Katy Perry shocks straight out the gate with astounding song choice as she kicks of AFL Grand Final headlining show

Katy Perry shocked straight out the gates with an outstanding song choice as she kicked off her AFL Grand Final performance at the MCG on Saturday. 

The US popstar, 39, took to the stage in front of 100,000 AFL fans as she headlined the pregame show ahead of the Brisbane Lions vs Sydney Swans showdown.

However, she stunned fans almost immediately as she kicked off her five-song set with her smash hit Roar, despite it being widely theorised she wouldn’t play the hit.

There had been feverish speculation that the song had been blacklisted because it would show supposed bias to the Brisbane Lions.

But Perry threw caution to wind by performing the song some fans consider the unofficial anthem of the underdogs.

Katy had previously given credence to the rumours as she admitted she had been told to cut her song out of her setlist because it wasn’t ‘fair’.

‘Oh the Lions! I have to cut my song Roar out of the set because it’s not fair. That’s what everybody says,’ she said on The Fox’s Fifi, Fev, and Nick earlier this year.

‘No, you have to play it!’ said host Brendan Fevola. ‘Because you were booked in way before Brisbane made it,’ with Katy then agreeing. 

Before she took to the stage, Katy’s AFL headlining gig sparked controversy among Aussies when her multi-million payday was revealed.

The Firework hitmaker reportedly made a massive $5million to perform just five songs at the MCG, with local musicians sharing their surprise at the huge figure.

One Melbourne artist took to Facebook to slam the AFL for dropping millions on international talent while local musicians struggle to get gigs.

Australia’s live music industry has also struggled to stay afloat in recent years, with several massive local festivals being forced to cancel due to low ticket sales. 

‘Just heard on the radio Katy Perry is getting $5million for 5 songs at tomorrow AFL gf [sic],’ one local singer wrote in a post he shared with his followers.

‘Surely with the state of the music industry in this country that money could have been better spent.

‘All Australian line up with outdoor stage with local acts, promoting the best of Melbourne music scene? I get the start factor but 5million bucks for five songs?’

Followers flocked to the musician’s comments to agree, with some saying hiring the international pop star for the AFL Grand Final was ‘not great value for money’. 

‘Maybe get a name that is already in the country to do a song or two. It is a massive amount of money,’ they added.

‘Absolutely stupid,’ someone else wrote, as another agreed: ‘Something’s gotta change. That is insane!’

While many bemoaned the Aussie dollars going towards Katy for her upcoming performance, there were some who disagreed.

‘Well, she’s probably paying her own sound team and all the other things like insurance and super per person on the line up,’ one person commented. 

Katy was reportedly hoping her AFL show would ‘revive’ her ‘faltering’ pop career and help promote her new album 143, which has been met with divisive reviews.

Another wrote: ‘No Australian act has the profile and appeal. I have tried to think of one and I cannot. Every legendary act is too old now.’

And another user pointed out that the AFL Grand Final is broadcast in many other countries, not just Australia, so it would need to appeal to a wider audience.

Katy was said to have been hopeful to perform several songs from her new album to the crowd, in an attempt to promote the LP, which was savaged by critics.

However, AFL heads were said to have quickly knocked back the suggestion and told Perry to stick to her well-known hits from her previous album Teenage Dream.

Channel Nine reporter Tom Morris claimed AFL big wigs told the hitmaker they expected her to perform her older hits, such as Firework and I Kissed A Girl.

Appearing on SEN Breakfast ahead of her show, the veteran AFL journalist claimed they reached a compromise, with Katy limited to playing just one new song.

Her long-awaited seventh studio album 143, which references the expression ‘I love you’, didn’t get off to a good start with music critics as it received lukewarm reviews.

One damning review of her first album in four years from a top entertainment outlet declared that Katy ‘struggles to reclaim past glory on the flat 143’. 

Meanwhile, The Guardian gave it two out of five stars saying the album ‘isn’t the calamity expected – but it isn’t good, either.’ 

One review called out the final track Wonder as the ‘worst’ song on the album, writing it’s a ‘cynical attempt to have moms in the audience wave their hands in unison as balloons float up, even as it decries cynicism’.

The Independent also gave it two stars and said it was ‘painfully dated and glaringly out of touch.’

Much of the criticism even before the album was released was down to Katy’s decision to work with her old music producer Dr. Luke, who settled his longstanding sexual harassment lawsuit with Kesha last year – which he vehemently denied. 

Despite the critical mauling, Katy has found some favorable reviews from fans on social media while she also performed on the 2024 MTV VMAs stage.