STACK #190 Aug 2020

FEATURE MUSIC

Perry had to complete each wardrobe change in under ten seconds, hence the looks were designed to nest into one another like Russian dolls: “Four looks on one performer is really pushing it,” he said. Entering the arena on an enormous mechanical lion, Perry performed Roar in an orange and yellow ‘flame’ dress; this was followed by Dark Horse , during which acrobats spun around the stage. Lenny Kravitz then turned up for a duet of Perry’s debut hit I Kissed A Girl . After a set-change to a balmy tropical paradise, Perry performed California Gurls and Teenage Dream in a beach- ball-inspired two-piece of halter and skirt. The antics of one of

Top to bottom: On the Super Bowl stage during Roar, Firework, and with Missy Elliot

Perry is a stellar songwriter; having written or co-written almost all of her songs, there’s also been a few occasions when other artists have been blessed to end up with a Perry-penned track on their hands. SONGS FORME, & SOME FOR THEE

Kelly Clarkson, I Do Not Hook Up (2009) I Do Not Hook Up was co-composed by Perry along with Grammy-winning musician and producer Greg Wells, and singer-songwriter-producer Kara DioGuardi. Perry originally intended to use

her full-body shark-costumed back-up dancers during the latter song saw an immediate deluge of memes online. (Perry’s lawyers later tried to register a trademark for ‘Left Shark’, but were rejected.) After this section, Perry changed

the song for herself, but following her departure from the Def Jam label, she gave this track, and a second one she’d written – Long Shot – to Clarkson. What a darling! Both songs appeared on Clarkson’s fourth album All I Ever Wanted . Selena Gomez, Rock God (2010) This synth-pounding cut turned up on Selena’s 2010 album A Year Without Rain .

Her massive 2015 Super Bowl performance... is still the highest-rated halftime show in the history of the event

Upon its release, the singer told MTV News : “I had to fight for that song, I wanted it so bad – it’s kind of funky… I used [Katy’s] style and we mixed it up with my style, so we made it a bit more techno.” Katy also provided some background vocals for the track. Britney Spears, Passenger (2013) Passenger glimmers with a frenetic, bleeping synth, then falls into heavy

into a custom Super Bowl 49 jersey as Missy Elliott entered stage to perform her tracks Get Ur Freak On, Work It , and Lose Control . The final number saw Perry in a gleaming silver Moschino gown dotted with stars, riding a shooting star stage prop which soared in celestial glamour over the crowd as she sang her smash Firework . Perry’s performance garnered rave reviews across the board, and two days later it was revealed the halftime show received more viewers than the Super Bowl game itself (118.5 million versus 114.4 million, respectively, within the US).

half-time as Britney sings about the joys of taking a new relationship to the world “without a map.” It’s from her album Britney Jean , and the artist said of Perry and her songwriting talents: “I’m a huge fan of hers; I think she’s an amazing vocalist, she has a beautiful voice. And I love the song – the moment I heard the song, I was like ‘This is really beautiful.’ I’m really proud that I was able to do it.”

low-poly lion – is still the highest-rated halftime show in the history of the event. In preparation for her performance, Perry watched previous halftime shows by Madonna (2012), Beyoncé (2014), Diana Ross (1996) and Michael Jackson (1993), and met with Bruno Mars (who’d appeared in Beyoncé’s halftime performance) to seek his advice on prepping for the giant affair. Perry created four costumes in collaboration with designer and creative director of fashion house Moschino, Jeremy Scott. Scott later revealed that

Iggy Azalea Feat. Rita Ora, BlackWidow (2014)

Black Widow is another cut which Katy initially intended to keep in her own pocket, but she decided to hand-ball the demo she’d recorded over to Oz artist Iggy Azalea for completion. Iggy spun a rap, grabbed Rita Ora to sing the hook, and the whole she-bang ended up on Iggy’s debut album The New Classic .

Smile by Katy Perry is out August 28 via Island/Universal.

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