Katy Perry Releases Single “Rise” Exclusively on Apple Music

Apple’s bet on exclusives for its music streaming service just got another boost: Katy Perry released her first single in two years on Apple Music. The single, titled “Rise”, is timed for the 2016 Olympics in Rio, and NBC Olympics has chosen to use it as an anthem in their coverage for the sports event.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly Katy Perry said:

“This is a song that’s been brewing inside me for years, that has finally come to the surface. I was inspired to finish it now, rather than save it for my next album, because now more than ever, there is a need for our world to unite,” the Grammy nominee said in a statement. “I know that together we can rise above the fear – in our country, and around the world. I can’t think of a better example than the Olympic athletes, as they gather in Rio with their strength and fearlessness, to remind us how we ALL can come together, with the resolve to be the best we can be. I hope this song can inspire us to heal, unite, and rise together. I am honored that NBC Olympics has chosen to use it as an anthem before and during the Rio Games.”

Katy Perry announced the release of her single on Twitter to her more than 90 million followers, topping Taylor Swift who has over 79 million.

TOGETHER WE #RISE https://t.co/wP3dnMEdAx

— KATY PERRY (@katyperry) July 15, 2016

As Apple Music’s head of original music content, Larry Jackson, told the Rolling Stone they plan to make the streaming service more appealing with exclusive content. Earlier this spring Apple started rolling out Apple Music commercials starring Taylor Swift. That was an interesting turn of events, because it was Taylor Swift who wrote an open letter to Apple which allegedly “helped” company execs change their mind over artist compensation during the trial period of the streaming service.