with Prism."[15] The Daily Telegraph journalist Neil McCormick gave Witness the same rating, and panned the usage of the term "purposeful pop" for the songs. He found Witness to be musically repetitive, explaining that within the multitude of people working on the record, Perry's "individual talent" was lost making "Witness [sound like] someone trying to cover too many bases."[43]

Writing for The Independent, Andy Gill also rated the record 2 out of 5 stars. He criticized the production of the tracks, especially the ones by Max Martin, describing them as "identical to everyone else's."[50] Mikael Wood from the Los Angeles Times shared a similar view in his analysis of the album. Wood was critical of the musical direction on Witness, the supposed "purposeful pop" being lost in the tracks and Perry's singing. He listed "Chained to the Rhythm" and "Swish Swish" as highlights.[51] According to Jordan Sargent from Spin, the record "feels like it's making a bid for a level of artistic seriousness—a recognition of aesthetic vision—that Perry has never really been afforded." He felt that it indicated her "artillery of undeniable pop songs" had been "all but depleted."[52] Variety writer Chris Willman did not feel album was "the kind of obvious smash to which all of America would plainly say: Baby, you're a firework," but asserted it "counts at least as a sparkler — the kind you hold in your hand for 45 seconds in the summer, if not the enduring."[53]

Accolades

Publication Accolade Year Rank Ref.
Drowned in Sound Drowned in Sound's Favourite Albums of 2017
2017
46

Commercial performance

In the United States, Witness debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with 180,000 album-equivalent units, which included 162,000 pure album sales. It became Perry's third album to top the country's chart after Teenage Dream (2010) and Prism (2013) both debuted at number one. The record had the highest opening in the US for a female since Lady Gaga's Joanne in 2016 and became the second album by a female artist from 2017, after Halsey's Hopeless Fountain Kingdom, to open atop the chart.[55] Witness dropped to number 13 on the Billboard 200 the following week, earning 28,000 album-equivalent units and selling 18,000 copies.[56] According to Billboard, it was the country's eighth-highest performing album of the 2017 summer season, earning 431,000 album-equivalent units in the nation by September 2017.[57] It has sold 311,000 copies there as of August 2020.[58] Witness also became Perry's third album after Teenage Dream and Prism to open at number one on the Canadian Albums Chart, selling 23,000 units in its first week.[59] The record subsequently descended to number four one week later.[60] That November, it received a Platinum certification from Music Canada (MC).[61] The album additionally entered at number one in Spain,[62] and fell to number 13 in its second week.[63]

In New Zealand, Witness entered the albums chart at number two.[64] In Australia, it also debuted at number two on the ARIA Albums Chart with opening sales of 5,794 copies.[65] Selling another 2,069 the following week, it reached a total of 7,863 copies sold within the nation.[66] The record has since been certified Gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA).[67] In Japan, the album opened at number 22 on the Oricon Albums Chart,[68] and moved up to number 19 the next week.[69] In the United Kingdom, Witness debuted at number 6 on the UK Albums Chart, where it became Perry's third top 10 album, following Teenage Dream and Prism.[70] According to the Official Charts Company, it opened with 16,153 album-equivalent units in the nation.[71] As of January 2018, Witness has sold more than 840,000 copies worldwide.[72]

Track listing

Standard edition[73]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Witness"
  • Martin
  • Payami
4:10
2."Hey Hey Hey"
  • Martin
  • Payami
3:34
3."Roulette"
  • Martin
  • Payami
  • Shellback
3:18
4."Swish Swish" (featuring Nicki Minaj)
4:02
5."Déjà Vu"
  • H. James
  • Passovoy[d]
3:17
6."Power"
  • Garratt
  • Passovoy[d]
3:46
7."Mind Maze"
4:08
8."Miss You More"
  • Perry
  • Hudson
  • Roddick
  • M. James
3:54
9."Chained to the Rhythm" (featuring Skip Marley)
  • Martin
  • Payami
3:57
10."Tsunami"
3:23
11."Bon Appétit" (featuring Migos)
  • Holter
  • Martin
  • Shellback
3:47
12."Bigger Than Me"
  • Perry
  • Hudson
  • Roddick
  • M. James
4:00
13."Save as Draft"
3:48
14."Pendulum"
4:00
15."Into Me You See"Dustin O'Halloran4:24
Total length:57:28
Target / deluxe edition[74][75][76][77][78]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
16."Dance with the Devil"
  • Snow
  • Passovoy[d]
3:49
17."Act My Age"
3:42
Total length:64:59
Japan limited deluxe edition DVD[79]
No.TitleDirector(s)Length
1."Chained to the Rhythm" (music video)Mathew Cullen4:00
2."Chained to the Rhythm" (making of part 1)Possum Hill5:50
3."Chained to the Rhythm" (making of part 2)Hill4:36
Total length:14:26

Notes

  • ^[a] – main and vocal producer
  • ^[b] – main and additional vocal producer
  • ^[c] – additional producer
  • ^[d] – vocal producer
  • ^[e] – additional vocal producer

Sample credits

Personnel

Adapted from the album liner notes.[80]

  • Nelson Beato – gospel studio choir (track 14)
  • Jeff Bhasker – producer, keyboards and drums programming (track 14)
  • Cory Bice – assistant engineer (tracks 1, 2, 3, 9, 11); engineer (track 17)
  • Edie Lehmann Boddicker – vocal contracting, gospel choir conducting, gospel studio choir (track 14)
  • Alexandra Brown – gospel studio choir (track 14)
  • Denise Carite – gospel studio choir (track 14)
  • Charlean Carmon – gospel studio choir (track 14)
  • Carmen Carter – gospel studio choir (track 14)
  • Tom Coyne – mastering (track 9)
  • Mark Crew – production, keyboards, programming (track 17)
  • Aubry Delaine – additional engineering, Nicki Minaj vocal recording (track 4)
  • Francesco Donadello – engineer (track 15)
  • Monique Donnelly – gospel studio choir (track 14)
  • Duke Dumont – producer, synths, drums, programming (track 4)
  • Carmel Echols – gospel studio choir (track 14)
  • Luke Edgemon – gospel studio choir (track 14)
  • Anthony Evans – gospel studio choir (track 14)
  • Rationale – electric guitar, bass, programming (track 17)
  • Iain Findlay – vocal assistant engineering (Nicki Minaj's vocals, track 4)
  • Rachael Findlen – engineer (tracks 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 14-17); vocal production (tracks: 7, 8)
  • Nicole Franz – art direction
  • Sia – background vocals (track 9)
  • Jack Garratt – production, all instruments (track 6)
  • James Alan Ghaleb – guitar (track 9)
  • Serban Ghenea – mixing
  • Jim Gilstrap – gospel studio choir (track 14)
  • Lauren Gluckman – A&R
  • John Hanes – mixing engineer
  • Sam Holland – engineer (track 1, 3, 9, 11, 17)
  • Oscar Holter – keys (track 11, 12); production, vocal production, programming (track 12)
  • Casey Hooper – guitars (track 10)
  • Stephen Hybicki – engineer (track 10)
  • Illangelo – additional production, additional drum programming (track 14)
  • Ilya – production, programming, arranging, drums, percussion, guitars, bass, keys (track 17)
  • Clydene Jackson – gospel studio choir (track 14)
  • Hayden James – production; guitar, bass, background vocals, synths (track 5)
  • Peter Karlsson – vocal editing (tracks 1, 2, 3, 9, 11, 14); additional vocal production (track 8); percussion (track 9)
  • Briana Lee – gospel studio choir (track 14)
  • Jeremy Lertola – assistant engineer (tracks: 1, 2, 3, 9, 11); engineer (track 17)
  • David Loucks – gospel studio choir (track 14)
  • Elof Loelv – production, engineer, programming, drums, bass, piano, synthesizers (track 14)
  • Ted Lovett – layout
  • Skip Marley – featured vocals, background vocals (track 9)
  • Max Martin – background vocals, programming, Prophet 6, solina (track 9), percussion; acoustic guitar (track 8); vocal production (tracks: 8, 13), executive producer
  • Migos – featured vocals (track 11)
  • Jamie McCrary – gospel studio choir (track 14)
  • Randy Merrill – mastering
  • Zeke Mishanec – assistant engineer (track 4)
  • Ryan Nasci – engineer (track 14)
  • Dustin O'Halloran – producer, all instruments, arrangement (track 15)
  • Pino Palldino – bass (track 14)
  • Noah Passovoy – additional keys, programming (track 4, 10); engineer (tracks 4, 6, 10, 14, 16, 17), vocal production (tracks 5, 6, 10, 14, 16, 17); vocal editing (track 7, 12); additional production (tracks 4, 10); percussion (track 10)
  • Ali Payami – acoustic guitar (track 1); drums, bass, synths, piano (tracks 1, 8, 9); additional vocal production, programming, keys, electric guitar, background vocals, production (track 8); percussion (tracks 8, 9); hand claps (track 9)
  • Louis Price – gospel studio choir (track 14)
  • Katy Perry – background vocals (tracks 3, 9), vocals, executive producer
  • Daryl McPherson – Migos vocal production
  • Joshua Moreau – bass (track 10)
  • Corin Roddick – production, vocal production (track 12)
  • David Rudnick – front and back cover art direction
  • Scooly – production (track 10)
  • Aretha Scruggs – gospel studio choir (track 14)
  • Tony Scruggs – gospel studio choir (track 14)
  • Shellback – production; background vocals (track 3); keys, programming (track 11)
  • PJ Sledge – keyboards (track 4)
  • Felix Snow – production, vocal manipulations, programming, guitar (track 16)
  • Thomas Stell – synths (track 5)
  • Carmen Twillie – gospel studio choir (track 14)
  • Oren Waters – gospel studio choir (track 14)
  • Will Wheaton – gospel studio choir (track 14)
  • Mike Will Made It – production (track 10)
  • Eyvonne Williams – gospel studio choir (track 14)
  • Brandon Winbush – gospel studio choir (track 14)
  • Jason Woods – gospel studio choir (track 14)

Charts

Certifications and sales

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[67] Gold 35,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[119] Gold 7,500
Canada (Music Canada)[61] Platinum 80,000
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[120] Gold 10,000
France (SNEP)[121] Gold 50,000
India (IMI)[122] 3× Platinum 90,000[123]
Italy (FIMI)[124] Gold 25,000
Mexico (AMPROFON)[125] Platinum 60,000
Netherlands (NVPI)[126] Gold 20,000
Norway (IFPI Norway)[127] Platinum 20,000*
Poland (ZPAV)[128] Platinum 20,000
United Kingdom (BPI)[129] Gold 100,000
United States (RIAA)[130] Gold 311,000[58]
Summaries
Worldwide 840,000[72]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region Date Edition(s) Format(s) Label Ref.
Various June 9, 2017
  • Standard
  • deluxe
Capitol [131]
August 11, 2017 LP [132]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Hot/Modern/AC Future Releases". All Access Media Group. Archived from the original on June 19, 2017. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  2. ^ a b "Katy Perry – Hey Hey Hey (Radio Date: 12-01-2018)" (in Italian). earone.it. Archived from the original on January 11, 2018. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Grammys 2017: Katy Perry on the Meaning Behind 'Chained to the Rhythm'". Access Hollywood. February 12, 2017. Archived from the original on May 21, 2017. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
  4. ^ "'I created this character called Katy Perry. I didn't want to be Katheryn Hudson. It was too scary'". Access Hollywood. June 11, 2017. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
  5. ^ Adejobi, Alicia (July 5, 2016). "Katy Perry releasing new song in August 2016?". International Business Times. Archived from the original on July 6, 2016. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
  6. ^ Bowles, Hamish (April 13, 2017). "Katy Perry Is Leaving Her Cutesy Style Behind and Going Androgynous, Architectural, and Political". Vogue. Archived from the original on May 17, 2017. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
  7. ^ Carroll, Sarah (August 18, 2016). "Katy Perry Is 'Taking Chances' & 'Not Rushing' Her New Music". 97.1 AMP Radio. Archived from the original on August 19, 2016. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
  8. ^ "Katy Perry Reveals She's 'Experimenting' With New Album, Talks Forthcoming Shoe Collection". On Air with Ryan Seacrest. August 18, 2016. Archived from the original on September 20, 2016. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
  9. ^ Ganz, Caryn (June 14, 2017). "Katy Perry Woke Up. She Wants to Tell You All About It". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 28, 2017. Retrieved August 28, 2017.
  10. ^ Aiello, McKenna (February 12, 2017). "2017 Grammy Awards: Katy Perry Reveals She Was 'Taking Care' of Her Mental Health During Hiatus From Music". E!. Archived from the original on March 7, 2017. Retrieved February 12, 2017.
  11. ^ Dinh, James (February 22, 2017). "Katy Perry Talks About How Donald Trump Inspired Her New Album". iHeartRadio. Archived from the original on April 5, 2017. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
  12. ^ Stack, Tim (May 8, 2017). "Katy Perry Talks 'Brave' New Album and If There's a Reaction to Taylor Swift's 'Bad Blood'". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on May 20, 2017. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
  13. ^ Stack, Tim (May 19, 2017). "How the 2016 Election Affected Katy Perry and Her New Album". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on December 1, 2022. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
  14. ^ "Katy Perry's 'Witness' Fails as 'Purposeful Pop,' But Succeeds as Future Pop". Billboard. June 13, 2017. Archived from the original on June 16, 2017. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  15. ^ a b c Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (June 8, 2017). "Witness – Katy Perry". AllMusic. Archived from the original on June 9, 2017. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
  16. ^ a b c Zaleski, Annie (June 9, 2017). "Katy Perry runs away from her strengths on the pop slog Witness". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on June 9, 2017. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
  17. ^ "Katy Perry hoped her new album would be her own Lemonade... but it's more home-brand cola". Herald Sun. June 8, 2017. Archived from the original on June 13, 2017. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
  18. ^ a b c d Weingarten, Christopher R. (June 9, 2017). "Review: Katy Perry Navigates a Less Bombastic Pop Universe on 'Witness'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 9, 2017. Retrieved June 9, 2017.
  19. ^ a b c Cinquemani, Sal (June 8, 2017). "Katy Perry: Witness". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on June 21, 2017. Retrieved June 9, 2017.
  20. ^ "Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj Score with 'Swish Swish': Listen". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 20, 2017. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  21. ^ a b c O'Donnell, Kevin (June 8, 2017). "Katy Perry Is Reflective, Anxious, and Fired Up On 'Witness': EW Review". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on June 8, 2017. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
  22. ^ Wass, Mike (June 9, 2017). "Katy Perry's 'Witness': Album Review". Idolator. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  23. ^ a b Mapes, Jillian (June 8, 2017). "Katy Perry: Witness". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on September 2, 2017. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
  24. ^ Calvario, Liz. "Katy Perry Says Her New Single 'Swish Swish' Is an 'Anthem' Against Bullies". Entertainment Tonight. Archived from the original on June 25, 2017. Retrieved May 22, 2017.
  25. ^ "Katy Perry - Witness Limited 2XLP". Urban Outfitters Official Webstore. Archived from the original on August 9, 2017. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  26. ^ Cirisano, Tatiana (December 27, 2017). "25 Best & Worst Album Covers of 2017". Billboard. Retrieved May 22, 2022.
  27. ^ Shaw, Lucas (February 10, 2017). "Spotify Befriends Katy Perry in Quest to Win Artists' Favor". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on March 1, 2017. Retrieved March 1, 2017.
  28. ^ Wright, Hayden (May 15, 2017). "Katy Perry Unveils Album Title, Announces North American Tour". CBS Radio. Archived from the original on May 15, 2017. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
  29. ^ Roth, Madeline (August 17, 2017). "Katy Perry Has Good News And Bad News About Her Witness Tour". MTV News. Archived from the original on August 17, 2017. Retrieved August 18, 2017.
  30. ^ "New Album, 'Witness', and North American Arena Tour". KatyPerry.com. May 15, 2017. Archived from the original on May 15, 2017. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
  31. ^ Dresdale, Andrea (June 2, 2017). "Katy Perry releases "Witness" track list, will host "WILD countdown" to album on YouTube". ABC News. Archived from the original on June 11, 2017. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
  32. ^ Seemayer, Zach (June 8, 2017). "Katy Perry Previews New Album 'Witness,' Goes Live on YouTube in 'Big Brother'-Style House". Yahoo! News. Archived from the original on August 18, 2017. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
  33. ^ Stutz, Colin (June 9, 2017). "Katy Perry YouTube Live Stream Wraps Monday With Live Concert; James Corden, Sia & More Guests to Pop In". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 10, 2017. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
  34. ^ a b Tom, Lauren (April 26, 2017). "Katy Perry Unveils 'Bon Appetit' Single Art, Release Date & Migos Feature". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 27, 2017. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  35. ^ Perry, Katy. "Chained to the Rhythm (feat. Skip Marley) – Single". iTunes Store. Archived from the original on February 14, 2017. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
  36. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. April 7, 2017. Archived from the original on April 26, 2017. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  37. ^ a b c "Katy Perry – Chart history: The Hot 100". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 29, 2014. Retrieved June 26, 2014.
  38. ^ a b "Katy Perry – Chart history: Billboard Canadian Hot 100". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 29, 2014. Retrieved June 26, 2014.
  39. ^ "Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj Score with 'Swish Swish': Listen". Billboard. May 19, 2017. Archived from the original on May 20, 2017. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
  40. ^ "Witness by Katy Perry reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Archived from the original on July 14, 2017. Retrieved July 7, 2017.
  41. ^ a b "Witness by Katy Perry". Metacritic. Retrieved August 22, 2020.
  42. ^ a b Graves, Wren (June 6, 2017). "Album Review: Katy Perry – Witness". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on August 14, 2017. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
  43. ^ a b McCormick, Neil (June 9, 2017). "This is pop that is not fit for purpose – Katy Perry, Witness, review". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on June 9, 2017. Retrieved June 9, 2017.
  44. ^ a b Davies, Hannah J. (June 8, 2017). "Katy Perry: Witness review – edgy, new-look Perry keeps melodic flair". The Guardian. Archived from the original on August 26, 2017. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
  45. ^ a b Cooper, Leonie (June 9, 2017). "Katy Perry – 'Witness' Review". NME. Archived from the original on August 1, 2017. Retrieved June 9, 2017.
  46. ^ King, Noel; Whitley-Berry, Victoria (August 27, 2020). "Katy Perry On Expanding And Reframing Herself On 'Smile'". NPR. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
  47. ^ Hendricks, Jaclyn (July 18, 2018). "Katy Perry suffered 'situational depression' after critics savaged Witness album". News.com.au. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
  48. ^ McDermott, Maeve (June 7, 2017). "Katy Perry's 'Witness' is a fine breakup album. Why didn't she just say so?". USA Today. Archived from the original on August 5, 2017. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
  49. ^ Wass, Mike (June 9, 2017). "Katy Perry's 'Witness': Album Review". Idolator. Archived from the original on August 29, 2017. Retrieved June 11, 2017.
  50. ^ Gill, Andy (June 7, 2017). "Album reviews: Sufjan Stevens, London Grammar, Katy Perry, and more". The Independent. Archived from the original on June 7, 2017. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  51. ^ Wood, Mikael (June 7, 2017). "Review Katy Perry is a woman of many minds on 'Witness'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on June 7, 2017. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
  52. ^ Sargent, Jordan (June 9, 2017). "Review: Katy Perry's Witness Has the Inherent Appeal of Spectacular Failure". Spin. Archived from the original on June 10, 2017. Retrieved June 11, 2017.
  53. ^ Willman, Chris (June 8, 2017). "Album Review: Katy Perry's 'Witness'". Variety. Archived from the original on June 9, 2017. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
  54. ^ "Drowned in Sound's Favourite Albums of 2017". Drowned in Sound. November 22, 2017. Archived from the original on November 23, 2017. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
  55. ^ Caulfield, Keith (June 18, 2017). "Katy Perry Scores Third No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart With 'Witness'". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 19, 2017. Retrieved June 18, 2017.
  56. ^ Caulfield, Keith (June 30, 2017). "Billboard 200 Chart Moves: 2Pac Returns to Top 40 After More Than 10 Years". Yahoo! Music. Archived from the original on June 30, 2017. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  57. ^ Caulfield, Keith. "2017 Summer Music Report Card: Kendrick Lamar, 'Despacito' & Bruno Mars Ruled". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 13, 2017. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
  58. ^ a b Trust, Gary (August 28, 2020). "Ask Billboard: Katy Perry's Career Bests, From 'One of the Boys' to 'Smile,' & Every Hot 100 'Idol' Top 10". Billboard. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  59. ^ "On The Charts: June 19, 2017". FYIMusicNews. Archived from the original on June 22, 2017. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  60. ^ "Canadian Albums". Billboard. July 8, 2017. Archived from the original on November 12, 2017. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
  61. ^ a b "Canadian album certifications – Katy Perry – Witness". Music Canada. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  62. ^ "Top 100 Albumes — Semana 24: del 09.06.2017 al 15.06.2017" (in Spanish). Productores de Música de España. Archived from the original on June 27, 2017. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
  63. ^ "Top 100 Albumes — Semana 25: del 16.06.2017 al 22.06.2017" (in Spanish). Productores de Música de España. Archived from the original on August 7, 2017. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
  64. ^ a b "Charts.nz – Katy Perry – Witness". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  65. ^ Adams, Cameron (June 18, 2017). "Katy Perry's Witness misses out on third consecutive No. 1 album spot in Australia". News.com.au. Archived from the original on June 19, 2017. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  66. ^ Adams, Cameron (June 25, 2017). "Lorde succeeds where Katy Perry failed by knocking Ed Sheeran off the top of the ARIA album chart". News.com.au. Archived from the original on June 25, 2017. Retrieved June 26, 2017.
  67. ^ a b "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2017 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved December 11, 2017.
  68. ^ "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2017-06-19". Oricon. Archived from the original on June 14, 2017. Retrieved August 15, 2017.
  69. ^ a b "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2017-06-26" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
  70. ^ White, Jack (June 16, 2017). "London Grammar scoop first Number 1 album: "This really isn't something we ever expected to achieve"". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on June 19, 2017. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  71. ^ Jones, Alan (June 16, 2017). "Official Charts Analysis: London Grammar enter at No.1". Music Week. Archived from the original on June 22, 2017. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
  72. ^ a b Halperin, Shirley (January 12, 2018). "Capitol's Steve Barnett on Five Years at the Tower, 'Plan' for Katy Perry, 'Beloved' Niall Horan". Variety. Archived from the original on January 12, 2018. Retrieved January 13, 2018.
  73. ^ "Witness by Katy Perry on Apple Music" (Credits can be obtained from the songs once added to the iTunes library). iTunes Store. Archived from the original on June 16, 2017. Retrieved June 3, 2017.
  74. ^ "Katy Perry - Witness (Target Exclusive)". Target Corporation. Archived from the original on August 28, 2017. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  75. ^ "Witness Exclusive Deluxe CD". Katy Perry. Archived from the original on June 2, 2017. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
  76. ^ "Witness - PK Eksklusiv". Platekompaniet Norge. Archived from the original on August 28, 2017. Retrieved August 28, 2017.
  77. ^ "ケイティ・ペリー、新作『ウィットネス』の日本盤トラックリストが明らかに | NME Japan". NME.jp (in Japanese). Archived from the original on June 19, 2017. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  78. ^ "Witness (Deluxe Edition) KATY PERRY | JB Hi-Fi". JB Hi-Fi. Archived from the original on March 12, 2018. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
  79. ^ "CDJapan : Witness (Deluxe Edition) [w/ DVD, Limited Edition]". CDJapan. Archived from the original on June 17, 2017. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  80. ^ Katy Perry (2017). Witness (Media notes). Capitol Records. 00602557740905.
  81. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Katy Perry – Witness". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
  82. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Katy Perry – Witness" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
  83. ^ "Ultratop.be – Katy Perry – Witness" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  84. ^ "Ultratop.be – Katy Perry – Witness" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  85. ^ "Katy Perry Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  86. ^ "Czech Albums – Top 100". ČNS IFPI. Note: On the chart page, select 24.Týden 2017 on the field besides the words "CZ – ALBUMS – TOP 100" to retrieve the correct chart. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
  87. ^ "Danishcharts.dk – Katy Perry – Witness". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
  88. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Katy Perry – Witness" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  89. ^ "Katy Perry: Witness" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved June 18, 2017.
  90. ^ "Le Top de la semaine : Top Albums – SNEP (Week 24, 2017)". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
  91. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Katy Perry – Witness" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  92. ^ "Official IFPI Charts – Top-75 Albums Sales Chart (Week: 26/2017)". IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on July 10, 2017. Retrieved October 23, 2017.
  93. ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2017. 24. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
  94. ^ "Irish Albums Chart: 16 June 2017". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
  95. ^ "Italiancharts.com – Katy Perry – Witness". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
  96. ^ "週間 洋楽アルバムランキング" (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on June 24, 2017. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
  97. ^ "Top Album - Semanal (del 09 de Junio al 15 de Junio)" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Archived from the original on July 11, 2017. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  98. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Katy Perry – Witness". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
  99. ^ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
  100. ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – Katy Perry – Witness". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
  101. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
  102. ^ "Slovak Albums – Top 100" (in Slovak). ČNS IFPI. Archived from the original on January 14, 2016. Retrieved June 29, 2017. Note: On the chart page, select 201724 on the field besides the word "Zobrazit", and then click over the word to retrieve the correct chart data
  103. ^ "South Korea Circle Album Chart". On the page, select "2017.06.04~2017.06.10" to obtain the corresponding chart. Circle Chart Retrieved June 13, 2017.
  104. ^ "South Korea Circle International Album Chart". On the page, select "2017.06.04~2017.06.10" to obtain the corresponding chart. Circle Chart Retrieved June 13, 2017.
  105. ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Katy Perry – Witness". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
  106. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Katy Perry – Witness". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  107. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Katy Perry – Witness". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
  108. ^ "Katy Perry | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
  109. ^ "Katy Perry Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  110. ^ "Ventas físicas mensual – 2017 Junio" (in Spanish). Argentine Chamber of Phonograms and Videograms Producers. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
  111. ^ "ARIA End of Year Albums 2017". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on January 6, 2018. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
  112. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 2017 – Albums". Ultratop. Archived from the original on December 22, 2017. Retrieved January 13, 2018.
  113. ^ "Rapports Annuels 2017 – Albums". Ultratop. Archived from the original on December 22, 2017. Retrieved January 13, 2018.
  114. ^ "Top Canadian Albums – Year-End 2017". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 24, 2017. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
  115. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 2017". Hung Medien. Archived from the original on December 23, 2017. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  116. ^ "Classifiche annuali dei dischi più venduti e dei singoli più scaricati nel 2017" (in Italian). FIMI. Archived from the original (Click on "Scarica allegato" and open the "Classifica annuale 2017 Album combined" file) on January 8, 2018. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
  117. ^ "Los más vendidos 2017" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Archived from the original on February 4, 2018. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
  118. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2017". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 24, 2017. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  119. ^ "Austrian album certifications – Katy Perry – Witness" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved October 3, 2017.
  120. ^ "Danish album certifications – Katy Perry – Witness". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
  121. ^ "French album certifications – Katy Perry – Witness" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved December 6, 2017.
  122. ^ "Katy Perry's Witness receives triple platinum certification in India". Archived from the original on October 28, 2023. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
  123. ^ "Standards - IMI". Indian Music Industry (IMI). Retrieved April 3, 2024.
  124. ^ "Italian album certifications – Katy Perry – Witness" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  125. ^ "Certificaciones" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Retrieved September 18, 2019. Type Katy Perry in the box under the ARTISTA column heading and Witness in the box under the TÍTULO column heading.
  126. ^ "Dutch album certifications – Katy Perry – Witness" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved August 4, 2018. Enter Witness in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 2018 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
  127. ^ "Norwegian album certifications – Katy Perry – Witness" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
  128. ^ "OLiS - oficjalna lista wyróżnień" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved May 10, 2023. Click "TYTUŁ" and enter Witness in the search box.
  129. ^ "British album certifications – Katy Perry – Witness". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  130. ^ "American album certifications – Katy Perry – Witness". Recording Industry Association of America.
  131. ^ "Witness". Amazon. June 9, 2017. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
  132. ^ "Witness [VINYL]". Amazon UK. Retrieved June 22, 2017.