Entertainment Music Pop Music Why Katy Perry's Forthcoming Album Is Called 143: 'It's My Symbol' "I really believe it was my angels, my guides, saying, 'I love you. We got you,'" said Perry about the angel number's significance By Ingrid Vasquez Ingrid Vasquez Ingrid Vasquez is a Digital News Writer at PEOPLE. She graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor in Journalism. Before joining the team, she worked as an Editor at FanSided and provided work in the celebrity and lifestyle space for brands that include Teen Vogue, Cosmopolitan, EW, and more. People Editorial Guidelines Published on July 11, 2024 07:00PM EDT Close Katy Perry's upcoming album may be her most personal one yet. A day after announcing that her highly anticipated forthcoming album, 143, will be released on Friday, Sept. 20, the pop superstar, 39, revealed the heartfelt meaning behind its title during a conversation with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1. "It's called 143. It's my angel number. It's my symbol, it's my sign," said Perry. "A couple years ago, we were going through a little bit of a hard time medically in our family, and it was a little bit scary, and I started seeing 143 in many different ways, not just on the phone." The 13-time Grammy-nominated artist said that while the experience was "trippy," finding out that the angel number is "like code for 'I love you'" gave her a sense of comfort. Katy Perry attends the "Diane von Furstenberg - Woman In Charge" Premiere at Silencio Des Pres in Paris on June 24, 2024. Julien Hekimian/Getty Katy Perry Celebrates Fourth of July with Tribute to 2010 Hit 'Firework' and Teases 'Woman's World' "I really believe it was my angels, my guides, saying, 'I love you. We got you. We're going to protect you. You're exactly where you're meant to be. You're on the path,'" the singer said. Perry added that it made her feel like she's "exactly where I'm meant to be at this moment" and wanted to share that with her fans. "I do love the listener, and I want to give them the love that I've received as best as I possibly can and help invite them into this kind of love frequency," she continued. Katy Perry "143" album cover. Jack Bridgland Katy Perry Scrubs Her Diamond Certification Awards While 'Housecleaning' Ahead of New Single 'Woman's World' In a press release shared with PEOPLE, the forthcoming album was described as a "sexy, fearless return to form." "I set out to create a bold, exuberant, celebratory dance-pop album with the symbolic 143 numerical expression of love as a throughline message," said Perry in a statement. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The former American Idol judge's new era was launched on Thursday with the release of the upbeat dance single “Woman’s World," featuring confidence-building lyrics such as "sexy, confident/so intelligent/she is heaven sent/so soft, so strong.”