Katy Perry arrived at her New York City stop for her Lifetimes Tour and took the stage at Madison Square Garden on Monday, August 11.
The 40-year-old popstar performed to a sold-out stadium and addressed the backlash she has been facing.
The Teenage Dream hitmaker delivered a heartfelt speech to the crowd, saying, “They said, ‘No way! MSG, it couldn’t be done.’ And I was scared too.”
Perry then joked that she was “not talking about a sold-out show,” adding, “I’m talking about the fact that I ate a hot dog from the corner!”
She continued, “I rolled the dice yesterday, and I loved it. Give me a jumbo with the onions.”
The singer then began a love letter to New York City, calling it “special” and also a “beautiful hot mess.”
Perry said, “I rolled into New York, and it smelled like New York City. And you know what I’m talking about,” prompting the audience to laugh. “It was late at night. We got in from Philly, and there were drunk people vomiting on the same corner as people making out. That was New York City! And I loved it.”
She went on to say that “New York City represents life — the highs, the lows, the in-betweens, everything that is messy, everything that is beautiful, and it sure as hell is not perfect ’cause perfection is an illusion.”
The Dark Horse songstress has been facing backlash since she collaborated with Dr. Luke for her album, 143, after he was accused of serious crimes.
She then became a victim to more trolling after her Blue Origin space flight which was labelled as a PR stunt and an environmental hazard.