Miami, FL – Pop superstar Katy Perry brought the U.S. leg of her visually stunning ‘Lifetimes Tour’ to a close at the Kaseya Center on August 24, 2025, delivering a high-energy performance that blended new material from her latest album, 143, with a catalog of chart-topping hits. The grand finale in Miami capped a months-long North American journey that began in April, following Perry’s publicized trip to space, and solidified her return to the global touring stage after a seven-year hiatus. [3, 13, 22, 26]
Rebecca Black, a prominent voice in the hyperpop scene, set the tone for the evening with a dynamic opening set featuring tracks from her recently released project, Salvation. [3]
A Cinematic Journey Through the Cosmos
The ‘Lifetimes Tour’ has been widely characterized as a theatrical and futuristic spectacle, drawing audiences into a narrative set in a dystopian future where Perry’s character, a “half human, half machine,” embarks on a mission to liberate trapped butterflies and restore her planet. [13, 24, 27] The stage design itself was a marvel, shaped like an infinity sign, and featured elaborate animated videos projected onto multiple screens that guided the audience through Perry’s cosmic quest. [20, 24, 27]
Perry’s grand entrance in Miami was no exception, as she emerged from a massive spaceship on stage, adorned in an eye-catching costume described as an “intergalactic warrior and pop Barbie hybrid.” [3] Throughout the show, she showcased a series of metallic, space-themed outfits and frequently utilized aerial stunts, soaring above the audience and engaging in simulated battles with a lightsaber-style prop. [13, 27] Reviewers across the tour noted the ambitious visuals, from her flying atop giant butterflies while performing hits like “Roar” to simulating zero-gravity movements during “Nirvana” choreography. [27, 29]
Initial reception for the ‘Lifetimes Tour,’ which commenced on April 23, 2025, in Mexico City, was mixed, with some early critics pointing to “awkward choreography” and a “muddled story line.” [13, 26] However, as the tour progressed, many reviews highlighted Perry’s ability to exceed expectations, praising the “stunning, cinematic spectacle” and her genuine connection with the audience. [27] Fan engagement was a key component, with Perry inviting audience members dressed in astronaut suits onstage for selfies and incorporating a “Choose Your Own Adventure” segment where fans voted on a classic song to be performed. [13, 24, 31]
The Miami setlist reflected the tour’s balance of new and old, featuring tracks like “Artificial” and “Woman’s World” from 143, alongside enduring fan favorites such as “Chained to the Rhythm,” “Dark Horse,” “California Gurls,” “Teenage Dream,” “Hot n Cold,” “I Kissed a Girl,” and the empowering anthem “Firework.” [3, 17, 24, 26, 30, 31]
143: A Dance-Pop Declaration of Love
Perry’s seventh studio album, 143, released on September 20, 2024, served as the creative wellspring for much of the ‘Lifetimes Tour’s’ new material. [2, 4, 7] The album’s title itself carries a deeply personal meaning for Perry; “143” is a numerical shorthand for “I love you,” based on the letter count of each word, and also signifies her personal “angel number.” [2, 7, 25, 32]
Prior to its release, Perry described 143 as a “super high energy, super summer, very high BPM” dance album, brimming with “joy, love, [and] light,” and exploring themes of love, motherhood, and feminism. [2] The album boasts an array of collaborations, including 21 Savage on “Gimme Gimme,” Kim Petras on “Gorgeous,” Doechii on “I’m His, He’s Mine,” and JID on “Artificial.” [2, 4, 7] Early singles like “Woman’s World” and “Lifetimes” were premiered through various channels, including a medley performance at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards, where Perry also received the Video Vanguard Award. [2, 4]
While 143 saw mixed critical reviews, with some finding it “uninspired and forgettable” or “lacking personality,” others praised individual tracks for their sincere emotion, particularly “Wonder,” which even featured the auto-tuned voice of her daughter, Daisy. [12, 23, 28, 32] Despite varied critical opinions, the album resonated with many fans, offering a “return to form” in its celebratory dance-pop sound. [2, 4]
Rebecca Black’s Salvation: A Liberated Sound
Opening for Katy Perry in Miami was Rebecca Black, whose journey in the music industry has seen a significant evolution since her viral hit “Friday” in 2011. [3, 8, 9] Black’s latest project, Salvation, a seven-song album released independently on February 27, 2025, showcased her mature artistry and a bold embrace of the hyperpop genre. [3, 5, 6, 8]
Salvation delves into personal themes of self-discovery, navigating her experiences within the music industry, and exploring her queer identity in relation to her religious upbringing. [5, 6, 8, 9] Black described the project as a deliberate act of “letting some of the less-safe, less-poised, less-sweet versions of myself into my world,” signifying a more liberated approach to her music. [5, 9] The album, featuring singles such as the club-ready “Sugar Water Cyanide” and the assertive “Trust!,” garnered a mixed but largely positive reception. [5, 6, 8]
Critics applauded Salvation for its “daring energy,” “sonic evolution,” and its successful solidification of Black’s presence in the electronic and hyperpop landscape. [15, 16, 21] While some reviewers noted its brevity and occasional lack of depth, the consensus highlighted Black’s ambition and vision, marking a notable step forward in her artistic career. [10, 14, 16, 21]
The Enduring Power of Pop
Katy Perry’s ‘Lifetimes Tour’ and the accompanying 143 album, alongside Rebecca Black’s Salvation, collectively paint a picture of artists evolving and asserting their creative identities within the dynamic pop music landscape. The Miami finale of the ‘Lifetimes Tour’ not only served as a celebration of Perry’s enduring career and latest musical chapter but also as a testament to the power of live performance to create immersive, unforgettable experiences for fans.
