American singer Katy Perry has recorded songs for seven studio albums. After singing at church during her childhood, she decided to pursue a career in music in her teenage years. [1] She signed a record deal with Red Hill Records, and released a gospel album called Katy Hudson in 2001. [1] She wrote its songs "Last Call", "My Own Monster", "Spit", and "When There's Nothing Left" by herself while co-writing the remaining six with Mark Dickson, Scott Faircloff, Tommy Collier, and Brian White. [2] The album was unsuccessful and it failed to garner any attention. Red Hill Records shut down later that year. [1] Following two unsuccessful contracts with Island Def Jam Records and Columbia Records, whereby Perry was dropped by both them before she could finish an album, she ultimately secured a deal with Capitol Records in 2007, a division of record label Virgin. [1] [3]
Her second studio album, One of the Boys , was released in June 2008. [4] The pop-rock album was composed over a period of five years. [5] [6] The lead single, "I Kissed a Girl", was co-written by Perry with Dr. Luke, Max Martin and Cathy Dennis, and alludes to bisexuality. [5] Perry was the sole writer of "Thinking of You", "Mannequin", and the album's title track. [7] The songs "Mannequin" and "Lost" have themes of determination and self-belief. [8] The track "Ur So Gay" opens with the lyrics "I hope you hang yourself with your H&M scarf," which BBC critic Lizzie Ennever believed was Perry's response to people who may have "wronged her in the past". [8] During the recording process of the album, Perry had written the songs "I Do Not Hook Up" and "Long Shot" with Kara DioGuardi and Greg Wells, but decided not to include them on the final track list. They were later recorded by American singer Kelly Clarkson for her album All I Ever Wanted (2009). [6] In 2009, she released a live album titled MTV Unplugged , which featured acoustic performances of five tracks from One of the Boys along with two new recordings, "Brick by Brick" and "Hackensack". [9]
Perry released her third studio album, Teenage Dream , in August 2010. [10] She reunited with Dr. Luke, Max Martin and Greg Wells for most of the songs, but also worked with some new writers and producers for the project. [11] For the track "Firework", Perry collaborated with Sandy Vee, Ester Dean and the Norwegian production duo Stargate, and with Tricky Stewart on the songs "Who Am I Living For?" and "Circle the Drain". [11] Lyrically, "Who Am I Living For?" recalls Perry's Christian roots and retells the biblical story of Esther, the Jewish Queen of Persia who discovered and foiled Haman's plan to massacre the Jewish community. [12] [13] "Circle the Drain" alludes to a previous boyfriend's drug addiction, speculated to be about Travie McCoy, and the effects it had on them as a couple, with lyrics which include "You fall asleep during foreplay/ 'Cause the pills you take are more your forte." [14] [15] Another Stargate produced track called "Peacock" makes use of double entendres whereby Perry propositions her lover with showing her his penis, singing "I wanna see your peacock, cock, cock." [15] [16] [17]
The singer re-released the album in March 2012 with the title Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection . [18] New material included alternate versions of some of the standard songs, including an acoustic version of "The One That Got Away". [19] Perry recorded three new songs for the re-issue, including "Dressin' Up", which lyrically documents dressing up for one's lover, and features a request by Perry for a "dirty doggie" to "pet her kitty". [20] [21] Her fourth studio album, Prism , was released in October 2013. [22] It was noted for having a noticeably darker and moodier tone than her previous releases. [23] "Dark Horse" is a trap and hip hop song [24] about witchcraft and black magic. [25] The song "Birthday" was Perry's attempt at writing a song which Mariah Carey would have included in her eponymous debut album. [26] Aside from her regular collaborators, Perry co-wrote the track "Double Rainbow" with Sia and Greg Kurstin, while Emeli Sandé contributed lyrics to "It Takes Two". [27] Her fifth album, Witness , was released in June 2017. Its tracks include "Bigger than Me", "Bon Appétit", "Chained to the Rhythm", and "Swish Swish". [28]
In August 2020, Perry released her sixth studio album Smile with earlier released songs "Never Really Over" and "Harleys in Hawaii". It spawned the singles "Daisies" and "Smile" and a promotional single titled "What Makes a Woman". [29]
Her seventh album 143 followed in September 2024. Its lead single, titled "Woman's World", was released on July 11, 2024. [30]
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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. Billboard ranked her fourth on its "Greatest of All Time Pop Songs Artists" list and twenty-fifth on their "Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century" list.
American singer Katy Perry has released seven 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.
"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.
"Not Like the Movies" is a song by American singer Katy Perry from her third studio album, Teenage Dream (2010). She co-wrote the song with its producer Greg Wells. Capitol Records released it on August 3, 2010, as the album's first promotional single. The song is a power ballad from the point of view of a teenage girl. Lyrically, the girl contemplates her first time and how "it wasn't right". She realizes through that experience that her "prince" is still "out there" waiting for her. It was written when Perry first started dating her then-husband, Russell Brand.
"Circle the Drain" is a song by American singer Katy Perry, from her third studio album, Teenage Dream (2010). It was written by Perry, Christopher "Tricky" Stewart and Monte Neuble. Lyrically, "Circle the Drain" candidly focuses on a former lover's drug-addiction and the strains it put on both of them. Following its release, several media outlets reported it to have been inspired by her former relationship with Travie McCoy. Critics were divided on the track, with some finding Perry to be in a hypocritical position, given the album's other material. Other reviewers found it nice to see a different side to the singer.
"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.
"Peacock" is a song by American singer Katy Perry, taken from her third studio album, Teenage Dream (2010). Because the song was filled with suggestive lyrics pertaining to male genitalia, Capitol Records initially opposed the idea of including it on her record. Similar to what happened with another song of hers – "I Kissed a Girl" (2008) – she refused to withdraw it from the record. "Peacock" was panned by music critics and, musically, was compared to the 1980s song "Mickey" by Toni Basil, and Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl" (2005). On March 26, 2012, a remix version was released as a promotional single on iTunes.
"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.
Stacy Barthe is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Brooklyn, she began her musical career as an intern for Geffen and Jive Records' urban divisions from 2003 to 2005. She met producer Hit-Boy in 2006, and signed with Universal Music Publishing Group the following year to pursue songwriting work for other artists. As a recording artist, She signed with John Legend's Homeschool Records and Motown to release her debut studio album Becoming (2015), which entered the Billboard 200 and was met with positive critical reception.
Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection is a reissue of American singer-songwriter Katy Perry's third studio album, Teenage Dream (2010). It was released on March 23, 2012, by Capitol Records, nearly two years after the original album. Perry collaborated with producers including Tricky Stewart to refine leftover material from the recording sessions at Playback Recording Studio for Teenage Dream. The final product features three newly recorded songs, which incorporate pop styles previously seen in the original album, an acoustic version of "The One That Got Away" and three additional official remixes.
"Dressin' Up" is a song by American singer Katy Perry from Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection (2012). It was written by Perry, Christopher "Tricky" Stewart, Monte Neuble, and Matt Thiessen, and produced by Stewart and Kuk Harrell. Musically, "Dressin' Up" incorporates the styles of electro and dance-rock, along with a prominent electronic dance production. Lyrically, the song speaks of dressing up in different outfits for a lover, and contains multiple innuendos. "Dressin' Up" garnered mixed reviews from critics, some of whom complimented its "fun" sound, while others denounced it as being too similar to Perry's other songs. Upon the release of Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection, the song charted on the UK Singles Chart at number 109.
"Hummingbird Heartbeat" is a song recorded by American singer Katy Perry for her third studio album, Teenage Dream (2010). It was written by Perry, Christopher "Tricky" Stewart, Stacy Barthe, and Monte Neuble. Stewart handled the production of the song, while Kuk Harrell produced Perry's vocals. "Hummingbird Heartbeat" was inspired by Perry's boyfriend at the time, Russell Brand.
Prism is the fourth studio album by American singer Katy Perry. It was released by Capitol Records on October 18, 2013. While the album was initially planned to be "darker" than her previous material, Prism ultimately became a prominently dance-inspired record. Perry worked with several past collaborators, while enlisting new producers and guest vocals. Much of Prism revolves around the themes of living in the present, relationships, and self-empowerment. The album garnered generally positive reviews with critics praising its lyrics for being more "mature" and personal, while others considered Prism to be more formulaic than her previous material.
"Walking on Air" is a song recorded by American singer Katy Perry for her fourth studio album, Prism (2013), included as its fourth track. It was released to digital retailers on September 30, 2013, by Capitol Records, as the record's second promotional single, following the release of "Dark Horse". The song was part of a poll promoted by Pepsi, along with "Dark Horse", where fans could vote for which song they wanted to become the first promotional single from Prism. Inspired by CeCe Peniston and Crystal Waters, "Walking on Air" is a deep house and disco song influenced by 1990s Eurodance.
"By the Grace of God" is a song by American singer Katy Perry from her fourth studio album, Prism (2013), included as the standard edition's final track. The song was written and produced by Perry and Canadian record producer Greg Wells. It was conceived following Perry's divorce from English actor and comedian Russell Brand. This initially made Perry consider making a "darker" album, but instead was channeled into the song. Throughout its autobiographical lyrics, Perry is depicted finding her strength and standing up for herself.
"Birthday" is a song by American singer Katy Perry from her fourth studio album, Prism (2013). She co-wrote the song with Bonnie McKee and its producers Dr. Luke, Max Martin, and Cirkut. Critics, as well as Perry herself, have compared the track to the music of Prince and Mariah Carey. Through double entendres in the lyrics of "Birthday", Perry makes sexual references while celebrating a partner's birthday. Capitol Records sent the track to mainstream and rhythmic radio on April 21, 2014 as the album's fourth single.
Witness is the fifth studio album by American singer Katy Perry. It was released on June 9, 2017, by Capitol Records. For the album, Perry worked with numerous producers, including Jeff Bhasker, Mark Crew, Duke Dumont, Jack Garratt, Oscar Holter, Illangelo, Ilya, Max Martin, Ali Payami and Shellback. Witness is an electropop album that delves into dance and EDM genres, with lyrics on self-empowerment and feminism. Perry described it as an album of "liberation" and "purposeful pop".
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