There is no denying Katy Perry’s status as one of the biggest hitmakers of our time. Only Michael Jackson can release a single album with as many summit-climbing hits as Teenage Dream, and she is the only artist in history to spend an entire calendar year in the Top 10. She has spent as much time at Number One as Janet Jackson, is one chart-topper away from Stevie Wonder’s numbers, and has spent as much time at Number One as Janet Jackson. Here is a list of the major singles that propelled her to her third Rolling Stone cover in recognition of that.
1. “I Kissed a Girl”
With a false sincerity that is practically Dylanesque, Perry has scattered contradicting personal half-truths regarding which girl she did or did not kiss in her first (and biggest) song. Maybe she was indeed playing an experimental game with her high school best friend, maybe she was just dreaming aloud about trying ScarJo’s cherry chapstick, or maybe she made the whole thing up — you know,
songwriters do that occasionally.
2. “California Gurls” (feat. Snoop Dogg)
The pastel artificiality of the video’s production can be heard in this song, which was produced as a frothy Pacific counterpart to “Empire State of Mind.” What a perfect visual and audio backdrop for a flamboyant Californian space cadet like Snoop Dogg, whose approving smirk is much more reminiscent of David Lee Roth than Brian Wilson. Perry’s manager Bradford Cobb recommended the spelling as a memorial to Alex Chilton, who had gone away earlier that year if the title reminds you of Big Star’s “September Gurls.”
3. “E.T.” (feat. Kanye West)
Dr. Luke was producing a rhythm for Three 6 Mafia long before he signed Juicy J to his Kemosabe label, which Katy then used for her own brooding smash. And perhaps you are familiar with the remix’s special guest?
4. “Dark Horse” (feat. Juicy J)
Be wary of Katy’s incredible ability to transform the English language. A “dark horse” was merely an underdog at this time last year. That word now conjures up a wicked witchy seductress that not even Juicy J can hit and stop after one big hit. No less dramatic is Dr. Luke’s alteration of trap music components.
5. “Firework”
2011 may be the best year ever to struggle with low self-esteem. Pop music was so endlessly motivating, from Gaga’s “Born This Way” to Pink’s “Fuckin’ Perfect,” that overly empowered individuals in America ran out of things to accomplish. Fortunately, even this late in the year, there were still a few million plastic bags and houses of cards available for Perry to motivate.