"I Kissed a Girl" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
Single by Katy Perry | ||||
from the album One of the Boys | ||||
Released | April 28, 2008 | |||
Studio |
| |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:00 | |||
Label | Capitol | |||
Songwriter(s) |
| |||
Producer(s) | ||||
Katy Perry singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"I Kissed a Girl" on YouTube |
"I Kissed a Girl" is the debut single by American singer Katy Perry. It was released on April 28, 2008, by Capitol Records as the lead single from her second studio album, One of the Boys (2008). Perry co-wrote the song with Max Martin, Cathy Dennis, and its producer Dr. Luke, with additional production from Benny Blanco. "I Kissed a Girl" is a pop-rock, electropop and new wave song with elements of disco and glam rock. Perry stated its lyrics are "about the magical beauty of a woman". The song sparked controversy for its handling of bi-curious themes, but in retrospect has been credited with increasing LGBT awareness in pop music. [2]
The song topped the US Billboard Hot 100 chart for seven consecutive weeks, becoming the 1,000th number-one song of the rock era. The single has sold 4.8 million units in the US alone. "I Kissed a Girl" is one of eight songs by Perry to sell over 4 million digital copies in the US, the others being "Hot n Cold", "California Gurls", "Teenage Dream", "Firework", "E.T.", "Dark Horse" and "Roar". It also topped the charts in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. It was the best-selling song of 2008 in Finland. The song has been certified multi-platinum in Australia, Canada, Denmark, the United Kingdom, and the US.
An accompanying music video for the song was released on May 16, 2008. The video, directed by Kinga Burza, features the singer in a setting inspired by burlesque and Moulin Rouge styles. It features appearances from Perry's friends, including actress Shannon Woodward and singer Kesha. The song is recognized as the 10th best-selling single in the 21st century. "I Kissed a Girl" was performed and a nominee at the 51st Grammy Awards (Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance). It was also nominated for Favorite Song at the 2009 Kids' Choice Awards. The song has been performed on all of her tours. It was also included in Perry's performance in Super Bowl XLIX's Pepsi Halftime Show in 2015.
According to Perry, "the chorus actually popped into my head when I woke up." Perry also said that it somewhat was from personal experience. "It was one of those moments where you hear artists talking about songs they get in dreams or in the middle of the night. I was like 'wow, what an interesting subject matter to kind of pop into the head' and I didn't do anything with it for about a year-and-a-half. Then all of a sudden at the very, very end of making my album, I literally had two days left in the recording studio with my producer, Dr Luke. We just said, 'we're gonna finish it—it's so catchy because it won't get out of our heads.'" [3]
Capitol A&R Chris Anokute told HitQuarters that the song and its controversial theme met with strong resistance at the label. "People said, 'This is never going to get played on the radio. How do we sell this? How's this going to be played in the Bible Belt?'" Anokute said that they needed the support of one of the label's radio promoters to convince people to believe in the record. Otherwise, Perry would have likely been dropped again. Dennis Reese, Capitol's senior vice president of promotions, saw the vision and helped push the single on national radio. The first station to pick it up and take a chance was 107.5 The River in Nashville. Rich Davis, then PD, was played the song by Joe Rainey of Capitol Records outside his favorite sushi spot in Nashville and immediately put it on the air. After playing it for three days, they were inundated with enthusiastic calls. [4]
"I Kissed a Girl" has a length of three minutes. The song is a pop rock, [6] [7] new wave, [8] and electropop, [9] [10] [11] track which runs through a throbbing beat [5] and an organic instrumental thump, according to About.com's Bill Lamb. [12] It features instrumentation provided by drums, guitars, and bass, courtesy of Dr. Luke. [12] [13] The song was produced by Dr. Luke, which was coordinated by Gary 'G' Silver and aided by American producer and songwriter Benny Blanco. There were a number of personnel who engineered the track for the album, including Emily Wright, Sam Holland, Nick Banns, Aniela Gottwald, Mike Caffrey, and Tina Kennedy. Kitty Purty assisted in the engineering while Tim Roberts assisted in the engineering for mix, which was done by John Hanes. The song was mixed by Serban Ghenea at his studio MixStar Studios in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Cathy Dennis was on background vocals while Dr. Luke and Benny Blanco were featured on drums and programming. Steven Wolf provided the live drums on the song while Mike Caffrey recorded and produced the drums at Monster Island in New York City. [13]
In an interview for The New Gay, Perry describes the song to be about girls. She defends the lyrics, saying that "When we're young, we're very touchy-feely. We have slumber party sing-a-longs, we make up dance routines in our pajamas. We're a lot more intimate in a friendship than guys can be. It's not perverse but just sweet..." [14] The song was partially inspired by Scarlett Johansson. [15] Perry also stated that the lyrics were inspired by her friendship with a girl as a teenager, commenting that "I did kiss her. I was totally obsessed with her. She was beautiful — porcelain skin, perfect lips." [16] While Perry has not explicitly revealed the main person behind the inspiration of the song, Miley Cyrus has claimed it was about her. [17]
In an interview with the German online web show MalcolmMusic, Macy Gray revealed that "I Kissed a Girl" was initially offered to her before Perry ended up releasing the song. [18]
The song is written in the key of A minor in 12
8 time with a tempo of 130 beats per minute. It follows a chord progression of Am-[Bdim-C]-Dm7-[F5-Em] in the verses, Am-C-Dm-[F-Em] in the choruses (except for the Dm chord being major in the third segment), and F-Em-Am-G in the bridge, which ends with an extra-Dm chord. Perry's vocals span from A3 to E5. [19]
Blogcritics magazine called it "an instantly catchy number." [20] About.com said, "fueled by an instrumental wallop provided courtesy of producer Dr. Luke, 'I Kissed a Girl' is the perfect breakthrough." [12] However, Rolling Stone magazine, while giving her album 2/5 stars, described the song as a "new wave-y club single", saying the supposedly rebellious "attention-grabbing" lyrics are "a vanilla recounting of her chick-on-chick exploits" and that this "acting out" is "just to get a dude's attention." [21] AllMusic praises "the stomping Gary Glitter beat" before criticizing the producers for turning it "into a leaden stumble and burying Perry's voice underneath Pro Tools overdubs so it all winds up as a faceless wash of sound designed to be placed in TV shows, movie trailers, and malls." [22]
Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine wrote that Perry's "lead single 'I Kissed a Girl' features a throbbing beat and an infectious, bi-curious hook, but its self-satisfied, in-your-face posturing rings phony in comparison to the expertly constructed ambiguities of 'Justify My Love' or practically anything in the first decade of Ani DiFranco's catalog; it's like a tween version of DiFranco's tortured bisexual confession 'Light of Some Kind'." [23] Hiponline.com wrote that the song is "not nearly as interesting or exciting as you'd expect. It's not even half as good as Jill Sobule's song 'I Kissed a Girl'." [24] Glitterati Gossip agreed Sobule's song "was ten times better, because there was actual emotional content to her lyrics." [25]
Sobule herself facetiously attacked Perry in an interview with The Rumpus in 2009:
When Katy Perry's version came out I started getting tons of inquiries about what I thought. Some folks (and protective friends) were angry, and wondered why she took my title and made it into this kind of "girls gone wild" thing....
As a musician I have always refrained from criticizing another artist. I was, "Well, good for her." It did bug me a little bit, however, when she said she came up with the idea for the title in a dream. In truth, she wrote it with a team of professional writers and was signed by the very same guy that signed me in 1995. I have not mentioned that in interviews as I don't want to sound bitter or petty... cause, that's not me.
Okay, maybe, if I really think about it, there were a few jealous and pissed-off moments. So here goes, for the first time in an interview: Fuck you, Katy Perry, you fucking stupid, maybe not good for the gays, title-thieving, haven't heard much else, so not quite sure if you're talented, fucking little slut.
Days later, Sobule explained in a Huffington Post article she penned, stating,
I thought maybe this time I would have fun with it and goof on what many of my fans were hoping to hear over the last year. I prefaced my reply with a wink, and then rambled on with a string of over the top dumb-ass profanities, purposely out of character and completely in jest ... I may be a touch cynical about the business, but I have never really been angry or had ill feelings towards Katy herself. I was actually in a small way happy to not be the "Kissed a Girl" girl anymore. [27]
The song received criticism from some members of the LGBT community, although it also had its staunch supporters. AllMusic concluded, "the problem is not with Katy's gender-bending, it's that her heart isn't in it; she's just using it to get her places, so she sinks to crass, craven depths." [22] Slant Magazine agreed, saying the song "isn't problematic because it promotes homosexuality, but because its appropriation of the gay lifestyle exists for the sole purpose of garnering attention — both from Perry's boyfriend and her audience." [23]
Adam Holz of PluggedinOnline, a division of Focus on the Family, wrote an article entitled "A Tale of Two Katys" [28] about the singer's image transformation from a Contemporary Christian music artist to one of the "girls gone wild." He criticizes the song for being the latest, "high-profile message to young women and men that our sexuality is a malleable commodity that can be reshaped at will." Holz also argues that Perry's message carries with it "no need to worry about who might get used or objectified in the process," causing Perry to live "down to a damaging, demeaning stereotype." After numerous reports that Perry's religious parents were against her music and career, she stated in August 2008, "They love and support me." [29]
Though the Toronto Star describes it as "a lesbian-friendly tune," [30] whether homophobia fuels negative reactions to the song or the song itself appears to divide critics. Slant and other critics [31] [32] suggest that Perry may be homophobic, especially given her single "Ur So Gay", which makes "I Kissed a Girl" seems like "a classic example of the 'Guys kissing is gross, girls kissing is hot' line of thought," which promotes hypersexualization of queer women and demonization of queer men. [33]
On the other hand, according to The Advocate , Perry claims she has heard countless stories of people opening their eyes to their own sexual desires because of the song. [34] Since the release of the song, she has been considered a strong and steadfast supporter of LGBT rights. Out described Katy Perry as a gay icon. [35] Perry dedicated the music video for "Firework" to the It Gets Better Project. [36] Perry was additionally awarded the National Equality Award by the Human Rights Campaign. [37]
When asked about her own sexuality, Perry told Santa Barbara magazine: "I like to kiss boys, but there is no doubt in my mind if Angelina Jolie or Gisele Bündchen came a callin', who wouldn't pucker up?" [38] Perry told The New Gay she had never actually kissed a girl. She said "Yeah, it's fantasy, it's a song about curiosity." [33]
At an annual fundraiser in 2008, she recalled: "I remember having a little crush when I was 15 on this girl who was a little bit older than me. She was my best friend at the time [but] I never kissed her or anything. In retrospect, she was my muse for that song." [39] When asked by OK! magazine about kissing a girl, she replied: "Of course. I think I was 19. I kissed a girl and it was great", she also added: "Growing up I had a friend who, looking back, I think I had an obsessive little crush on her. I never kissed her but she was very beautiful and she was like a ballerina and I wanted to copy everything she did. But I think that was kind of the extent of it." [40]
In a separate interview in 2010, Perry stated to a female interviewer that she has kissed several girls. [41] Perry later admitted to Vanity Fair in early May 2011 that the reason she did not discuss it honestly at first was that a couple of "sleazy" male journalists made her uncomfortable, she stated: "So I said no, I hadn't experienced it, even though I had, because I didn't like where the guys were taking the interviews." [42]
In February 2009, Márcio Barros, a substitute English language teacher in Distrito Federal, Brazil, public school was fired after he used the song in a class activity among students aged 12 to 14. He was accused of promoting "homosexualism" and alcoholic beverages through the lyrics. The Secretary of Education supported the decision of the head of the school. [43]
In a February 2018 online Glamour article, Perry expressed the following about her song:
"We've really changed, conversationally, in the past 10 years. We've come a long way. Bisexuality wasn't as talked about back then, or any type of fluidity. If I had to write that song again, I probably would make an edit on it. Lyrically, it has a couple of stereotypes in it. Your mind changes so much in 10 years, and you grow so much. What's true for you can evolve." [44]
"I Kissed a Girl" debuted at No. 76 on the US Billboard Hot 100. After a couple of weeks, the single hit the top five, due to the rising digital downloads and increasing radio airplay. It continued to rise the next week, reaching No. 2, just behind her labelmates, Coldplay. On the chart dated July 5, 2008, the song peaked at the summit of the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the 1,000th No. 1 song of the rock era (the 961st No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100). [45] In addition, the song also gave the Capitol label two consecutive Hot 100 No. 1 singles following Coldplay's "Viva la Vida", making it the first time since 1976 that Capitol had two back-to-back chart-toppers on the Hot 100. [46] The single also crossed over to Billboard's sister publication R&R's Rhythmic chart in its July 5 issue, where not only did she have the highest debut ever for a non-rhythmic track, entering at No. 26 with 1,065 spins, she also had the highest debut from a new artist in over five years. The bow is the best for a debut track at Rhythmic since Beyoncé entered at no. 21 with "Crazy in Love" in 2003. [47] [48] It also has become the first song since Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" to simultaneously appear on the Mainstream Top 40, Rhythmic, Adult Top 40, and Alternative charts. [49] On July 26, 2008, the track also made history by reaching the No. 1 spot on Billboard's Hot Dance Airplay chart by three weeks, a first for a solo act with a debut single. The song topped the Hot 100 for seven weeks in a row before being dethroned by Rihanna's "Disturbia". It was the second longest-running No. 1 on the Hot 100 of 2008 (tied with T.I.'s "Whatever You Like"), with only Flo Rida's "Low" topping the chart for longer. As of August 2020, the song has been certified sextuple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) [50] and sold 4.8 million copies in the United States. [51]
In the United Kingdom, the single debuted at No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart on August 3, 2008, ― for the week ending date August 9, 2008. A week later, it topped the chart, where it remained for five weeks (a feat which would not be matched again until "Someone like You" by Adele in 2011) until it was dethroned by "Sex on Fire" by Kings of Leon. [52] Alongside Basshunter's "Now You're Gone" and "Mercy" by Duffy, "I Kissed a Girl" spent more weeks at No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart than any other single in 2008. According to the Official Charts Company, the single has sold over 635,000 copies in Britain as of June 2010. It is the first Virgin label single to sell more than half a million copies since the Spice Girls' "Goodbye" in 1998. As of March 2012, the single had sold 654,560 copies in the United Kingdom, becoming her fourth-best-selling single there, behind "Firework", "Roar" and "California Gurls". [53]
In Canada, the single debuted at No. 55 on the Canadian Hot 100, later peaking at No. 1, becoming the first country where the song reached the top of the charts.
In New Zealand, the song debuted at No. 38 on the New Zealand Singles Chart, the single's first appearance in other countries chart outside North America, moving to No. 3 the following week. The song was certified Gold after seven weeks with sales of over 7,500. On August 11, 2008, eight weeks after debuting on the chart, "I Kissed a Girl" finally made it to No. 1. "I Kissed a Girl" was certified platinum in New Zealand after 20 weeks, selling more than 15,000 copies.
In Australia, the song debuted at No. 30 on downloads alone. The next week, it jumped to No. 2, still on downloads alone. It later jumped to No. 1 still solely off downloads, becoming only the second single to do so. On July 21, 2008, after the single's physical release, the track retained its No. 1 position and was certified Gold. The single held the No. 1 position for several weeks and was certified double platinum.
According to Perry, the song became a massive hit for being musically "catchy". She told BBC News: "I think that it's one of those subject matters that is, you know, like 'Oh my God I can't believe she said that, that someone came out and said it.' I think that, whenever anyone writes something that is different than, like, your plain peanut butter and jelly song, 'I love you, you love me,' everyone kind of perks up and says 'what's this?'" [3]
A music video for the song was released on May 16, 2008, on Perry's personal website and on Myspace. The video was directed by Kinga Burza and features a Moulin Rouge and burlesque-type setting with scenes of Perry, along with many other flamboyantly dressed women dancing to the song. Towards the end of the video, she wakes up next to a male companion, played by DJ Skeet Skeet. [54] Despite the song's title, there is no depiction of same-sex kissing at all. Perry features her real-life friend and DJ, Mia Moretti, Markus Molinari's cat Bella and Kesha in the music video. [55]
The song was listed at the ASCAP Pop Music Awards as one of 50 Most Performed Songs of 2008. [56] Other honors given to the song include the following:
Year | Organization | Award | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2008 | Los Premios MTV Latinoamérica | Song of the Year | Nominated | [57] |
MTV Europe Music Awards | Most Addictive Track | Nominated | [58] | |
MTV Video Music Awards | Best Art Direction | Nominated | [59] | |
Best Cinematography | Nominated | |||
Best Editing | Nominated | |||
Best Female Video | Nominated | |||
Best New Artist | Nominated | |||
Q Awards | Best Track | Nominated | [60] | |
The Record of the Year | The Record of the Year | Nominated | [61] | |
Teen Choice Awards | Choice Music: Summer Song | Nominated | [62] | |
2009 | Grammy Awards | Best Female Pop Vocal Performance | Nominated | [63] |
MTV Video Music Awards Japan | Best Pop Video | Won | ||
Best New Artist | Nominated | |||
MuchMusic Video Awards | UR Fave: International Artist | Nominated | [64] | |
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Song | Nominated | [65] | |
People's Choice Awards | Favorite Pop Song | Won | [66] |
A cover version by Barnicle entered the UK Singles Chart (published August 3, 2008) at position No. 116. [52] Perry's version was brought forward from a September 1 release to July 30, 2008. On August 3, 2008, the song, which had entered the UK Singles Chart at No. 139 the week before, [67] climbed to reach position No. 4. [52]
Cobra Starship recorded the parody "I Kissed a Boy" in summer 2008, subsequently included on the Fall Out Boy mixtape Welcome to the New Administration .
A chill indie pop cover by April Jai was released in August 2023.
The song is featured in the films Fiston, Blended, Boy Meets Girl and Pitch Perfect 2 along with the television shows Glee , Skins , The Hills , 20 to 1 , The Big Bang Theory , The Game , and RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars . [68]
|
|
Weekly charts | Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
|
}
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [161] | 7× Platinum | 490,000‡ |
Austria (IFPI Austria) [162] | Platinum | 30,000* |
Belgium (BEA) [163] | Gold | |
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [164] | 2× Platinum | 120,000‡ |
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [165] DMS | Platinum | 60,000* |
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [165] Jason Nevins Funkrokr Extended Mix | Platinum | 60,000* |
Canada (Music Canada) [166] | 7× Platinum | 280,000* |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [167] | 3× Platinum | 45,000^ |
Finland (Musiikkituottajat) [168] | Platinum | 14,072 [168] |
France (SNEP) [169] | Gold | 160,000 [170] |
Germany (BVMI) [171] | 5× Gold | 750,000‡ |
Italy | — | 25,000 [172] |
Italy (FIMI) [173] since 2009 | Platinum | 100,000‡ |
Norway (IFPI Norway) [174] | Platinum | 60,000‡ |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [175] | Platinum | 15,000* |
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [176] | Platinum | 20,000* |
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [177] since 2015 | Platinum | 60,000‡ |
Sweden (GLF) [178] | Platinum | 20,000^ |
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) [179] | Platinum | 30,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [180] | 2× Platinum | 706,000 [181] |
United States (RIAA) [50] | 6× Platinum | 4,800,000 [51] |
Ringtone | ||
Canada (Music Canada) [182] | 6× Platinum | 240,000* |
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [183] | Gold | 10,000* |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Version(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
United States | April 28, 2008 | Digital download | Original | Capitol | [184] |
Various | April 29, 2008 | [185] | |||
United States | May 13, 2008 | Contemporary hit radio | [186] | ||
June 23, 2008 | Rhythmic radio | [187] | |||
Various | July 19, 2008 | Digital EP | Various [lower-alpha 1] | [188] | |
August 1, 2008 |
| [189] | |||
Germany | CD | [190] | |||
France | August 25, 2008 | Original | [191] | ||
United Kingdom | September 1, 2008 | Virgin | [192] | ||
United States | September 30, 2008 | Capitol | [193] | ||
Various | Digital EP | Remixes | [194] | ||
Canada | November 11, 2020 | 12-inch | MTV Unplugged version | [195] | |
United States |
Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson, known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. Perry is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, having sold over 143 million units worldwide. She is known for her influence on pop music and her camp style, being dubbed the "Queen of Camp" by Vogue and Rolling Stone. With an estimated net worth of $500 million, Perry is one of the world's wealthiest musicians.
One of the Boys is the second studio album by American singer Katy Perry. It was released on June 17, 2008, by Capitol Records. She collaborated on the album with producers Greg Wells, Dr. Luke, Dave Stewart, Max Martin, and Ted Bruner among others, and wrote most of the songs in collaboration with other producers and writers. However, the title track, "Thinking of You", and "Mannequin" were all written by Perry alone. The EP Ur So Gay, containing the song of the same name, was released in 2007 to generate interest in the singer and the album.
"Disturbia" is a song recorded by Barbadian singer Rihanna for Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded (2008), a re-release of her third studio album Good Girl Gone Bad (2007). It was written by Andre Merritt, Chris Brown, Brian Kennedy and Rob. A!, with the production of the song helmed by Kennedy. The song was released as the third single from the reloaded edition of the album, and seventh overall. "Disturbia" was sent to US contemporary hit radio on June 17, 2008, and was released as a CD single in the United Kingdom on July 22, 2008.
"Hot n Cold" is a song by American singer Katy Perry. The song was written by Perry, Dr. Luke, and Max Martin and produced by Luke and Benny Blanco for her second studio album, One of the Boys (2008). It was released as the album's second single on September 9, 2008. The lyrics address an unstable romantic relationship caused by a partner's mood swings.
American singer Katy Perry has released six studio albums, seven extended plays (EP), 40 singles, and 11 promotional singles. According to Recording Industry Association of America, Perry has sold 121.5 million digital singles and 19 million albums in the United States. She is also the sixth best-selling digital singles artist in the United States. Throughout her career, Perry has sold 48 million album units and 135 million singles worldwide, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Billboard listed her as the fourth top female artist of the 2010s decade and the 61st greatest artist of all time. Perry has scored nine number one songs on Billboard Hot 100 and three number one albums on Billboard 200.
"Thinking of You" is a song written and recorded by American singer and songwriter Katy Perry from her second studio album, One of the Boys (2008). It was produced by Katy Perry and Butch Walker, and released on January 12, 2009, as the album's third single. "Thinking of You" deals with a break-up in which Perry does not want to move on but has no choice, and feels nostalgic of a previous lover while in a relationship with another man. Retrospectively, "Thinking of You" has been described as a favorite among her fans.
"Waking Up in Vegas" is a song by American singer Katy Perry, released as the fourth and final single from her second studio album, One of the Boys (2008). Perry wrote the song with Desmond Child and Andreas Carlsson, and Greg Wells produced it, who is also credited for playing all the instruments on the song. It was officially released to US radio stations on April 21, 2009. "Waking Up in Vegas" is a pop rock track about an underage couple getting drunk and blowing their money in Las Vegas, paying homage to the phrase "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas."
"If We Ever Meet Again" is a song by American producer Timbaland. It was released on December 1, 2009, as the fourth single from his third studio album Shock Value II (2009). The song features singer Katy Perry and served as the album's second worldwide single. Timbaland's brother Sebastian also has uncredited vocals at the end of the song. "If We Ever Meet Again" reached number one in the Czech Republic and New Zealand while peaking within the top 10 in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The song was later included on the deluxe edition of Perry's third studio album Teenage Dream.
"California Gurls" is a song recorded by American singer Katy Perry. It served as the lead single for her third studio album, Teenage Dream (2010). The song features verses from rapper Snoop Dogg. Both artists co-wrote the song with Bonnie McKee and its producers Dr. Luke, Benny Blanco, and Max Martin. According to Perry, "California Gurls" is an answer song to "Empire State of Mind" (2009), by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys. Its mid-tempo production incorporates disco-pop and funk-pop with influences of new wave and electropop. Its lyrics are an ode to the state of California, in which both Perry and Snoop Dogg were born and raised.
"Teenage Dream" is a song by American singer Katy Perry. It was released as the second single from her third studio album of the same name on July 23, 2010. This song was written by Perry, Bonnie McKee, Dr. Luke, Max Martin, and Benny Blanco. McKee describes "Teenage Dream" as a throwback song to the euphoric feelings of being in love as a teenager while Perry described the song as reminiscent of her youth. Musically, "Teenage Dream" is a mid-tempo pop song with a retro sound. It is styled in the genres of power pop and electropop, while taking influence from other genres such as disco and pop rock. Perry starts the song in a high-pitched voice while her vocals grow stronger as the song progresses. Lyrically, "Teenage Dream" discusses being with a lover who makes one feel young again.
"Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" is a song by American singer Katy Perry from her third studio album, Teenage Dream. The song was produced by Dr. Luke and Max Martin, who also co-wrote the song with Perry and Bonnie McKee. Perry stated that she was inspired to write the track after a night of wild partying and streaking. It was released as the album's fifth single on June 6, 2011, by Capitol Records, with a remix featuring American rapper Missy Elliott released to US radio stations and digital retailers on August 8, 2011; this version was included in Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection edition. It is a dance-pop song with lyrics about drunken fun and debauchery. Some of the risqué lyrics are often censored in radio versions of the song.
"Firework" is a song by American singer Katy Perry from her third studio album, Teenage Dream (2010). Perry co-wrote the song with Ester Dean and the song's producers Stargate and Sandy Vee. It is a dance-pop self-empowerment anthem with inspirational lyrics, and Perry felt it was an important song for her on the record. Capitol Records released it as the album's third single on October 26, 2010.
"E.T." is a song by American singer Katy Perry from her third studio album, Teenage Dream (2010). She co-wrote the song with its producers Dr. Luke, Max Martin, and Ammo. "E.T." was serviced to radio stations as the album's fourth single on February 11, 2011. One version of the song features verses from American rapper Kanye West, and that version was included on the reissue of the album, Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection. Musically, it is an electronic and hip hop ballad which draws heavily from dubstep and techno, along with smaller amounts of drum and bass. According to Perry, the song lyrically speaks of "falling in love with a foreigner".
"The One That Got Away" is a song by American singer-songwriter Katy Perry from her second studio album, Teenage Dream (2010). The song was produced by Dr. Luke and Max Martin, both of whom also co-wrote the song with Perry. The song is a mid-tempo pop ballad about a lost love. It features a reference to the rock band Radiohead, and compares the strength of the relationship to that of Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash. The song was released on September 30, 2011, by Capitol Records as the album's sixth single.
"Wide Awake" is a song by American singer Katy Perry from Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection. She co-wrote the song with Max Martin, Bonnie McKee, and its producers Dr. Luke and Cirkut. It was specifically written for Perry's autobiographical film Katy Perry: Part of Me. Capitol Records released the song onto radio stations on May 22, 2012. The track is a power ballad styled in dance-pop, and features lyrics about the reality of a break up and moving forward.
"I Kissed a Girl" is a song by American singer-songwriter Jill Sobule. The song, released on May 2, 1995, reached number 20 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, number 67 on the Billboard Hot 100, and number 36 on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart. In Canada, it debuted and peaked at number 15 on the newly established RPM Alternative 30 chart.
"Roar" is a song by American singer Katy Perry. It was released on August 10, 2013, by Capitol Records as the lead single from her fourth studio album, Prism (2013). Perry co-wrote the song with Bonnie McKee and its producers Dr. Luke, Max Martin, and Cirkut. It is a power pop song containing elements of arena rock and lyrics centering on standing up for oneself and self-empowerment.
"Dark Horse" is a song by American singer Katy Perry featuring American rapper Juicy J. It was originally released on September 17, 2013, by Capitol Records as the first promotional single from Perry's fourth studio album, Prism (2013). Three months later, it was released as the third official single on December 17. Both artists co-wrote the song with its producers, Max Martin, Cirkut, and Dr. Luke, alongside Sarah Hudson. It was conceived by Perry and Hudson during a writing session in Perry's hometown of Santa Barbara, California, and Juicy J was later commissioned for a verse on the song.
"Daisies" is a song by American singer Katy Perry. It was released on May 15, 2020, by Capitol Records as the lead single from her sixth studio album, Smile (2020). The song was serviced to US adult contemporary and pop radio formats on May 18 and June 9, 2020, respectively. She co-wrote the track with Jon Bellion, Jacob Kasher Hindlin, Michael Pollack, and its producers Jordan K. Johnson and Stefan Johnson of the Monsters & Strangerz. "Daisies" reached number four in Scotland and the top 20 in Croatia and Hungary as well as number 27 in Ireland.
The beat is the same kind of gleaming glam-rock stomp that Martin and his collaborators brought to Katy Perry's "I Kissed A Girl"...
...electro-pop-rock songs named "I Kissed a Girl" and "Ur So Gay."
Perry's breakthrough eventually came in 2008 with the bombastic electropop song I Kissed a Girl...
...the disco thump of hits like "I Kissed a Girl"...
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)