WHAT KATY DID
With more than 5-million albums sold and a following that continues to grow at a rate of knots, Katy Perry is on the cusp of enjoying even bigger fame and fortune with the release of her latest album Teenage Dream.
Singer and equally qualified songwriter Perry hasn’t stop working since her EMI debut album One Of The Boys arrived two years ago – carrying no less than five smash-hit singles along with it. “I Kissed A Girl,” “Ur So Gay”, “Hot N Cold,” “Thinking Of You” and “Waking Up In Vegas”, all ignited a fire that’s now impossible to put out. Her brand-new single “California Gurls” (featuring Snoop Dogg) is already a chart-topper in the States and right across Europe. Her face and scantily clad body are also set to grace the covers of glossy magazines as they did when One Of The Boys became one of 2008’s biggest releases.
Her cheeky lyrics and carefree spirit has remained intact despite all the attention she’s garnered since then, which includes the title of “Entertainer Of The Year” in a recent Entertainment Weekly magazine survey as well as the number-one spot on Maxim magazine’s 2010 Hot 100 list. “When I was touring, I wanted people to dance more,” she says. “So I wrote an album that will make people move without sacrificing the story substance that I had on the last record,” she explains.
Teenage Dream hits South African stores 30 August and with its impressive guest list its sure to become one of year’s most talked about albums. Max Martin, Tricky Stewart, Stargate, Dr Luke and Greg Wells all helped in producing tracks, heavily influenced by West Coast America.“I can’t run from where I came from, nobody can,” Perry says of her lyrics that were drawn from her Santa Barbara, California base, the place she called home before she became a superstar. “I love the vibe that Santa Barbara gives off and I wanted to really tap into the purity of my childhood and that feeling. It was really fun to get away and walk into the studio with no make-up on.”
Wanting to sing through life as she experiences it, Perry is keen to have fans participate and enjoy the journey that is, once again, taking her right around the world. “I’m giving everyone the full spectrum on this record,” she says. “You’re getting the sugary sweet but you’re also getting the ‘Oh my goodness, she had to sit down for a minute and let some things off her chest’ moments too.”
Intrepid, original and living the American dream, Katy Perry is back and keen to conscript as many fans as she can along the way. Whether they’re looking for something playful, thought-provoking or pulsating, Teenage Dream promises something for everyone, whether you’re a teen or not.
By Jason Curtis
Image: EMI MUSIC
For more about pop’s ever-evolving mover and shaker, check out: katyperry.com | Katy's Twitter |