Smile

Katy Perry emerged from a three-year silence in August 2020 with Smile, a project designed to navigate personal growth and resilience. The album arrived via Capitol Records on August 28, serving as a deliberate shift toward hope after her 2017 release Witness. Perry framed the record as a "journey towards the light," blending high-energy dance-pop with intimate acoustic moments to explore self-empowerment.

The standard edition runs for 37 minutes and 40 seconds across 12 tracks. It opens with the previously released single "Never Really Over" and closes with "Champagne Problems." Lead single "Daisies" anchors the seventh position, while promotional cuts like "Harleys in Hawaii" circulated during the campaign without appearing on the primary listing. Production duties split among a diverse group including Zedd, Charlie Puth, Stargate, Oscar Görres, and Elvira Anderfjärd.

Commercial performance saw immediate traction with the album peaking at number 5 on the US Billboard 200. It also reached the top five in the United Kingdom and Australia. While critics praised Perry's sincere vocal delivery and uplifting message, some reviewers felt the production lacked the innovative edge of earlier hits like Teenage Dream. The record earned Platinum certifications in Canada and Norway despite mixed critical reception. [edit]