Katy Perry Reveals She Lost Her ‘Roar’ and Announces New Single Ahead of Rock in Rio Lisbon 2026

At Rock in Rio Lisbon last night (July 20), Katy Perry headlined the festival, performing her new track “Watch It Burn” and openly discussing how she “lost her roar” during a challenging year in 2025.

Dressed in the same outfit she wore during the 2009 “Hello Katy” Tour in Lisbon, Perry told the audience: “Little did I know when I was wearing this outfit all those years ago that I would write a song called ‘Roar,’ and I’d sing it around the world for millions of people—and at some point, I would lose my own roar.” She then gave an emotional acoustic version of the 2013 hit.

Appearing to reference the harsh criticism she endured—including scathing reviews for her 2024 seventh studio album “143” and mockery over her participation in last year’s all‑female Blue Origin flight—Perry added: “Life goes in seasons. Sometimes you don’t want to get out of bed, and sometimes you can’t roar. The things people say about you can hurt because you’re not a robot; you’re a human being. That’s why we have to be kind, choose kindness—because you never know what someone’s going through, do you?”

She continued, “I’ll admit, I lost my roar for a little while; it was just a whisper. But as I’m about to release my next single next week—‘Watch It Burn’—I can tell you my roar is back.”

Scheduled for release on June 25, the rock‑inflected “Watch It Burn” was performed live for only the second time, after its debut at Spain’s O Son do Camiño on June 18, accompanied by an oversized prop‑match display.

Perry has said the track is about “giving myself permission to be angry” following a difficult year, with lyrics including: “You know I gave and I gave / Now I’m giving up, there’s nothing more you can take / Don’t wanna cause a scene, but give me the gasoline. Tonight’s the night, I light a match / Throw it hard behind my back / Gonna try to forgive and forget / Light a cigarette, and watch it burn.”

Rock in Rio Lisbon continues tonight with a lineup featuring Linkin Park, Cypress Hill, The Pretty Reckless, Grandson, and Kaiser Chiefs.

Katy Perry performed the following songs:

‘California Gurls’

‘Teenage Dream’

‘Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)’

‘Chained to the Rhythm’

‘Never Really Over’

‘Dark Horse’

‘E.T.’

‘Part of Me’

‘I’M HIS, HE’S MINE’

‘Enjoy your food’

‘bandaid’

‘Watch It Burn’

‘Heads Will Roll’

‘Legendary Lovers’

‘The One That Got Away’

‘Thinking of You’

‘Hot n Cold’

‘I Kissed a Girl’

‘Harleys in Hawaii’

‘ALL THE LOVE’

‘LIFETIMES’

‘Wide Awake’

‘Roar’

‘Firework’

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