Katy Perry

Katy Perry in 2021

**Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson** (born October 25, 1984), known professionally as **Katy Perry**, is an American singer, songwriter and label executive. Her musical beginnings started after singing in church during her childhood. In her teen years, she would move to Los Angeles to work on her music career. After adopting the stage name 'Katy Perry' (from her mother's maiden name), she signed her first recording contract with Atlantic Records in 2013.

Perry rose to fame after the release of her debut single "Candy Love" featuring Kanye West. Not long after, she parted ways with Atlantic Records, using the momentum from her first year in the industry to open and establish her own record label, Capitol Records, in 2014. Her first number-one single was "Purrfection" featuring Britney Spears. From there, she would dominate the industry with many more successful hits including "Rebelle Femme", and "You Can't Sit With Us". Perry would take a short musical hiatus from 2017 to 2019, to focusing on starring roles in beloved remakes of Disney Classics such as *Beauty & the Beast* and *The Little Mermaid*. In 2021, Perry announced her retirement from music after the release of her tenth number-one album *All Fairytales Must Come to an End*.

Perry is one of the industry's best-selling music artists, being listed in fifth place on the Billboard Artist Rankings. Her music has been recognized for influencing the signature pop sound and style of the 2010s. As of October 2022, she has 15 Billboard Hot Singles Chart number-ones and the highest amount of number-ones on the Billboard Top Albums Chart with 10. She has also amassed over 8,000 chart points, and has won 9 Billboard Music Awards (out of 50 nominations); including being officially honored with the You Can Sit With Us Legacy Award.

## Life and Career

### Early Life

Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson was born on October 25, 1984, in Santa Barbara, California, to Pentecostal pastors Mary Christine (née Perry) and Maurice Keith Hudson. Her parents are born again Christians, each having turned to religion after a "wild youth". Perry has English, German, Irish, and Portuguese ancestry. Through her mother, she is a niece of film director Frank Perry. She has a younger brother named David, who is a singer, and an older sister, Angela.

From ages three to 11, Perry often moved across the country as her parents set up churches before settling again in Santa Barbara. Growing up, she attended religious schools and camps, including Paradise Valley Christian School in Arizona and Santa Barbara Christian School in California during her elementary years. Perry primarily listened to gospel music, as secular music was generally discouraged in the family's home. She discovered popular music through CDs she sneaked from her friends. Wanting to be like her sister Angela, Perry began singing by practicing with her sister's cassette tapes. At 13, Perry was given her first guitar for her birthday, and publicly performed songs she wrote.

Due to the religious nature of Perry's family, Perry and her siblings were not allowed to eat the cereal Lucky Charms as the word "luck" reminded their mother of Lucifer, and had to call deviled eggs "angeled eggs". In addition, they were not allowed to watch many popular kids movies, including Disney classics like *Beauty & the Beast*; a movie which Perry longed to see. Perry's grandmother secretly allowed her and her siblings to view the movie while staying at her house. At age 13, Perry managed to secure the lead role of Belle in a school production of *Beauty & the Beast*.

### 2003-2013: Career Beginnings and *Angel*

Five years later, just before graduation, Perry secured another role in a school production, this time of Disney's *Mulan*, cast as the understudy for the lead role. On the night of Perry's 18th birthday, classmate and friend Bonnie McKee who was cast as the lead role, fell ill, and Perry took her place as understudy in that evening's production. Famed producer Linda Perry was in the audience that night, and immediately offered Perry the opportunity to record with her. Perry graciously accepted the offer and moved to Los Angeles three days later.

Linda Perry introduced Perry to her team of professionals, including producers Damon Elliott, Dallas Austin and Scott Storch. The recording process took a dark turn as Perry became increasingly depressed due to the pressure Linda Perry put on her, and the controlling nature of her recording process. Perry even adopted her now-famous stage name at the recommendation of Linda Perry. Perry also met with P!nk for the first time while working on this record, an artist in a similar situation who inspired Perry to never give up.

The record complete, Perry's debut album *From Major to Minor* was expected to release in 2003 under Arista Records. The record was then delayed to 2004, and then 2005. On her 25th birthday, Perry met with her sister Angela and friend Bonnie McKee for a celebratory night out at the Avalon Hollywood, where P!nk was scheduled to perform. After a rocky start to the evening, involving a drink spiking incident, the ladies met up with P!nk once more. Recognizing what Perry was going through, P!nk invited her to meet her newest producers, advising her to drop Linda Perry and Arista Records. Using P!nk as her leverage, Perry was indeed able to get out of her contract, and move on with the next chapter of her career.

Over the course of the next eight years, Perry would work with the production duo of Dr. Luke and Max Martin, as suggested by P!nk, as well as some producers she connected with on her own accord - including the likes of Greg Kurstin, Butch Walker and Glen Ballard. Eventually, Perry's real debut album *Angel* was complete. Partnering with Atlantic Records, a new start-up at the time, Perry would finally release some music of her own. Her debut single "Candy Love" featured Kanye West and would peak at the number two position on the Billboard Hot Singles Chart.

### 2014-2016: The Dawn of Capitol Records

In early 2014, Perry used the hype and reputation she had earned from her time at Atlantic Records to open her own record label. Capitol Records was born shortly after, and has become a mainstay in the industry since its creation. Perry christened her new label with the release of its first ever number-one single "Purrfection", featuring Britney Spears. This released also marked Perry's first ever number-one. She quickly followed up this release with associated album *Spellbound*, which soon became her first ever number-one album. Perry also embarked on her very first tour around this time; the Spellbound Sessions. Capitol Records would gain more recognition at the Season 2 Billboard Music Awards, where Perry won Best Label Executive for her contributions, alongside Best Collaboration for her second number-one single - "Lion's Den" - featuring Kesha.

Perry's success continued throughout 2014, as she released two more albums: *Wildflower* and *Red & Green*. The latter record went on to peak at number-one on the Top Albums Chart and spawned two more number-one singles; "Defying Gravity" and "Wrapped Up". In 2015, Perry would release a monumental single "Rebelle Femme", which became the number-one best selling single at the time. The next year, Perry would prove her status once again, shutting down critics who claimed she could only have hits as a featured artist, as "Twilight" and "Wasted" became two major solo platinum hits.

### 2016-2017: Partnership with Disney and *Archangel*

After the release of fifth studio album *Out of Control*, Perry was offered a contract with entertainment giant Disney. The agreement was for Perry to star in the upcoming live action remakes of classic Disney animated films, and also create her own popular versions of the soundtracks. The first movie was *Beauty & the Beast*, due for release in 2016. Perry would include a new version of her number-one hit "Black Magic" on this soundtrack, along with covers from the original film and Broadway musical, and new original songs.

After the success of *Beauty & the Beast*, Perry ventured back into music as she awaited the filming of her next classic remake. Perry once again took the world by storm with the release of her next number-one hit "You Can't Sit With Us"; a song so defining that it won three awards at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards, including Single of the Season. In addition, the monumental chart prowess and influence of "You Can't Sit With Us" inspired the brand new You Can Sit With Us Legacy Award at the Billboard Music Awards; an honor which Perry also received in the same year. Perry would then release two more smash hits "Bad for Us" and "VH1" from her greatest hits record *Archangel*.

### 2018-2021: Hiatus and Return to Music and Film

2018 would be a quiet year for Perry as she took a hiatus from her professional career. Perry would return in early 2019 with a dual album release *Golden Age/Utopia* - a combination of two previously unreleased albums. *Golden Age* was Perry's personal take on a country-inspired pop record, taking inspiration from industry artists like Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood, while *Utopia* was Perry's first attempt at a proper R&B-influenced sound, using the style of her friend Rihanna as a staring point. *Golden Age/Utopia* proved to be the comeback Perry needed, as it solidified another platinum record in her discography.

    Perry would then continue working on her movie deal with Disney. Later that year, she would star in two films *Aladdin* and *The Lion King*, as well as create and record pop soundtracks to release alongside them. Perry's version of "A Whole New World" with Brendon Urie topped the Hot Singles Charts and received a nomination for Single of the Season at the Season 8 Billboard Music Awards. There, Perry would also receive her first award in the Best Tour category, for her immensely successful residency Capitol Queen: A Katy Perry Residency.

The industry as a whole took a general hiatus in 2020, but Perry resumed her dual format domination in 2021 with the release of Disney's *The Little Mermaid* and it's associated soundtrack. *The Little Mermaid* soundtrack would chart at the pole position on the Top Albums Chart and would later become Perry's best-selling album to date, dethroning 2014's *Spellbound*. This achievement also made Perry the first artist to have four soundtracks reach number-one on the Top Albums Chart.

### 2018-2021: Final Album and Retirement from Music

On November 8, 2021, Perry announced the release of the collaborative single "So Hot!" - featuring fellow music executives past and present; Lady Gaga, Marina and Troye Sivan. Perry would also announce the release of a compilation album titled *All Fairytales Must Come to an End*, featuring all 30 of Perry's past singles and six new songs. Both releases would launch on November 12, 2021. *Fairytales* would debut atop the Top Albums Chart two days later, becoming Perry's 10th number-one album.

On November 15, 2021, Perry would announce a new version of *Fairytales* titled *The True Ending*, featuring "Fairytale" versions of all 36 songs from the original record. These versions would be solo, in the style of a Disney soundtrack and produced by the famed Alan Menken. On the same day, Perry announced that *The True Ending* would be her final musical project, and she would be retiring from music officially after its release on November 19, 2021.

## Artistry

### Music and Voice

Perry's music has always been instantly recognizable as pure unfiltered pop music. The vast majority of Perry's records during her time in the industry have been pop or pop-influenced. However, Perry's first record *Angel* took on a more rock-influenced pop sound. Perry would later start to experiment with multiple genre influences on her fourth record *Rebelle Femme*, as some tracks would birth electro, dance or dubstep influences. Perry would also explore the country and R&B genres with her sixth studio album *Golden Age/Utopia*. Today, Perry is also known for her love of show tunes, a theme present throughout her four soundtracks with Disney.

Perry possesses a contralto vocal range. Her singing has received both praise and criticism. Betty Clarke of The Guardian commented that her "powerful voice is hard-edged" while Rob Sheffield from Rolling Stone described Perry's vocals as "processed staccato blips". Darren Harvey of musicOMH compared Perry's vocals to Alanis Morissette's, both possessing a "perky voice shifting octaves mid-syllable". Alex Miller from NME felt that "Perry's problem is often her voice", stating that "somewhere along the line someone convinced her she was like, well, a ballsy rock chick". Conversely, Bernadette McNulty from The Daily Telegraph praised her "rock chick voice". Perry herself has also commented on her vocal prowess, self-referring to herself as a "powerhouse vocalist".

### Influences

Perry admits she has been inspired by many artists within the industry, both old and new. She cites Alanis Morissette and her 1995 album *Jagged Little Pill* as a significant musical inspiration, and opted to work with Morissette's frequent collaborator Ballard as a result. Perry stated, "*Jagged Little Pill* was the most perfect female record ever made. There's a song for anyone on that record; I relate to all those songs. They're still so timeless." In addition, Perry has also cited ABBA and Cher as major influences in her career, and has even dedicated sections of her headlining tours to tribute them in the past.

Perry also dedicated tributes to her fellow label executives Lady Gaga and Marina, claiming that they also inspired her, and pushed her to make the best music she could. Perry was also inspired by the sounds of many new artists in the industry, citing Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood and Rihanna as the inspirations for her *Golden Age/Utopia* record. Fellow label executive and friend P!nk was also instrumental in Perry's early career and inspiring Perry to keep going and moving forward.

## Public Image

Perry has become one of the most recognizable figures in the industry. Her immense chart prowess, combined with her position as label executive, are undeniable factors contributing to her celebrity stature. Perry is also well known for her contributions to film, and her feminist views, including her activism with the Angry Nuns Against Troye Sivan community. For a while, Perry was also known as the token "mean girl", as she released the monumental "You Can't Sit With Us", but this label soon faded away.

## Other Ventures

### Activism

Perry has supported various charitable organizations and causes throughout her career. She has also been commemorated for her feminism throughout her years in the industry. In 2015, Perry came together with a convent of nuns and other respected women in the industry including Bonnie McKee and Taylor Swift in the creation of the Angry Nuns Against Adam Levine community; an organization promoting successful women and denouncing "menimists" who sought to make the one female-led industry no longer female-led. In 2021, the organization was renamed to Angry Nuns Against Troye Sivan, as their original target Adam Levine had retired from the industry. In November of 2021, Perry was forcibly expelled from the community, and replaced by her former label representative Carrie Underwood, as the community would rebrand to be named Angry Nuns Against Katy Perry.

### Billboard

In 2014, Perry took on a VIP role at Billboard as official editor, chart curator and analyst. Perry is known for being the face behind Billboard's decision making, chart process and weekly chart articles. During each season of #PopIndustry, Perry constantly tracks the charts; opening the Digital Store for business, counting streaming numbers, recalling the latest weekly trends and observing the radio station playlists owned by other record labels in the industry. Perry also works behind the scenes at the Billboard Box Office, and also helps out with the early stages of the yearly Billboard Music Awards. On November 15, 2021, Perry announced that she would be retiring from her post at Billboard at the end of the year, being superseded by P!nk.

### Capitol Records

Also in 2014, Perry made big moves within the industry as she split from Atlantic Records. With her hype and reputation, she established a new record label, Capitol Records. Capitol Records has remained open since its debut in 2014, albeit with a short hiatus in 2018. Perry would then hire Carrie Underwood as an official Label Representative during this hiatus, to prepare for the re-opening of the label in 2019. As of September 2021, Capitol Records have signed upwards of 40 individual acts, and have amassed a total of 19 number-one singles and 20 number-one albums, securing their status as one of the biggest labels and a power player in the industry. On November 15, 2021, Perry announced that Capitol Records would be closing down at the end of the year - with any artists on a permanent contract being transferred to RCA Records at the start of the new year.

### Film and Television

Perry's acting contributions are well known, as is her contract with entertainment giant Disney. As a 13 year old, Perry would play the role of Belle in a school production of *Beauty & the Beast*. At age 18, Perry would fill in as an understudy for friend and collaborator Bonnie McKee, assuming the role of Mulan in *Mulan*. In 2016, Perry signed on to work with Disney for four upcoming remakes of animated classics from the 1980s and 1990s. Perry would resume her role of Belle in the remake of *Beauty & the Beast*. She would later go on to star as Jasmine in *Aladdin* (2019), Nala in *The Lion King* (2019) and Ariel in *The Little Mermaid* (2021). Perry would also record pop versions of these soundtracks to release alongside and promote the new films.

In 2022, Perry would compete on the reality television shows *Celebrity Big Brother: Pop Industry*, placing 10th out of a total 16 houseguests, and *Death On My Spaceship*, where she received the coveted imposter role and finished in third place. On October 17, 2022, it was announced that Perry would compete in the first season of the VH1 reality show *Southern Charm School*. Perry would return to acting, starring in the action movie *The Katy File* for streaming service Pissney+.

## Personal Life

### Marriage and Children

Perry married Russell Brand on October 23, 2010, in a traditional Hindu ceremony near the Ranthambhore tiger sanctuary in Rajasthan, India. Brand announced on December 30, 2011, that they were divorcing after 14 months of marriage. Perry later stated that conflicting career schedules and his desire to have children before she was ready led to the end of their marriage and that he never spoke to her again after sending a text message that he was divorcing her, while Brand asserted that he divorced her due to her commercial success and reluctance to engage in activism. She was initially distraught over their divorce, and said that she contemplated suicide. After the marriage ended in 2012, Perry began a relationship with singer John Mayer that August.

After Perry broke it off with Mayer, she began an on-again off-again relationship with fellow artist Adam Levine. Perry stated that she was drawn to the bad-boy vibes Levine would give off, even if she could not stand him, his music or his actual personality. In 2016, TMZ reported that Perry had been pregnant. Perry admitted that this was true, but she has received an abortion as she felt Levine had taken advantage of her, and was still not feeling ready to have children. Perry would break things off with Levine yet again, but return to him later in 2019 with a romantic cover of "Can You Feel the Love Tonight". However, after the soundtrack to *The Lion King* charted at the top-spot, Perry once again broke things off with Levine openly in that week's official charticle.

> Dear Adam Levine, you and I are over; I have had enough of you, your ugly personality, your horrid new hairstyle, and your tiny dick. Don’t call me senorita anymore because we are NEVER EVER getting back together. Like ever!
>
> Katy Perry, "The Bride and her Maid" (Billboard)

In 2016, during her on-again off-again relationship with Levine, Perry would meet Orlando Bloom. After breaking it off with Levine for the final time in 2019, Perry and Bloom would reconcile. They would become engaged at the end of the year. In March 2020, Perry announced that she was expecting her first child with Bloom. On August 26, 2020, she gave birth to a daughter named Daisy Dove Bloom.

## Legacy

As one of the biggest and most successful artists in the industry, it is undeniable that Perry has built up a legendary legacy. Perry is credited with inspiring the careers of many new artists on the scene, including Perrie Edwards. Many artists with the industry have covered and referenced Perry's many hits across her career. Perry's success with Capitol Records has also been felt industry-wide as newer label executives and representatives attempt to fill the shoes that Perry has worn, citing her as the standard. Perry was also officially honored as a legacy artist, and inducted into the hall of fame with the You Can Sit With Us Legacy Award in 2017 - named after her own smash single "You Can't Sit With Us".

## Awards and Achievements

*Main article: Katy Perry/Awards*

Throughout her career, Perry has won nine Billboard Music Awards, out of a total 50 nominations. Perry's first award wins were at the 2014 Billboard Music Awards, where she won Best Label Executive and also Best Collaboration for "Lion's Den" with Kesha. Perry's most recent award win was in 2019 where Capitol Queen: A Katy Perry Residency was awarded Best Tour. Perry received her most nominations at the Season 8 Billboard Music Awards, with ten nominations. Her most successful award season to date was Season 6, where she won four out of eight nominations that evening. In 2017, she was officially honored with the You Can Sit With Us Legacy Award.

### Studio Albums

* *Angel* (2013)
* *Spellbound* (2014)
* *Wildflower* (2014)
* *Rebelle Femme* (2015)
* *Out of Control* (2016)
* *Golden Age/Utopia* (2019)

### Soundtracks

* *Beauty & the Beast* (2016)
* *Aladdin* (2019)
* *The Lion King* (2019)
* *The Little Mermaid* (2021)

### Compilation Albums

* *Archangel* (2017)
* *All Fairytales Must Come to an End* (2021)

## Filmography

### Film

* *Beauty & the Beast* (2016)
* *Aladdin* (2019)
* *The Lion King* (2019)
* *The Little Mermaid* (2021)
* *The Katy File* (2023)

### Television

* *Celebrity Big Brother: Pop Industry* (Season 1) (2022)
* *Death On My Spaceship* (Season 1) (2022)
* *Southern Charm School* (Season 1) (2022)

## Tours

### Headlining

* Spellbound Sessions (2014)
* Wildflower World Tour (2014)
* Rebelle Femme Tour (2015)
* Twilight Sessions (2016)
* Archangel World Tour (2017)
* Upon a Star World Tour (2021)

### Residencies

* Capitol Queen: A Katy Perry Residency (2019)

## Galleries

### Artwork Gallery

**Albums**

From Major to MinorAngelSpellboundWildflowerRed & GreenBlack Magic MixtapeRebelle FemmeRebelle Femme (Deluxe)Out of ControlBeauty & the Beast (Soundtrack)ArchangelArchangel (Deluxe)Golden Age / UtopiaAladdin (Soundtrack)The Lion King (Soundtrack)The Little Mermaid (Soundtrack)All Fairytales Must Come to an End
**Singles**

Candy LoveEw.AngelPoisonPoison (Remix)Dark VixenPurrfectionLion's DenWhite FlowerWaterfallWildflowerKiss Me (More)FireworkDefying GravityWrapped UpRed and GreenBrokenheartedRebelle FemmeAll Night LongBlack MagicTwilightWastedIf They Only KnewHomeYou Can't Sit With UsBad for UsVH1Love ComesA Whole New WorldCan You Feel the Love TonightPart of Your WorldSo Hot!