For the first time since 2013, Katy Perry has released a new song called "Rise" in time for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
According to the "Love Me" singer, she decided to debut the song to inspire people to unite.
The last time Perry released a single was in 2014, which was the "This Is How We Do" track for her 2013 Prism album. Since then, the award-winning artist has been relatively quiet in the music scene.
But on July 14, Perry officially debuted "Rise" on Apple's iTunes. According to Just Jared, the song is part of the singer's upcoming and yet-to-be titled fifth studio album, which does not have a release date yet. It was written with the help of Swedish songwriter Max Martin, who is known for collaborating with various artists including Taylor Swift, Maroon 5, Britney Spears and Pink. He also co-write Perry's hit "I Kissed a Girl."
TOGETHER WE #RISE https://t.co/wP3dnMEdAx
— KATY PERRY (@katyperry) July 15, 2016
As noted by Complex, the song will be used in NBC's coverage of the upcoming 2016 Rio Olympics, which is set to kick off on Aug. 5. Although the song will be part of her upcoming album, Perry said in a press release that she decided to release it now because of the current issues that the country is facing.
According to the artist, the song is meant to inspire listeners to overcome these issues by maintaining unity.
"This is a song that's been brewing inside me for years, that has finally come to the surface," she said in a statement according to Billboard. "I was inspired to finish it now, rather than save it for my next album, because now more than ever, there is a need for our world to unite."
"I know that together we can rise above the fear -- in our country, and around the world," Perry continued. "I can't think of a better example than the Olympic athletes, as they gather in Rio with their strength and fearlessness, to remind us how we all can come together, with the resolve to be the best we can be."
