Katy Perry

Katheryn Elizabeth “Katy” Hudson (born October 25, 1984), known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, businesswoman, philanthropist, and actress. Born and raised in Santa Barbara, California, she had limited exposure to mainstream pop music during her childhood, prompting her to pursue a career in gospel music as a teenager, releasing her self-titled debut studio album in 2001. She also recorded a second solo album in 2005, titled (A) Katy Perry, which was never released.

Subsequently, Perry (using her mother’s maiden name to avoid confusion with Kate Hudson) reinvented herself as a pop star with a party girl image, gaining fame with 2008’s One of the Boys and the #1 hits “I Kissed a Girl” and “Hot n Cold”.

Her next album, Teenage Dream (2010), matched Michael Jackson’s record of five #1 singles from the same album, solidifying Perry’s prominence in the pop industry. After her marriage and subsequent divorce from British comedian Russell Brand, she released an expanded version, Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection, and a concert film, Katy Perry: Part of Me in 2012. Her fourth album, Prism, followed in 2013, along with standalone singles like “Rise”.

In 2017, Katy began promoting her fourth album by releasing the Skip Marley collaboration “Chained to the Rhythm” on February 10 and performing it live at the 2017 Brit Awards 12 days later. The singles “Bon Appétit” featuring Migos and “Swish Swish” featuring Nicki Minaj were released before the album. Titled Witness, Katy’s fifth album (fourth under her current name) debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, marking her third #1 album in the U.S.