walking upstream…
Katy Perry
photo: raph_ph · cc by 2.0 ↗Katy Perry
sourcesWikipedia
Katheryn Hudson was raised in a strict Pentecostal household in Santa Barbara, California, where secular music was largely off-limits and her earliest performing was done in church, singing gospel under the name Katy Hudson before an unsuccessful contemporary-Christian album led her to reinvent herself as the more pop-facing Katy Perry. She broke through in 2008 with the brash single 'I Kissed a Girl' and became one of the defining hitmakers of the 2010s with the album 'Teenage Dream,' known for candy-bright visuals, maximalist hooks, and a winking, theatrical sense of camp. Her run of chart-topping singles helped define 2010s mainstream pop's mix of confessional lyrics and blockbuster spectacle.
the sound in question
2013
RoarKaty Perry
walk the tributaries ↓
Queen1970s–80s · Rock / Glam rock / Arena rock
Perry has said that hearing Queen's 'Killer Queen' as a teenager — after growing up barred from secular music — profoundly redirected her artistic path, and she has called frontman Freddie Mercury her single biggest influence, citing his flamboyant, theatrical stage persona and sardonic lyric-writing as a model.
listen: upstream & here
1974
Killer QueenQueen
2010
FireworkKaty Perry
listen forPlay Queen's arch, glammed-up 'Killer Queen' next to Perry's 'Firework' — both pair a theatrical, larger-than-life vocal performance with a lyric built around dazzling, showstopping self-presentation.
Alanis Morissette1990s · Alternative rock / Pop rock
Perry has described Alanis Morissette's 'Jagged Little Pill' as 'the reason I do music' and called herself an idolizer of Morissette, tracing her own turn toward confessional, biting songwriting back to hearing 'You Oughta Know' as a teenager and later choosing producer Glen Ballard specifically for his work with Morissette.
listen: upstream & here
1995
You Oughta KnowAlanis Morissette
2012
Part of MeKaty Perry
listen forCompare the raw, confrontational kiss-off of Morissette's 'You Oughta Know' with Perry's post-breakup defiance on 'Part of Me' — both channel a failed relationship into a full-throated, unapologetic declaration of moving on.
The Beach Boys1960s · Rock / Pop / Psychedelic pop
Perry has said the Beach Boys' 'Pet Sounds' influenced 'pretty much all' of her songwriting, pointing to the album's dense vocal harmonies and melodic craft as a template for her own approach to hook-writing.
listen: upstream & here
1966
God Only KnowsThe Beach Boys
2011
The One That Got AwayKaty Perry
listen forListen to the lush, layered harmonies and aching melody of the Beach Boys' 'God Only Knows' alongside Perry's wistful, harmony-rich ballad 'The One That Got Away' — both lean on stacked vocal parts and a bittersweet, melodically intricate chorus.