/katy Perry FC/i got the eye of the tiger/

Public image

http://25.media.tumblr.com/bc65562876b29450468fe8efe8468efe/tumblr_mxniiydPNa1qf8hnio4_250.pngRolling Stone ranked Perry 7th in its global Queen of Pop poll in July 2011.^[95] Perry placed at number one on the Maxim Hot 100 in 2010, with readers voting her the "most beautiful woman in the world".^[96] FHM Australia readers voted her the "sexiest woman of 2011"^[97] and Men's Healthdubbed her the "sexiest woman of 2013".^[98] She is a sex symbol^[99] and is noted for her unconventional style of dress.^[14] It is often humorous, bright in color, reminiscent of different decades and often includes food-related themes, such as fruit and candy,^[100] an example being her trademark spinning peppermint swirl bra.^[101] Her transformation into an artist began with fashion and was inspired by American film actressDominique Swain's portrayal in the 1997 film Lolita. She defines her fashion style as "a bit of a concoction of different things",^[14] and draws inspiration from pin-up and cartoons. Her fashion has caught the attention of designers.^[11] Perry lists her style icons as Gwen Stefani, Shirley Manson, Chlo Sevigny, Daphne Guinness, Natalie Portman, and the fictional character Lolita.^[102][103]

In October 2008, a photo of her posing with a switchblade was criticized. The picture was defended as only an effort to give her a "sexy, harder edge".^[104] In September 2010, Perry filmed an appearance on Sesame Street, singing "Hot N Cold" alongside puppet character Elmo, but after complaints were made from parents who criticized her outfit for being too revealing the performance was axed from the show.^[105] Shortly afterwards, Perry appeared on Saturday Night Live and starred in a skit mocking the controversy.^[106]

Having been raised by two Pentecostal pastors, Perry confirmed in Katy Perry: Part of Me that she still keeps a religious connection with God, although is less devout than her parents. She described her relationship with God as "one-on-one".^[9] In an October 2013 interview with W Magazine, Perry said: "I try and keep my connection with G-O-D or with a power that's bigger than me. It's important - otherwise, you don't have any kind of accountability" and that "for me, accountability works".^[107] In an early December 2013 interview with Toronto Star, she mentioned her views on God changed as she got older, saying "My God has changed over the years. Absolutely. I believe there's this 'bigger than me' thing that's looking after me. I don't believe in like God as a really old guy with a beard on a gold throne" and that "I don't believe in heaven or hell as a destination. In fact, the terms of what I believe are still up for debate because I'm still on a journey and I don't even know if I'm going to get to my destination".^[108] In an interview with Marie Claire in December 2013, Perry mentioned that she does not label herself under any particular religion though has a "deep connection" with God. She also mentioned she finds spirituality through the writing of Eckhart Tolle and through Transcendental Meditation.^[94]

Perry is a gay activist. She confirmed that she voted no on Prop 8 (California's November 4, 2008, amendment that would legally define marriage as a union solely between a man and a woman).^[109] She dedicated the music video to her October 2010 single "Firework" to the It Gets Better Project.^[110] Through Twitter and by performing at his rallies, Perry supported President Barack Obama in his run for re-election in November 2012 due to his stance on same-sex marriage^[111] and believing in "equal rights for all".^[112] Perry was awarded the Trevor Hero Award from The Trevor Project for her work and activism on behalf of LGBT youth.^[113] Adam Shankman, speaking on behalf of The Trevor Project, said Perry received the award "not only for what she's done to inspire and empower us, but also her commitment to being a better, stronger ally for LGBT youth".

Musical style and themes

Madonna (left) and Freddie Mercury (right) both significantly influenced Perry and her music.

Her first album is within the gospel music genre. She related that her perspective in music was "a bit enclosed and very strict", and everything she did was church-related. Her second album, One of the Boys, is described as "rock" and "secular", and reflects a departure from her religious musical roots.^[11] Her third album, Teenage Dream, featured more pop songs in contrast to Boys.^[14] Her fourth album, Prism, prominently features Swedish dance music. Many of her songs have been described as EDM or electropop,^[114][115] and she herself has been credited as an electropop artist.^[116]

In her childhood, Perry was introduced to the music of Alanis Morissette and Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury.^[21]In her tribute to Mercury on what would have been his 65th birthday, Perry stated: "Without you I wouldn't be making music or doing what I do because your lyrics inspired me as a 15-year-old girl."^[117] Queen's song "Killer Queen" inspired her to pursue a career in pop music after her first album, and she named her third fragrance Killer Queenafter the song in homage.^[11] She also described Morissette's album Jagged Little Pill as having influenced her music profoundly; even going on to work with Morissette's collaborator on the album, Glen Ballard because of that.^[118] Perry has also listed Madonna as a significant influence, saying "I want to evolve like Madonna."^[119] Prismis predominately influenced by Swedish pop music, with Perry citing ABBA and The Cardigans in particular as influences.^[120] Perry has also been influenced by film and literature, both in terms of her music and imagery. Perry's second concert tour, the California Dreams Tour, was largely influenced by Alice In Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz.^[9] She credits the 1996 movie The Craft for being the influence behind her song "Dark Horse",^[121] and Eckhart Tolle's book The Power of Now for influencing "This Moment" from Prism.^[122] Perry has also stated that she is a big fan of and is significantly influenced by the 1997 movie adaptionof Vladimir Nabokov's novel Lolita, even recreating a scene from the movie on the cover of her first mainstream album release One of the Boys.^[123]

Perry has a contralto vocal range.^[124] She is artistically involved in her projects, especially in the writing process. Since she could play guitar, she would start writing songs at home and present it to her producers. She is mostly inspired by specific moments of her life, and has said it is easy for her to write songs about heartbreak.^[12] Most of the themes in One of the Boys deal with heartbreak, teen adventure, and "puking into toilets". Her mother, Mary, once reportedly told tabloid Daily Mail that she disliked her daughter's music, calling it "shameful and disgusting".^[11] Perry said her mother was misquoted and told MTV that it was false information.^[125] Perry has written songs recorded by other singers, including Ashley Tisdale ("Time's Up"), Selena Gomez & the Scene ("Rock God" and "That's More Like It"), Jessie James ("Bullet" and "Girl Next Door"), Kelly Clarkson ("Long Shot" and "I Do Not Hook Up"), Lesley Roy ("Slow Goodbye"), and Britney Spears ("Passenger").^{[citation needed]}

	"Part of Me" MENU 0:00 "Part of Me" is a pop song with traces of dance and rock, common genres in her songs.
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Her songs "Ur So Gay" and "I Kissed a Girl" have been respectively labeled as being homophobic and promoting homosexuality, as well as "lez ploitational".^[11] MTV mentioned criticism about her using "bi-curiosity" as a way to sell records.^[125] Perry responded to the controversy surrounding "Ur So Gay": "It's not a negative connotation. It's not, 'you're so gay,' like, 'you're so lame,' but the fact of the matter is that this boy should've been gay. I totally understand how it could be misconstrued or whatever... It wasn't stereotyping anyone in particular, I was talking about ex-boyfriends."^[126]

PRISM ALBUM ART BY RYAN MCGINLEY