Katy Perry

Katheryn Elizabeth "Katy" Hudson (born October 25, 1984), known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. After singing in church during her childhood, she pursued a career in gospel music as a teenager. Perry signed with Red Hill Records and released her debut studio album Katy Hudson in 2001, which was commercially unsuccessful. She moved to Los Angeles the following year to venture into secular music after Red Hill ceased operations. After being dropped by The Island Def Jam Music Group and Columbia Records, Perry signed a recording contract with Capitol Records in April 2007.

Perry rose to fame in 2008 with the release of the singles "I Kissed a Girl" – which sparked controversy for its homosexual themes – and "Hot n Cold" from her second album, a pop rock record titled One of the Boys. Her third album, Teenage Dream (2010), ventured into disco, and contained the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart-topping singles "California Gurls", "Teenage Dream", "Firework", "E.T.", and "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" as well as the number-three single "The One That Got Away". The album became the first by a female artist to produce five number-one Billboard Hot 100 songs, and the second overall after Michael Jackson's album Bad. In March 2012, she reissued the album as Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection, which produced the songs "Part of Me" and "Wide Awake".

Katy Hudson (album)

Katy Hudson is the eponymous debut studio album by American singer Katy Hudson, who subsequently adopted the stage name Katy Perry. It was released on February 8, 2001 by Red Hill Records. It incorporates primarily Christian rock and contemporary Christian music elements with lyrical themes of adolescence and childhood and Hudson's faith in God. Reviews of the album were mixed and it sold fewer than 200 copies. Later due to Hudson's increased popularity, demand for the album increased.

Composition

Katy Hudson saw Hudson exploring Christian rock and contemporary Christian music (CCM). Amongst what was described as an alternative direction were prominent influences of pop rock. During an interview for her official website at the time, Hudson cited artists Jonatha Brooke, Jennifer Knapp, Diana Krall, and Fiona Apple as her musical influences. "Trust in Me", "Naturally", and "My Own Monster" were said to capture "loneliness, fear and doubt often ascribed to teens".

The first features "haunting" strings with "electronica effects" and "solid rock roots". An aggressive track, "Piercing" depicts the infatuation people have with expendable things. In "Piercing", Hudson sings: "Lord, help me see the reality / That all I'll ever need is You". "Last Call" was written by Hudson while reading the book Last Call for Help: Changing North America One Teen at a Time, written by Dawson McAllister. Musically, it sees Hudson going into a more jazz-oriented sound. Hudson described "Growing Pains" as an anthem for children and adolescents, explaining that society shares a misconstructed image of them, often viewing them as individuals that do not believe in or do not know much about God. Written by Hudson when she was in eighth grade, the song "Spit" addresses the hypocrisy she faced in Christian school.

Teenage Dream (Katy Perry song)

"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. Perry and Bonnie McKee wrote many songs with youthful themes in mind, but they were rejected by producers Benny Blanco and Dr. Luke. Blanco showed them The Teenagers' single "Homecoming", and McKee imagined "Teenage Dream" as a throwback song to the euphoric feelings of being in love as a teenager. They met with Max Martin in Perry's hometown of Santa Barbara, California and started writing the track at Playback Recording Studio, which Perry later described as a pure moment for her. After Perry recorded her vocals, McKee presented her idea and the chorus was rewritten. Perry also described the song as reminiscent of her youth while contemplating her future marriage to Russell Brand.

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, while there are slight elements of hard rock during the chorus. 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. "Teenage Dream" received generally positive reviews from music critics, some praising its nature and sound, but with others dismissing its lyrics as "too carefree and immature". The song has topped the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Perry's third number-one single on that chart, and her second consecutive number-one single after "California Gurls". "Teenage Dream" has been certified seven times platinum in the United States, as well as receiving platinum and multi-platinum certifications in other countries.

Teenage Dream

Teenage Dream

Music

Albums

Songs

Teenage Dream (Katy Perry album)

Teenage Dream is the third studio album by American singer Katy Perry. It was released on August 24, 2010, through Capitol Records. Musically, it contains pop and dance-pop with influences of disco, electronic, funk, house, gothic rock, Hi-NRG, and hip hop. Lyrically, it revolves around teenage love, partying, self-empowerment, and personal growth. Perry co-wrote every song on the album, and also worked with a number of producers and writers, including Dr. Luke, Max Martin, Benny Blanco, Tricky Stewart, StarGate, Greg Kurstin, and Ester Dean.

Upon its release, Teenage Dream received generally mixed reviews from music critics, who complimented its production and themes while denouncing Perry's songwriting. The album debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200, selling 192,000 copies in its first week. It was later certified three times platinum by the RIAA; selling more than 3 million copies in the United States and charting within the Top 40 of the Billboard 200 year-end chart three years in a row. As of October 2013, Teenage Dream has sold 5.7 million copies worldwide. The album and its singles earned Perry seven Grammy Award nominations including Album of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Album, and Record of the Year, as well as winning International Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2011.

Teenage Dream (IQU album)

Teenage Dream is a 2000 remix album by IQU, released on K Records. The album features the original version of the track "Teenage Dream" plus six remixes by artists such as Looper, Sonic Boom, and Lexaunculpt, and two mixes of "Can't You Even Remember That?", a track from the band's debut album Chotto Matte a Moment!.

Track listing

All tracks written by Aaron Hartman/IQU.

Critical reception

Mark Richard-San of Pitchfork Media, while describing the original "Teenage Dream" track as "great" and stating that it "sums up everything that makes the band interesting in a single seven-minute track", was lukewarm about the album. In his view: "Some of the mixes are decent, but most are average, at best," and he described the album as "one (great) new track and eight (okay) remixes". Heather Phares of Allmusic gave the album a three-star review, saying: "Though not all of the six other mixes of the song are illuminating, several of them are enjoyable". Geoff Stahl of PopMatters viewed the album similarly, stating: "There are versions here that close-in on interesting, but with a grating guitar riff which seems a bit to power-chordish for our own good, so that most of the remixes that dwell on it seem more disabled by rather than inspired," and finding the remixes of "Can't You Even Remember That?" "the most pleasing ones on offer".