Sassy and savvy, confident and feisty, bright and unpredictable, smart and multi-talented, sarcastic and sensitive, Katy Perry can be different but what is important is that she’s always sincere in everything she does. Katy Perry combines sass and spunk, the cheeky, club-ready pop music of Lily Allen with the commercial pop/rock of Avril Lavigne and Alanis Morissette adding provocative but humorous texts to get what we see topping chart lists everywhere – unique Katy Perry sound. “I don’t care who I’m compared to as long as people listen to the music,” Perry says. Her songs are reflection of her life experience and her emotions, it’s all in there. Love her or hate her, but put music first, that’s all Katy Perry wants.
Before she became famous
Katy Perry ( born Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson) was born October 25, 1984 in Santa Barbara, CA and grew up with an older sister and younger brother in her parents’ “evangelical, with a heavy Pentecostal flavor” ministry, visiting Christian school, Christian camp and going to church several times a week. Katy wasn’t allowed to listen to “secular music” as her mother put it, when she was a child. Katy’s growing up environment wasn’t typical of a future pop star. “It was kind of an island,” Katy said in her interview for Blender Magazine in October 2008. “We spoke in tongues. We knew there was this one way, and all the other ways were wrong.”
Katy started singing in early age and was singing practically everywhere. “My dad would give me ten dollars, which is a lot of money when you’re nine, to sing at church, on tables at restaurants, at family functions, just about anywhere,” she says.
When growing up, Katy wasn’t “a typical Christian”, mentioning that she had done “lots of bad things” during her adolescence. Katy began going out drinking when she hit her teens. “I started spending Sunday mornings crying and hung over. Because crying is what you do when you’re hung over. So my dad started telling me about when he was my age,” she said in the interview. He actually helped her put her life right, so now Katy is very protective of her parents’ beliefs though she doesn’t share them anymore.
It would have probably taken her much longer to start her musical career if Katy didn’t find a Queen cd at one of the slumber parties. “…and the heavens opened and saved me. From then on, they have been my biggest influence. Their musicality and lyrics were so flamboyant and real. I’d never heard anything like it.”
Among her other music influences Katy Perry names Beach Boys, Heart, Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon, Alanis, Imogen Heap, Gwen S, Rufus Wainwright and “anyone who is heavily influencable.”
Nevertheless, religious music was still a big part of Katy’s life and she even released Katy Hudson, a Christian album, in 2001.
Getting famous
Katy Perry moved to Los Angeles in 2003 right after graduating from high school and turning 18. She decided to pursue a musical career when she was 15. She spent some time in Nashville working with professional songwriters and doing her own first steps in songwriting.
At 17, Perry met legendary producer & songwriter Glen Ballard who helped her develop her talent. “I think people can appreciate a songwriter who shows different sides. The whole angst thing is cool, but if that’s all you’ve got, it’s just boring. Everything I write, whether it’s happy or sad, has a sense of humor to it,” Katy Perry once said.
In 2004 Perry cooperated with the record production team The Matrix who’d previously worked with Avril Lavigne, Hilary Duff, Korn, and other big names. Perry was to be one of the group’s two singers on the Matrix’s album that was due for release in 2005. Perry was writing songs with Glen Ballard, with some of them released on Perry’s official MySpace page. One of the tracks was included into the soundtrack of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005). The album has never been released but it became a launch pad for Katy Perry’s career. In 2004 she appeared in Blender’s write-up being called “The Next Big Thing!” while Teen People dubbed her “One to Watch.”
In 2006, Perry appeared on P.O.D.’s single, ‘Goodbye for Now’. Her songs could be heard on The Hills (‘Self Inflicted’, ‘Waking Up in Vegas’ and ‘Thinking of You’) , Fight Girls and Baby Mama (‘Fingerprints’) in 2008. She did cameos in the video for her boyfriend’s Gym Class Heroes’ ‘Cupid’s Chokehold,’ that has been viewed on YouTube more than 18 million times.
In 2007 she graced ads for Too-Faced Cosmetics’ Spring 2007 line.
Virgin Records CEO Jason Flom, who was the head of Capitol Music Group heard Perry’s songs and liked them, so she signed to Capitol Music Group in early 2007. “I’ve been through a lot of highs and a lot of lows in this business. Last year was tough. I’d write a check for my rent and next to it, I’d write, ‘Please, God, please.’ But I didn’t jump off the Hollywood sign. Everything always works out for the best,” Perry confessed.
Katy’s debut single with the new record company ‘UR So Gay’ generated some online buzz, and her next single from the One of The Boys album, ‘I Kissed a Girl,’ became a breakthrough single, topping the charts in 20 countries with One of the Boys peaking to top ten in America. To support the album that was released on June 17, 2008, Perry joined the Warped Tour that summer and appeared in an episode of The Young and the Restless.
Before hitting big, Katy Perry used to be the opening act for Mika, Puffy AmiYumi, and The Starting as well as having low key acoustic performances in Hotel Café in Hollywood.
“If Avril Lavigne were actually talented, pretty, and had an appealing personality, she’d be Katy Perry. She’s got the whole package!” celeb blogger Perez Hilton wrote of Perry on his website.
“I like to go big! I love pop music, I’m not ashamed, you know? A lot of people are like ‘Ugh, pop music.’ Or major record labels think it’s cool to be indie but my dream as a little girl was to be on the Grammys and to have my record be available to everyone in the whole world,” Katy said in her interview for JustJared.com.
International success
Katy Perry’s pop album One of The Boys has smashed charts in the US and the released singles have been topping charts all round the world. Katy Perry is definitely the IT! singer these days meaning she’s busy doing shows, touring in support of her album, and giving interviews. Perry stated once that it’s thanks to successful British singers Amy Winehouse and Lily Allen that more female artists are appearing on the charts. “Usually I find it funny to say I’m like a skinnier version of Lily Allen and a fatter version of Amy Winehouse. It always renders a good chuckle.”
Katy Perry reached the world pop stardom with her 2008 single ‘I Kissed a Girl’ which has become a worldwide hit topping the charts in more than 20 countries, including the UK, Canada, Australia, Ireland, and the United States, where it was the 1000th Billboard Hot 100 number 1.
Her second single ‘Hot N Cold’ released September 9, 2008 became Katy’s second top 5 hit in the USA, also reaching number 7 in the UK a month before its physical release, and as of November 2008 the video became the number 2 most viewed video premiere of all time on MySpace. Her album, One of the Boys, became gold in the US, while earlier ‘I Kissed a Girl’ became gold in Germany.
In 2008 Katy has made a series of TV appearances like on March 10, 2008 she appeared as herself on the ABC’s Wildfire (The Life’s Too Short episode), on June 12, 2008 she appeared as herself on The Young and the Restless and on MTV’s Total Request Live. One could also see her on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Last Call with Carson Daly, The View, The Howard Stern Show, So You Think You Can Dance, and others.
In October 2008 she graced the cover of Blender Magazine.
Perry performed at the MTV Latin America “Los Premios Awards”, sang Madonna’s ‘Like a Virgin’ at MTV VMA 2008 and hosted and performed at the MTV Europe Music Awards in Liverpool in November 2008.
The same month she performed at the Ondas Awards in Barcelona, dressed up as a flamenco dancer.
Katy also took part in the new Adidas promotional ad along David Beckham, Missy Elliot and other celebs to mark the company’s “60 Years of Soles and Stripes.”
On December 1, 2008 Katy Perry showed up at The Ellen Degeneres Show performing her top charts hit ‘Hot N Cold.’
Katy performed songs from her gold certified album One Of The Boys alongside Ludacris and 50 Cent at NBC’s New Year’s Eve with Carson Daly in NYC on December 31, 2008 and then headlined the New Year night performing live right before midnight at Gridlock New Years Eve Party at the Paramount Lot in Hollywood. “It’s gonna be really fun cause I love to party it up on New Years Eve,” Perry told Hollyscoop in early December. In her interview she added she’d already came up with her new year resolutions. “I try to want to be a vegetarian cause I know it would be more of a healthier option for me,” she told. “But I love chicken. I think I am just gonna try and be a healthier person and ya know think about my family more.”
In early 2009 Katy Perry went on her first international headline Hello Katy tour to support her debut record breaking album One of The Boys. The tour kicked off in Seattle on January 23, 2009 and will wrap up in her hometown Santa Barbara in early May. The shows will be held in such venues as The Fillmore in San Francisco, Irving Plaza in New York City, The Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles, The Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver, Canada, and The Elyseé Montmartre in Paris, France, hitting fifty cities around the world all in all. According to the source, Katy Perry will be joined by Alphabeat on the North American leg of the tour and 3Oh!3 (who she toured with in summer 2008 during the Warped Tour) for all European dates.
Katy Perry performed at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards singing ‘I Kissed A Girl.’ “It’s a little 1940s Folies Bergère/ Rockette [style],” Katy said of her performance. “It’s definitely not [like Britney Spears’ 2001 VMA performance of] ‘I’m a Slave 4 U’ or something like that. No anacondas on my neck.”
According to FHMonline’s annual world poll, Katy ranked # 10 among 100 Sexiest Women in the World 2009.
Perry’s ‘Hot N Cold’ and ‘I Kissed A Girl’ were ranked # 7 and 16, respectively, on the Top 50 Digital Songs of All Time list released in July 2009.
In September 2009 Katy Perry was a guest judge on American Idol final audition. And later she was honored to host 2009 MTV Europe Music Awards on November 5, 2009 for the second consecutive year. “I’m just going to be myself,” Katy said at the press conference the day before the show. “MTV asked me back because I have this no fear attitude. I don’t care if I do fall over or if a boob does fall out! I’m highlighting what God gave me. Using what your mama made!” “Last year I was all bright and fruity,” Katy added, “but now we’re in Berlin it’s going to be all sexy, dark and romantic with a cabaret undertone.”
On November 17, 2009 Katy released her MTV Unplugged album and DVD. The concert features acoustic and remixed versions of ‘I Kissed A Girl’ and ‘Waking Up in Vegas’ and two new songs – ‘Brick by Brick’ and a cover of Fountains of Wayne’s ‘Hackensack,’ which Perry said was her favorite.
On January 13, 2010 Katy was named a spokesperson for anti-acne medication Proactiv Solution. The 30 seconds to two minutes long ads featuring her, Avril Lavigne and Jenna Fischer (The Office) started airing in February 2010.
Albums
In 2001 Katy Perry released her debut self-titled Christian music album Katy Hudson. Later she dropped her family named and took her mother’s maiden name Perry in order not to be confused with actress Kate Hudson (Bride Wars).
ONE OF THE BOYS (2008)
The album was released on June 17, 2008. In its first week of release, One of The Boys debuted at number nine on the Billboard 200 albums chart in the United States. It was certifies gold in the US on September 22, 2008 selling 749,000+ copies worldwide. In summer 2008 Katy Perry went on Vans Warped Tour to promote the album.
While recording the album Katy Perry corroborated with such noted producers like Ballard (Alanis Morissette, No Doubt), Dave Stewart (Eurythmics), Dr. Luke (Kelly Clarkson, Avril Lavigne), Butch Walker (Pink, The Donnas), Sam Hollander & Dave Katz (Gym Class Heroes), Greg Wells (Mika, Natasha Bedingfield, Rufus Wainwright), and Max Martin (Britney Spears). Perry co-wrote every song on the album as well as writing three of the songs on her own.
The album was preceded by a digital EP, Ur So Gay, in late 2007. The video for the song premiered in early 2008. Madonna said in her interview on KISS FM that the song became her “favorite song right now.” ‘Ur So Gay’ has been criticized for alleged homophobia. “[Gay]’s not a negative connotation. It’s not ‘you’re so gay’, like ‘you’re so lame’, but the fact of the matter is that this boy should’ve been gay. I totally understand how it could be misconstrued or whatever… I wasn’t stereotyping anyone in particular, I was talking about ex-boyfriends,” Katy responded to the critical claims.
The single ‘Ur So Gay’ did not chart on the US hot 100, but it reached number 1 on the US Hot Dance Singles Sales, and number 2 on the US Hot Singles Sales.
Generally, One of The Boys was negatively received by critics with only Billboard Magazine stating that “a debut album [is] packed with potential hits.”
The first single, ‘I Kissed A Girl’ was released May 6, 2008 but it debuted on ITunes on April, 29. It debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 76, but it reached the top spot just two months later. Generally the song spent most of the summer at the number 1 spot becoming the hit in 20 countries. The single was number 1 for seven weeks that was equal to the record set by the Beatles. ‘I Kissed A Girl’ received five MTV VMA nominations.
The song brought a wave of controversy due to its explicit promotion of homosexuality. “Some people have taken ‘I Kissed A Girl’ the wrong way, but others seem to get the joke. In the UK, it’s been great. The British have a warped sense of humor, just like I do.” Katy Perry said. “I’m not trying to tell people to do things. I’m not campaigning. It’s a song about curiosity. It’s about something that a lot of girls have thought about, but probably not carried through.” “I have kissed a girl, but I’m not a lesbian. I have a boyfriend. I just didn’t want to sing another typical relationship song.”
The second single, ‘Hot N Cold,’ was released September 9, 2008. It reached number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 just nine days after the release. In a month it was number 5 on the Hot 100 becoming Perry’s second consecutive top 5 single.
The third single, ‘One of The Boys,’ was released November 3, 2008 debuting on an Australian radio show.
Video for ‘Thinking of You’ debuted on Christmas, and ‘Waking Up In Vegas’ was presented in April 2009.
In April 2009 Katy told MTV about her plans for the second album. “I definitely want to make a follow-up pop, fun record. I’m not looking to alienate my fans, but I can’t be that grown-up Shirley Temple girl wearing the stupid strawberry in her hair all the time … because I’d kill myself or someone else would for me,” she said. “So this record will be a very present record for me. It will be me now. It won’t take five years – hopefully. It will be Katy Perry as a young, 25-year-old woman.”
