On the precipice of her brand new era, Katy Perry checked in with Audacy’s Bru to chat all about her upcoming performance plans, as well as receiving the Video Vanguard Award at the MTV VMAs, reflecting on everything she’s accomplished, and more.

By bidding adieu to her American Idol judging days, Katy has been able to make time and space for other things. "We're developing a big show. I'm going to be playing big, big shows on the album release on September 20 I'll be in Rio de Janeiro and playing Rock in Rio, and it's like over 100,000 people," Katy shared. "And then I get to go to Australia to play the Australian Football League game. It's kind of like the Super Bowl there, but their version of it.”

But before all that Katy will be attending the MTV VMAs to receive the Video Vanguard Award, revealing, “I get to just do a celebratory show,” where we’ll “get to hear the familiar songs and be introduced to some new ones.”

While Katy’s Vegas residency experience is great to have under her belt, the singer expressed how “totally different” it is than a tour, when it comes to coming up with creative concepts for the show. Explaining, “because with a tour show you have to move, you're on the go every single day. Vegas, you actually get to play with more toys and there's less restraints.”

“But… we’re trying, we're figuring some things out,” she continued. “I'm just excited to go out into the world again. It's been a minute… 2018 was my last tour. Then everything was on pause, and then I had my child and I was raising a whole human being very responsible for it, wanted to get it right. So far so good,” Katy jokingly added.

“I want to go tour and visit all of my fans who have come out so hard, and so supportive, and they have ridden so hard for me and, not to like be cheesy, but we have really loved each other for lifetimes,” Katy noted, plugging her latest single “LIFETIMES.”

“The truth is I’ve grown up with them and we've grown up together and we've kind of leaned on each other. I've seen photos of them when they're 13, and now 26, 28… It's amazing, they all have lives, families, some of them and it's so cute, it’s adorable and I really appreciate it. So I got to go give my love out and that's what I'm going to go do.”

For those of us, like Bru, who started listening to Katy in our formidable pre-teen/teenage years, we truly have grown up with her, and she’s grown up with us. Reflecting on what it’s like coming from her Warped Tour and “I Kissed a Girl” days to now receiving the Vanguard Award and reaching that icon status, Katy said, “I don't know… I mean, I still crowd surf… Look, I just, I’ve got some fun toys to play with now, and I’m very proud of everything I accomplished, and I really don't feel like I have anything to prove.”

“I’m creating from this abundance space and this artistic space… I said I always wanted to make a dance pop record, and so I feel like I've kind of checked that bucket list off for me. And there's a couple of records that I have in my mind that I still want to make, and I'll just go along that process if I get the opportunity to… This is a part of my purpose,” she went on to note, “this is a part of my vision for myself.”

Katy went on to talk about the calculated risk she took jumping 15-20 feet out of a helicopter in her “Woman’s World” music video. A risk, she revealed, her beau Orlando Bloom, wasn’t too keen on.

She also gabbed about her love and appreciation for lint rollers, and shared a special message to her fans listening, saying, “I just want to tell them I love them. I’m so excited to see them around the world. If you wanna have a fun dance party or if you want your spirits lifted, I think 143 will do the trick.”

Before closing out the convo, since she’ll no longer be guiding aspiring singers on American Idol, Bru asked Katy to offer up “advice to anyone” that wants to make it on the singing competition or just make it in music. To hear what she had to say and more, listen to Katy’s entire Check In above.

Words by Maia Kedem Interview by Bru