Katy Perry is a seasoned vet when it comes to performing on Saturday Night Live! The 37-year-old pop star brought her A-Game to the stage for an epic first performance of song “When I’m Gone,” her collaboration with Alesso. The Santa Barbara native sizzled in a skintight red latex bodysuit paired with fringe chaps out of the same material for the performance on Saturday, Jan. 29. “When I’m gone I’m never really gone/You think you’re moving on/But it won’t be for long, you’ll see/When I’m gone I’m never really gone,” she crooned on stage over the catchy beat.
She performed on an epic stage set up seemingly inspired by the Super Mario Bros. video games, right down to dancing mushrooms (a key element in the game). A large screen filled with a changing colorful background was behind Katy and wrapped around both sides, totally covering up the usual Studio 8H stage.
The “Firework” singer’s SNL appearance coincides with her new Las Vegas Residency — dubbed “Play” — which kicked off at Resorts World on Dec. 29. The initial leg wrapped on Jan. 15, however, she returns for the second set of shows on March 2nd, followed by two other legs due to high demand. The show, which has been described as “camp,” draws on classic ’80s and ’90s films for inspiration such as Pee-wee’s Big Adventure and Honey, I Shrunk The Kids.
“The show that I’ve put together in Las Vegas is one of a kind. It’s the wildest, most fun and humorous show I’ve ever put together… I’m giving it my all,” Katy said to Interview magazine about her latest live show, which includes songs from her latest album Smile, as well as all her previous projects. “I’m 37, I’ve been doing my thing for over 12 years, and people are still showing up and giving love. I take nothing for granted, and it makes me really grateful. I wake up every day knowing that I still have to give it my all — even if I’m not feeling 100%. I shake it off and give them a show,” she added.
Katy made her first appearance on NBC’s sketch comedy series to support her career defining album Teenage Dream in 2010, when she performed both the title song and “California Gurls.” She subsequently hosted in 2011, followed by performances of “Roar” and “Walking On Air” in 2013. The Santa Barbara native was last booked back in 2017 for her controversial tune “Swish Swish,” which many thought to be a diss song aimed at Taylor Swift (the ladies have since made up, and Katy was in Taylor’s video for “You Need To Calm Down“).