Did you have Katy Perry singing her hit 2010 single “Firework” in front of the Washington Monument on your 2021 bingo card? If so then cross off a box because that’s exactly how the primetime inauguration event Celebrating America hosted by Tom Hanks ended. Dressed in all white, the American Idol judge launched into an orchestral rendition of “Swish Swish” “Firework,” as President Biden and Dr. Biden watched on from the balcony of the White House and Vice-President Harris and Second Gentleman Emhoff watched from the Lincoln Memorial. Perry’s performance was truly explosive, as a massive fireworks display began about halfway through the song and continued well after she finished. With a fireworks budget that large, surely the White House has some money to send out some stimmys, right? In any case, Perry’s rendition of “Firework,” a song that came out well over a decade ago, ended the festivities with a literal bang and served as a reminder that 2021 is actually 2012 if you just rearrange the numbers.
