2020 AMAs: Katy Perry sings hymn ‘As the Deer’ in first performance after baby
Pop star Katy Perry delivered a moving rendition of the popular hymn “As the Deer” along with her single "Only Love" in her first performance since giving birth to her first child, Daisy Dove.
The artist performed the worship song and her single at the 2020 American Music Awards Sunday night and was joined by former Hootie & the Blowfish frontman turned country soloist Darius Rucker.
"As the Deer" is a well-known praise song written by Martin J. Nystrom in 1984, and has now become a classic. The song is based on Psalm 42:1, which reads, “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God."
Get Our Latest News for FREE
“You alone are my heart’s desire/And I long to worship You,” Perry belted out during the performance.
Ahead of the awards show, the singer took to Instagram to reveal that her performance was a tribute to her dad. "Tonight's @amas performance is for my father," Perry, whose parents, Mary and Keith Hudson, are traveling Pentecostal ministers and who started her singing career as a Christian artist, wrote alongside a photo of her father holding her as a baby.
She also shared in a previous post that her duet came about after attending church. “Went back to church, met a new friend @dariusrucker and found #OnlyLove,” she wrote.
In September, Perry talked about her relationship with her parents and her current belief system in an interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe.
“Relationships with your parents change inevitably, doesn't matter who you are, what amount of success you have or don't, it shifts as your parents get older, you become a little bit more of the parent," Perry said.
“I guess I had to make a choice a while back, I had to agree to disagree with my parents or not have parents."
She called herself “a complete seeker of anything faith-based, of God, a lot of different religions."
Also at the AMAs, multi-platinum selling artist Lauren Daigle took home the award for Favorite Artist – Contemporary Inspiration for the fourth consecutive time. She is now officially tied for the greatest number of wins in this category.
“Wow, I am amazed and so incredibly honored to be taking home this award. Knowing that this was voted on by the fans makes it even more meaningful,” Daigle said of her win in a statement.
