Katy Perry releases '143,' her first new album since 'Smile'

Sept. 20 (UPI) -- Katy Perry's new album, 143, dropped on Friday.

"I don't know about you but 143, for me, is a message from my angels. It means 'I love you,' in some digital language," the 39-year-old music icon had previously said on social media. "But it's a symbol that I get and have received in some of my hardest moments and it was something that started coming to me about two and a half years ago."

The 11-track album is Perry's first since Smile, which dropped in 2020. It includes collaborations with 21 Savage, Kim Petras, JID and Doechii, who performed "I'm His, He's Mine" with Perry at the MTV Video Music Awards Sept. 11.

Perry was also the Video Vanguard Award recipient at the show.

"I've heard a lot of do this, don't do that, wear less, wear more now, don't cut your hair," she said. "One of the biggest reasons I'm standing here right now is I learned how to block out all the noise, that every single artist in this industry has to constantly fight against, especially women."

She added: "I just want to say with my whole heart, do whatever it takes to stay true to yourself and true to your art, turn off social media, safeguard your mental health, pause, touch grass, and do what you were born to do, just like I was born to do this."