Photo by Ali Szubiak.
Two things most people know about Katy Perry: her left boob and her right boob. That is a damn shame. Katy Perry (formerly Katheryn Hudson) went from a sort of indie folk singer-songwriter complete with Zooey D dresses and acoustic guitar, and a powerful voice, to a spandex dress wearing, teenage dreaming, definition of pure giddy pop. Yes. Non-believers, watch:
But, Just Like Gaga (lest we forget that she too started as a folkie gal with a piano), she reinvented herself to be relevant and make money. And what the hell is so bad about that? Wouldn’t you do the same?
Why do people hate Katy Perry and pop music in general? Pop music will live forever. It’s fun but it can be unexpected. It influences fashion. And oh the great Halloween costumes that come from it! Like this:
Where was this costume last year?? By the way that’s supposed to be a Rihanna costume behind her. Change the wig, lost the skirt, and you got a Gaga costume.
How smart is she to recognize that her fans dressed like her at her concerts and should make a Halloween costume for the masses, so that all DIY challenged fans could dress like Katy? How smart indeed. Some would say diabolical. Others would say that her managers and such pushed her to do it. Well duh, everyone has managers and lawyers and etc. But some pop artists have more control than others, and I bet that Katy is one of them. She knows her fans. She interacts with them on her personal twitter that, for better or worse, is written by her and her only.
Her record company was adamant in keeping ‘I Kissed A Girl’ off her debut album. Katy fought for it. Girl has great instincts. And that wasn’t a fluke. “Katy Perry is the first woman to have five #1 songs from one album on the billboard charts. She’s tied with Michael Jackson.” (source). Could a total idiot strike lightning five times? She knows her image and she knows her crowd. She can get slimed on at the Kids Choice awards with as much enthusiasm of being on the cover of Vanity Fair. In that issue she said,
“I don’t care what people say about my relationship; I don’t care what they say about my boobs.
People are buying my songs; I have a sold-out tour. I’m getting incredible feedback from my music…I don’t take anything for granted. There are 500 other girls right behind me. And I know that, because I was one of them. I remember what it’s like to be someone who’s always trying to get there — sending out tons of e-mails — trying to connect with some person who could connect me to some other person. And I wouldn’t be working at this pace now if I didn’t truly know that fame is fleeting.”
She gets it. She has fun but she also works her ass off. She parodies herself in her videos and gives Rebecca Black a cameo. That’s a crazy smart thing to do considering that Rebecca Black is one of the most talked about “artists” right now. How many pop stars do you know whose songs are sung by Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Fallon on national tv?
Does she contradict herself at times? Yes. Did she wear some really silly outfits at the most recent VMA awards in perhaps an attempt to Gaga it up? Maybe. Did she try to go too artsy with her “E.T.” music video? I’m sure of it. But she also got Kanye on that track. Kanye!
And then she’ll defy your expectations and take her biggest pop hit and turn it into a jazzy “whoa-what-the-hell-is-this-(in a good way).”
So leave her alone. If you think about it, there really isn’t a big difference between Lady Gaga and Katy Perry. I think one of them even wrote songs for the other one, when they were starting out. Both sing amazing pop songs while dressed as Bjork. There is nothing wrong with liking Katy Perry.
Say it with me: “There is nothing wrong with liking Katy Perry.”
I like Katy Perry and I like David Bowie. You can like pop music and classic rock. The two are not mutually exclusive. So don’t be ashamed. And don’t be hateful. Either way, she’s doing really, really well for herself. And how about you?
It might be us against the world, my darling.
I like Katy Perry. A lot. Is she predictable & wacky & sort of cliche? Yes. But is she doing it well? Hell yes. She went from a CHRISTIAN FOLK SINGER to one of the biggest pop stars in the world with one of the sluttiest images – and yet, she actually appears to be a pretty nice, normal, non-slutty gal. I like her. I like her music, her attitude, her… OK, not her outfits, but I do like her. And that folksy video.
I totally forgot about the Christian folk singer part of her past!!
I like Katy Perry too. I purchased “Firework” from iTunes and I’m not at all ashamed. I think pop music is fun. As much as I enjoy indie and folk and blah blah blah, I fucking love a good pop song.
EXACTLY.
Ah, at last! Someone I respect finally agrees with me! Katy gets ragged on so much and it really does stink. She’s talented and really does march to the best of her own drums, unlike Lady Gaga (bleah!). I just really wish she’d go back to when she was singing songs like Simple and stop with this “Thank God it’s Friday” bullshit…even though I was totally i to the Becky Black cameo.
yeah, I don’t get why people pick on her so much, she’s harmless!
dude, she rocks. she doesn’t take herself seriously like gaga (je n’aime pas) and is pure pop fabulousness. and i admit out loud that watching her sing firework with those PS22 kids made me cry.
I think Katy’s great and I think you’re great for saying so! My husband is quite the “guy’s guy” (please forgive that awful term) and he’s not even ashamed of liking Katy Perry. He air-saxes the shit out of the saxophone solo in TGIF.
Okay first of all, your blog name, Love in the Time of iPhones, is amazing. And no worries, I know what you mean about “Guy’s guy” and props to your dude for being awesome. IDK why I keep comparing Perry and Gaga but I find it really amusing that people give Katy shit for her saxophone song when Gaga has like 6 of them on her new album and half of them are ridiculous.
This might make me a super dork, but I about died when I saw that you visited my blog and complimented the name! I am a huge fan of you (as well as Katy Perry) and your writing. Bloggers like you are what keep me trying to make my writing better.
Also, it makes total sense that you would compare Gaga and Katy Perry. I like a lot of Gaga’s songs because they’re fun to dance to, but obviously Katy’s are too and she doesn’t take herself so damn seriously all the time! Pop music is about fun and not everything has to be a “statement,” sometimes you just want to have pink hair and wear a dress made of sequined casino dice because pink and sequins are awesome.
In the beginning I didn’t understand and I disliked the heck out of Katy. But now she’s my lady! I have a poster of her next to my bed… an old flame won it at a carnival for me. He’s gone, but the poster remains and that’s good enough. You know how Hot and Cold boys can be… but Katy always has your back.
WHICH POSTER I WANNA SEEEEEE.
This post makes me feel better about liking her songs “Firework” and “Teenage Dream”; they are no longer guilty pleasures for me, just songs that I enjoy, like how I enjoy Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” and “Changes.” 🙂
WHOA WHOA LET’S NOT GO TOO FAR.
lol I know what you mean.
Finally I have validation!!
Update your blog.
I just did! Before even read this. Weird?
Wait, someone could find reason to dislike Katy Perry? I swear her songs are the only ones played on Pop 40 radio, but nonetheless I’m always happy to hear them again.
I got over hating that which is popular a while ago. The Beatles were wildly popular, and wildly beloved, lest we not forget: wildly talented. These things are not mutually exclusive.
Perhaps we feel compelled to articulate hatred of popular songs/movies/artists because we’re silently terrified we have no identity beyond what popular media seems to construct for us?
That last part sounds like an essay question! That’s some good thinking.
If you want to save money here’s what you do: put a dollar aside every time you hear a Katy Perry song on the radio. If you want to save everything you make, put a dollar aside every time you hear, “Superbass” by Minaj, anything Gaga, anything Britney, and “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele.
Girl, don’t even play. I could get into a 10 hour convo about Katy Perry and how amazing she is. I’ve loved her for a long time and whenever anyone writes her off as just another popstar (even though I don’t personally see anything wrong with that…), I always point them to some of her older acoustic stuff. The fact is that she had not one but TWO record deals early in her career (post-Christian shit) that went down the drain and was nearly going to lose her car/apartment when this finally worked out. She hustled on the scene for YEARS and has been in control of this image she’s had all along, like you say. Ugh, and don’t even get me started on this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgykqFcBPh8
I WILL CRY.
Anyway….
Great, now I’m crying. I had no idea she was practically on the streets. That’s really inspiring. And like, legit almost homeless, not like Gaga “I had to live on THE LOWER EAST SIDE” homeless.
Wait PS I will take you up on that 10 hour Katy Perry convo.
let’s not forget before “I Kissed A Girl” she was a christian singer, and she was featured in P.O.D.’s song “Goodbye For Now.” This girl is truly amazing, people just don’t like to admit that they like popular music. It’s not “unique” enough for them
I think the people who lolz at pop music are way, way worse than the people who love it.
I’m too lazy to read all of the above comments to see if anyone else has mentioned this or not, but she did a cover of “Black and Gold” for a Valentine’s day Starbucks compilation that made me fall in love with her. YouTube it! I dare you not to sing along with her.
What? That sounds AWESOME.
YESS that cover is so good
She’s not even a guilty pleasure. I love the holy hell out of Katy Perry and I don’t care who knows it. I also have an undying love of Taylor Swift. I say this as a straight male in his late 20’s who has played in punk rock bands for over half his life. I totally agree that it’s insane that people think that you aren’t allowed to like two genres of music. It’s okay to like Black Flag AND The Beach Boys!
I never got into Taylor Swift but I have nothing against her either.
PUNKS FOR KATY PERRY 4EVER.
If you speed up Taylor Swift songs they sound like Alkaline Trio songs. Their songwriting structure is REMARKABLY similar and I find that terribly intriguing.
Katy Perry is my heroine. Also, she gave me back my mojo – remind me to tell you about it sometime!
Yes PLZ.
I agree 100% I listen to Katy Perry and other pop artists and I don’t care what anyone thinks!Music is music and it doesnt matter if its mainstream or not!
That’s why we TEAR IT UP on Turntable!!
Nice argument. But Katy Perry is still a mega DORK!
BUT THAT’S AWESOME.
I like Katy Perry. A lot. No shame in my game. Plus she’s friends with Rihanna. I have a feeling those two have the most fun together.
Rihanna’s voice bothers me but she comes off as a really sweet girl. I love her SNL skits with “Shy Ronnie.” She’s got good comedic timing. Have you seen those?
And Rihanna doesn’t write her own songs. Which I don’t like.
I totally didn’t mean to turn this into a Rihanna-hating post.
Yes! I didn’t think I’d like her attempt at comedy but the Shy Ronnie ones are awesome.
This is a great article. What bothers me about the katy hating, is that typical attitude of ‘oh, if she includes sex as part of her image, that’s all she must be’. thats a lame attitude.
🙂 .and also russell brand’s cat is called morrissey, so, thats a win
I love when people say no one listens to her songs a few months after they’re out. Umm sorry I actually have a Katy Perry playlist that I listen to regularly and I play Teenage Dream daily motherfuckers
she is a pop princess always and forever ugh why don’t I have more friends who love her like i do
“Ur So Gay” has always kept me from really liking Katy Perry.
Hahaha. That’s one of my favorites.
I’ve liked her ever since I saw her perform in flats at the VMAs. It just made me realize I’ve never seen any other pop star do that and flats while on stage just seems to make sense. I like a sensible person. Plus, that last music video of hers made me LOVE her. Sup Corey Feldman and Hanson.
I actually REALLY dig her emo-ness. The girl can play guitar too! My early adolescent obsession with Chris Carraba from Dashboard Confessional might have something to do with this emo worship. You know – I always thought there was something more to her. I get the lumo, pop funky outfits but it’s plain as day that Katy Perry has a strange attractive depth to her too. A bit of mystery also? Like the decision to marry Russell Brand. She’s no Cristina (also dressed up weird for pop career and money) she’s something bit more special. Say it with me, ‘you can like Katy Perry but not really Cristina’
Katy: we dig your versatility. Kath Berry Terry to Extraterrestrial and all from humble emo beginnings! oh! Also! Katy Perry and Zooey Deschanel look kind of alike… they could be sisters…
lovely post! you learn something everyday!
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I know I’m a li’l late to the commenting party, but…this post sums up my feelings about pop music exactly. A good song is a good song, why act like Katy Perry is somehow less talented than your favorite indie pop band because her good songs get played on the radio instead of a Surfer Blood Pandora station?
Also pertinent: Katy Perry named her cat Kitty Purry. KITTY PURRY. Come on, how can you hate her?
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