'Kissed' by Stardom

It took a few years, but pop vocalist and songwriter Katy Perry, voted the “next big thing” by Blender mag in 2004, hit the big time last summer with her smash single “I Kissed A Girl” and has been on a roll ever since, racking up more hits from her One of the Boys CD including “Hot N Cold” and the latest single “Waking Up In Vegas.” She makes her Atlantic City debut next Thursday, July 30, at the Borgata Event Center.

The 24-year-old native of Santa Barbara, Calif. first expressed her musical gifts in her parents’ church (they are both pastors) and released a gospel album in 2001 under her real name Katy Hudson.

When she discovered the forbidden fruit of secular music, in particular Queen and Alanis Morissette, her expanded musical obsession took her into the realm of pop music. She pursued her career and was signed by two different musical labels, Def Jam and Columbia. Both dropped her before she could make her pop music debut. However, Capitol/EMI signed her in 2007 and her music finally saw the light of day. In a phone interview with AC Weekly, Perry talked about her breakout year and what’s next.

Can you sum up how the past year has gone for you?

I found my lucky star and I’ve been holding on. It’s been like a hurricane but I feel like I live in the eye of the hurricane. I’m in Istanbul, Turkey today and tomorrow I’ll be in Dublin. For this little European run I’ve been in a different city with a different language practically every day. It has been a wreck trying to order room service.

Several labels dropped you before Capitol/EMI came along. Any revenge fantasies against those labels?

I definitely don’t need to say anything. Some of them folded or had to melt into other companies because of [financial] problems. Well, I could have kept your company alive. Obviously, success is the sweetest revenge. I really respect the new artists who are coming in and making a career of it. It’s kind of easy to be a flash in the pan. It’s really hard to [sustain] a career.

It’s great to get discovered via the Internet, but so much of that aspect of the music business involves fans looking for the next new thing. That has to be tougher for maintaining a career.

That is how our world is. Everybody wants it now. Fast. Yesterday. To me it feels like an over-sensitized ADD world, where it is hard to get people’s attention and keep their attention.

How do you describe your music?

One of the Boys was a coming-of-age record. I wrote it from 17 to 23. It’s about boys and it’s about relationships and moving away from home for the first time. It’s very honest. I have girls come up to me all the time and say, “Oh my God, I can’t believe you actually put what I’m going through and dealing with into words.” It’s spontaneous. It’s got this kind of kitsch fun — [a] slapstick, sometimes dark sense of humor. Humor is a big theme in my music. I don’t take myself too seriously unless I need to. The world is so over-saturated with these artists that are so full of themselves.

Your lyrics are what make your music different and fun.

When you listen to pop radio, a lot of times it’s just background music, it’s just there when you are driving. Most of them don’t have stories or a point. Most of them are about the same old crap — Mercedes Benz and butts and booze and showing off. Is that life? I want to write a great pop song that has a great melody and sounds hooky, but I also want people to pull their car over and say, “What the hell did she just say? I have to learn these lyrics so I can sing along.”

Talk about your musical influences.

I’ve had that “pull the car over moment” with the band Queen and Freddy Mercury. I couldn’t believe anybody could paint the picture I was seeing in my head of a colorful world and life, full of humor and sass, but also coming from a male voice. I was inspired by him by the way he wrote lyrics and how he dominated the stage yet never left people out. The difference between knowing how to work an audience and making them feel like a part of your show. Every time I do a show I literally throw myself into the audience. I am in the crowd. I jump off the stage.

You’ve had celebrity encounters. Which one made you say, “Wow, I can’t believe that person knows me and likes my music?”

Well, the Madonna thing was an interesting moment. First of all it was so weird to see Madonna talking about anybody else. I was completely flattered and I couldn’t believe such a big, important person would know my first and last name. I’ve met so many people. Some of them being complete assholes and I’m like, “Wow. Great. Thank you for ruining my childhood dreams of who you were.” Then there are some that completely blow my mind and are amazing. I make it a point to remember that I’m meeting people for the first time and even if I’ve had a bad day or I’m in a crappy mood — no sleep or 30 different cities in 35 days — this is that moment with them. Maybe I won’t ever meet them again and this is how they will remember me.

What are your plans for your next album?

I’m at a crossroads with my writing. This year has been really intense. I’m not trying to make a record this coming fall about being famous. Nobody would relate to that. But I’ve had some insane, weird experiences to sing about. I will continue to be honest, maybe too honest with my next record. I’m really excited about showing people this wasn’t just luck.

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Kitty Purry

cobrasnake

Katy Perry sometimes plays with a “sex kitten” image, but her true feline inspiration is her cat Kitty Purry. “She came [to me] from a past relationship with a guy. She was a stray and he didn’t want to take care of her. That relationship ended and I ended up adopting her. I hated cats so much before I met her. She is the love of my life. My corporation is named after her. I’ve become this annoying cat lady. They don’t really need you; I relate to that. It’s a strong female perspective. I know what I need when I need it, and I’ll get it myself if you don’t get it for me. I have a big version of her that I blow up on stage every night. She talks to me. We have this banter. We talk about boys. It’s really fun.”