Katy Perry went back to her Christian roots for her performance at the American Music Awards (AMAs) on Monday.
The popstar was joined on stage by country music star Darius Rucker to sing their duet ‘Only love’, but she began the performance with a verse from the popular hymn ‘As the deer’.
The hymn is based on Psalm 42:1: “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God.”
Before taking the stage Perry posted a photo on Instagram of her when she was a baby with her dad giving her a kiss. She captioned the post: "tonight’s @amas performance is for my father.”
In promoting her performance she also posted on Instagram: “Went back to church, met a new friend @dariusrucker and found #OnlyLove ♥️”
Perry’s parents are pastors and started their daughter’s career as a Christian artist. When Perry was 15-years-old to pursue her music career and got her big break in 2008 with the song I Kissed a Girl.
In a 2018 interview with Vogue Magazine she said: "My mum has prayed for me my entire life, hoping I'd come back to God. I never left Him, I was just a little bit secular, I was more materialistic and more career-driven," she said.
"But now that I'm in my 30s, it's more about spirituality and heart wholeness."
