Throughout their career, the pop singer has been creating music for other famous artists.
In 2001, Katy Perry started her music career as a Christian pop artist under the name Katy Hudson. However, by 2008, she had transformed into an electrifying pop sensation with her album One of the Boys, featuring bold and playful tracks like “I Kissed a Girl” and “Ur So Gay.” In addition to her own music, Perry has written hit songs for other artists, including Nicki Minaj and Selena Gomez. Check out some of the catchy and empowering tunes she’s penned, like “Get on Your Knees,” featuring Nicki Minaj and Ariana Grande. Recently, Perry was even honored with a hand print ceremony at TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX Forecourt in Hollywood, California.
Although Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj have not yet officially collaborated, Perry did contribute lyrics to Minaj’s seductive song about dominating a male partner on her 2014 album The Pinkprint. There have been rumors that Perry was originally intended to sing the hook on the Dr. Luke-produced track, but instead, Ariana Grande purrs the song’s title repeatedly while belting out the chorus. In addition, Minaj gives a brief shout out to Perry during one of her verses: “Got me seein’ them fireworks/I’m on my Katy Perry.” Another example of a collaboration between female pop stars is Kelly Clarkson’s “I Do Not Hook Up.”
Initially intended for Katy Perry’s debut secular pop album, “I Do Not Hook Up” was instead given to American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson for her fourth LP, “All I Ever Wanted.” The song’s lively and spunky pop-rock style, complete with edgy lyrics, would have been a perfect fit for Perry’s “One of the Boys” era. However, Clarkson’s impressive vocal range complemented the song just as well, and it became another upbeat pop hit for her, following the more introspective releases of “Breakaway” and “My December.” Another example of a pop artist embracing a more cheerful sound can be seen in Selena Gomez & The Scene’s “Rock God.”
Gomez’s band, which plays pop-rock music, departed from their rock roots with their second album, A Year Without Rain. However, the song “Rock God,” penned by Perry, was a final tribute to Gomez’s rocker days. The tune contains KTP’s signature elements, such as funky beats and religious allusions, which are turned on their head. Gomez’s voice is at its most playful, as she hits a sweet falsetto at the end of her phrases. She fought hard for the song, which she considers one of her favorites ever. Perry provided backing vocals for the track, which they blended with techno beats using their respective styles and working with the producers. Jessie James’ “Girl Next Door” is another song to listen to.
Perry had a hand in creating a couple of tracks for Jessie James’ country-pop debut album, but the one that truly shines is “Girl Next Door”. With a voice that sounds almost like Perry’s, James brings a unique touch to the song with her twangy rendition and homage to going back to where one came from. Moving on, Britney Spears’ “Passenger” takes us to a different realm altogether.
The song “Passenger” from Britney Spears’ 2013 album, Britney Jean, has an impressive lineup of writers that includes Diplo, Sia Furler, and Katy Perry. Originally intended for Perry’s Prism album, the powerful ballad with a catchy riff is accompanied by a swirling techno beat, booming drums, and background vocals that showcase one of Spears’ most emotional vocal performances to date. Spears and Perry later reunited when Perry paid tribute to Spears’ iconic denim dress from the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards by showing up with Riff Raff as her denim date at the 2014 ceremony. Selena Gomez & The Scene’s “That’s More Like It” is another noteworthy song.
Katy Perry contributed to Selena Gomez’s band’s last album, When the Sun Goes Down, with another dance-y track that has a fierce beat and biting lyrics. The song has a cheeky ’50s kind of theme in which Gomez flips the traditional gender roles and says “you can massage my feet, you can take care of me, you can cook me dinner.” Although she apologizes to all the boys who will be hearing the song, she thinks girls will enjoy singing it. Iggy Azalea also featured Rita Ora in her song “Black Widow.”
Iggy Azalea’s smash hit “Black Widow” wasn’t always meant for her. Initially, the song was intended to be on Katy Perry’s album Prism but got left out. Despite having some similarities with Perry’s hit “Dark Horse,” the track was later given to Azalea to feature on her first album called The New Classic. Although Perry didn’t make it to the final cut, Azalea found a match in Rita Ora who nailed the chorus perfectly. On another note, Kelly Clarkson’s “Long SH๏τ” is also worth checking out.
During the time when Katy Perry was transitioning from her Christian pop debut, Katy Hudson, to her edgier album, One of the Boys, she wrote a song with her ex-boyfriend Matt Thiessen of Relient K. The song was intended for an unreleased LP on Def Jam, but it ended up being featured on Kelly Clarkson’s fourth album, All I Ever Wanted. The song is called “Long SH๏τ” and it talks about the risks of being in a romantic relationship. Although the track is riff-heavy, Clarkson’s delivery adds a touch of heartbreak to the lyrics. Another song that deserves mention is Ashley Tisdale’s “Time’s Up.”
Tisdale took on the task of giving a new life to Katy Perry’s unreleased track “Love Is a Train”. The songstress, known for her role in “High School Musical”, decided to rename it to “Time’s Up” and featured it on her second album called “Guilty Pleasure” in 2009.