Perry delivered an emotional performance of "Unconditionally," off her new album Prism, at the awards show. Shortly before her set, Katy teased to MTV News, "It's a challenging performance; it's unlike any of the performances I've done before," Perry told MTV News on the EMA red carpet. "It looks like I'm being abducted, basically ... and also there's a bit of a magic trick in it — I'm not getting sawed in half, I'll do that later — I'll be floating in space."
The singer rose out of a purple-lit stage, draped in a pink, purple and teal robe. In typical Perry style, however, it wasn't just a festive bathrobe. Dancers ringed the singer, rippling banners attached to the robe and wove them into a pattern beneath her.
Though Perry teased her performance on Twitter Sunday morning, saying that you "#dontneedtobehighforthis," get high she did: The singer was suspended high above the stage by the time her big reveal at the song's bridge came. She threw off the demure robe to reveal a sparkling get-up complete with black reflective jewels stuck to her chest and shoulders. High above the crowd, she stretched, radiating light in an effect some might even call prismatic. (Oh, hey, we see what she did there!)
That must have been what she meant when she tweeted that she would be "letting the LIGHT in & then making you SHINE!" during the performance.
Shortly after her performance, Perry, up for two awards, accepted the Best Female trophy, beating out such nominees as Lady Gaga and Miley Cyrus.