Katy Perry is recession pop. When the world was in the midst of the Great Recession in 2008, she turned herself from a Christian musician called Katy Hudson into the candy-coated bubblegum pop princess we know today and took the world by storm with ‘I Kissed A Girl’. That kickstarted her domination of music charts and airwaves for the better part of a decade, clinching nine Number One singles in the span of six years.
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For much of her early chart-topping success, the pop star worked with now-controversial producer Dr. Luke, who produced many of her hits. Following 2013’s ‘Prism’, the singer stopped working with the producer, after fellow pop star Kesha sued him for emotional abuse and sexual assault, a lawsuit which was settled last year after nearly a decade. Though, Perry’s releases since – 2017’s ‘Witness’ and 2020’s ‘Smile’ – haven’t nearly reached the commercial success of her early work.
It remains to be seen if she will be able to return to the heights that first made her a star, but the singer is staging a grand comeback with her upcoming album, ‘143’. As she releases the record’s lead single ‘Woman’s World’, which also finds her questionably reconnecting with Dr. Luke for the first time in over 10 years, NME takes a look back at the pop star’s career so far and ranks her singles in order of greatness.
Words: Karen Gwee, Puah Ziwei, Rhian Daly
‘Swish Swish’
‘Swish Swish’ is a diss track that turns, very quickly, into a self-own. When Perry dropped this in 2017, she was still feuding with Taylor Swift – and much was made about ‘Swish Swish’ as a possible rejoinder to Swift’s own ‘Bad Blood’. Between the thoroughly unconvincing basketball metaphor and the baffling lyrical choices (“Don’t need opinions from a shellfish or a sheep… You’re ’bout as cute as an old coupon expired”), Swift probably didn’t lose too much sleep over this song. Perry makes weak threats over a slippery, ill-suited EDM beat, desperately trying to telegraph nonchalance when she sings the limp hook “swish swish, bish”. A spectacular miss. KG
‘Hey Hey Hey’ (2017)
There’s an attempt to be uplifting and empowering on ‘Hey Hey Hey’, but the entire thing falls flat on its face – and then the floor the song is on gives way and it plummets even deeper into the fiery pits of cringe tackiness. Just take the opening verse where Perry declares that she is “feminine and soft, but I’m still a boss” and calls herself “Marilyn Monroe in a monster truck”. The rotten cherry on top? The horrendous hook about not being a fragile Fabergé egg. Strong pass. PZW
‘Not the End of the World’ (2020)
Aside from being completely out of place on ‘Smile’, ‘Not the End of the World’ is basically a worse version of her hit 2013 single ‘Dark Horse’ – which wasn’t all that good to begin with. While the lyrics aren’t the most offensive thing Perry has written, the song is entirely forgettable with motivational platitudes that never really go anywhere. Pair that with a confusing interpolation of Steam’s ‘Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye’ and misguided trap production, and you get one of the lowest points in the pop star’s career. PZW
‘Dark Horse’ ft. Juicy J (2013)
Regardless of what you think about Perry’s music, you can’t deny that she’s always ready to try something new. Unfortunately, that willingness to take a risk doesn’t always pay off, as in 2013’s ‘Dark Horse’. On it, the star ventures into low-slung, witchy trap territory. In fairness, the beat is suitably spellbinding, but the style just doesn’t suit Perry’s big, evocative vocals, and Juicy J’s plodding verse only serves to drag things further down. RD
‘This is How We Do’ (2013)
A fair amount of Katy Perry’s work has not aged well, and ‘This is How We Do’ is one of them. Questionable – and cancellable – lyrics aside (what compelled her to write the line “Getting our nails did all Japanese-y”), the song doesn’t have the nostalgia-fueled grace that’s often given to ‘I Kissed a Girl’. And without that, ‘This is How We Do’ reads as a failed attempt to replicate the fun, carefree nature of Kesha’s early work. PZW
‘Save As Draft’ (2017)
The concept of ‘Save As Draft’ is an interesting one – addressing old wounds through allusions of social media terms – but its execution leaves much to be desired. The bland ballad suffers too much from uninspired lyrics (“Still my body goes in shock every time I hear your name”) and awkward phrasing (“But I should let sleeping dogs lie / ‘Cause I know better, baby”) to be effective. PZW
‘Smile’ (2020)
Katy Perry best describes ‘Smile’ on the song itself: “Goin’ through motions felt so fake / Not myself, not my best”. It’s the pop star at her corniest and cheesiest, yet without the euphoric, tongue-in-cheek energy that made her best work shine, almost like a caricature of herself. There’s nothing much to smile about in this song. PZW
‘Woman’s World’ (2024)
Now for the reason we’re gathered here today… An incoherent attempt at satire and an insidious Dr. Luke production, ‘Woman’s World’ is utterly retrograde – even by the standards of today’s recession pop revival. Set aside the painfully parodic music video and the song is still risibly bland, neither exploring new ground for Perry nor titillating (let alone challenging) her listeners. Even long-suffering Katycats who’ve reclaimed her past antics as kitsch or camp will have trouble with this one. KG
‘Firework’ (2010)
“Do you ever feel like a plastic / Drifting through the wind, wanting to start again?” Perry opens ‘Firework’ – a cringy first couplet in a song that never recovers. Sure, her raspy delivery of the chorus is packed with passion, but it’s hard to get too energised by a song of such empty empowerment. In the past, Perry has said the song was partially inspired by Jack Kerouac’s On The Road, but ‘Firework’ can’t hold a roman candle to even the most bumbling of the Beat poet’s lines. RD
‘Unconditionally’ (2013)
Think of ‘Unconditionally’ as a B-tier rom-com that was distilled into a song. It’s overly schmaltzy and frustrating at times, but not quite enough to compel you to leave in the middle of a screening. The power ballad, at the very least, is a great display of Katy Perry’s vocal prowess. PZW
‘Rise’ (2016)
Perry stands defiant on the shadowy electronics of ‘Rise’, a standalone single she shared ahead of the 2016 Summer Olympics. A slow burning, stately piece of pop that gently erupts into a buzzing chorus, it feels ready-made for slow-motion montages of close call races. The star tops things off with a vow of resilience (“Don’t be surprised, I will still rise”), meanwhile, speaks to the underdogs, but can’t capture the inspiration and excitement of an against-all-odds triumph. RD
‘Bon Appétit’ ft. Migos (2017)
‘Bon Appétit’ is definitely not the “purposeful pop” Katy Perry was talking about during her ‘Witness’ era. Even without that concept hanging over the song’s head, ‘Bon Appétit’ would’ve still remained an unsatisfying electropop song that goes absolutely nowhere. Couple that with a disastrous SNL performance, no surprise that it flopped. PZW
‘Daisies’ (2020)
There are many ways to launch an era, but ‘Daisies’ isn’t one of them. It’s indistinguishable from Katy Perry’s other ballads – you could swap it out for ‘Unconditionally’ or ‘Save as Draft’ or anything else on the tracklist of ‘Smile’ and no one would notice. PZW
‘Never Worn White’ (2020)
It’s not often you hear Katy Perry unadorned by her preferred pop maximalism, singing over just a piano line and strings. ‘Never Worn White’, her standalone 2020 ballad, gives us a rare example of that but also proves why we don’t need more of it. It’s not that it’s bad, just unmemorable, not powerful or poignant enough to stand out from pop’s many other piano ballads. RD
‘Part of Me’ (2012)
Think of every Katy Perry song you know, average them out, and you have ‘Part of Me’. It’s as predictable as it comes, with one of the most robotic deliveries she’s ever given – ironically while singing: “This is the part of me, that you’re never going to take away from me”. PZW
‘Roar’ (2013)
In 2025, it’ll be ten years since Katy Perry’s Super Bowl halftime show – which means a decade of Left Shark and Perry singing ‘Roar’ atop a golden, mechanical lion (likely place for her to be). The song is still as cringeworthy as it was then – this one can stay languishing on out-of-date gym playlists alongside other empowerment-pop chest-beaters by Fun. and Imagine Dragons. KG
‘E.T.’ ft. Kanye West (2010)
Perhaps we could call ‘E.T.’ Katy Perry’s try at a Rihanna-esque song. Take for example the pop star’s stuttered delivery of the lines “Kiss me, ki-ki-kiss me” and “Take me, ta-ta-take me”. But beyond that, ‘E.T.’ is pretty anonymous as a single, as if it could’ve been given to any other singer from that era. At the very least, there’s a version of the track without Kanye West’s pointless verses. PZW
‘I Kissed A Girl’ (2008)
Let’s get this out of the way: ‘I Kissed A Girl’ hasn’t aged well. Upon release, Perry’s debut single ruffled feathers with its bicurious hedonism, which feels quaint now – its cheeky attempt at shock value a male-gazey relic we’re happy to leave in 2008. It’s nostalgic, we suppose – and as a pop song, it holds up well enough, especially its rock edges and singalong chorus. KG
‘Harleys In Hawaii’ (2019)
Inspired by a getaway with her beau Orlando Bloom, ‘Harleys In Hawaii’ is a pleasant tropical diversion for Perry. She summons enough smoulder to pull it off; the steamy come-hither chorus is an especially pleasant surprise. Overall, though, it feels a little slight for a Katy Perry single. KG
‘Electric’ (2021)
‘Electric’ is in the same vein as Katy Perry’s other motivational pop anthems – ‘Firework’, ‘Roar’, you name it – but with an earnest, wholesome sheen that makes it a lot more digestible. While it doesn’t have the oomph of her best releases, it’s a harmless, unashamedly pop tune that embraces its cheesiness. PZW
‘365’ with Zedd (2019)
It’s criminal how no one paid attention to ‘365’ when it dropped. Hypnotic and alluring, ‘365’ and its follow-up ‘Never Really Over’ showed how magical Katy Perry and Zedd could be when they worked together. Here’s hoping that the duo reunite soon. At least we got this hilarious moment of Perry reacting to fans singing ‘365’ to her before it was released. PZW
‘Thinking of You (2008)’
Unlike the Katy Perry ballads we get now, her first was an emotional cut punch that continues to be a fan favourite. While ‘Thinking of You’ contains elements of the overly sentimental schmaltz that would stain her future ballads, here it’s raw, fiery and compelling, making those pain points easy to overlook. PZW
‘Wide Awake’ (2012)
The Katy Perry of the early-2010s was one of candyfloss-hued wigs and extravagant, campy outfits. ‘Wide Awake’, then, is something of a 180 for that phase of the pop star’s career, stripping away the colour and kitsch and replacing it with something so much sparser that it feels icy cold compared to the radiant warmth of the ‘Teenage Dream’ era. There’s good reason for that – the track is widely believed to be about her divorce from Russell Brand and finds Perry “trying to hold on” as she experiences “falling from cloud nine”. It’s a gorgeous piece of emotional pop that uncovers new dimensions of the star. RD
‘When I’m Gone’ with Alesso (2021)
It’s strange that Katy Perry has never truly delved deep into EDM – aside from the sublime ‘Walking on Air’ – when, from her voice to her fanbase, she’s obviously so perfect for the genre. While ‘When I’m Gone’ is not the most innovative of releases, it’s a solid dance-pop release that makes the argument for an EDM era even stronger. PZW
‘Cozy Little Christmas’ (2018)
Following the public failure of ‘Witness’, the joyousness of ‘Cozy Little Christmas’ was a great way for Katy Perry to take a step back from everything and just have fun. With the velvety way she delivers some of the lines here (“Just you and me / Under the tree / A cosy little Christmas here with you), Perry has a great future ahead of her as a crooner if she ever gets tired of pop stardom. PZW
‘Hot n Cold (2008)’
There are a few things that are more annoying – and damaging to self-esteem – in the early days of a relationship than your partner not keeping consistent with their level of interest. In 2008, Katy Perry helped make those situations a little easier to get through with ‘Hot ’n’ Cold’, her ’80s pop hit that turns flip-flopping lovers into an infectious, assured bop. RD
‘Chained to the Rhythm’ ft. Skip Marley (2017)
While audiences at the time didn’t quite latch onto the “purposeful pop” Perry was aiming for – its underperformance on the charts might have even caused to pop star to pivot from that concept – looking back, the existential questioning and social commentary on ‘Chained to the Rhythm’ remain as poignant and evocative as the day the song first arrived. It’s unfortunate that the song is so intrinsically linked to the ‘Witness’ era because it’s much greater than the album it landed on. PZW
‘California Gurls’ ft. Snoop Dogg (2010)
As light and fluffy as the cotton candy clouds of the ‘Teenage Dream’ artwork, ‘California Gurls’ is summer personified. It’s certainly Perry’s best and most successful collaboration with a rapper ever; Uncle Snoop’s smooth ad libs and suave-silly verse (“Bikinis, zucchinis, martinis”) are a perfect match for Perry’s party-girl euphoria. The chorus, especially, is pop dynamite – totally undeniable. You might say ‘California Gurls’ is fine, fresh, fierce… they got it on lock. KG
‘The One That Got Away’ (2010)
Katy Perry’s ballads largely range from bland and boring to schmaltzy and overwrought, but when she finally does get it right, it’s gorgeous. The pop star is invested and engaged on ‘The One That Got Away’, doing away with her usually campy and kitschy lyricism for true earnestness, bringing to life the universal nostalgia for a love that somehow managed to slip through one’s fingers. PZW
‘Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)’ (2010)
When Katy Perry does hedonism, she does it in a way that’s relatable and conversational. The magic of ‘Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)’ lies in how its verses and choruses could easily be a morning after debrief with your crew, Perry running through a list of chaotic behaviour and flirting with the idea of getting her act together before resigning herself to the truth: “This Friday night / Do it all again.” That the track feels slightly woozy beneath its bright dance-pop surface is the cherry on top. RD
‘Small Talk’ (2019)
‘Small Talk’ had a lot on its shoulders following the brilliance of ‘Never Really Over’. Even though the song didn’t reach the heights of its predecessor, it didn’t deserve the hate it received when it was released. With a great pre-chorus ( “We’ve gone from strangers to lovers to strangers”) and a very Katy Perry hook of “Blah, blah, blah, blah”s, the true crime here was leaving this gem off ‘Smile’. PZW
‘Birthday’ (2013)
When you think Katy Perry, your mind likely goes straight to her arsenal of upbeat anthems – the ‘Teenage Dream’s and ‘Hot n Cold’s in her discography. But she can be just as good when she drops the pace just a touch, too. ‘Birthday’ is proof of that and then some – a retro slice of disco-pop that commands you to the dancefloor but keeps the euphoric punch at a pleasingly measured level. RD
‘Waking Up in Vegas (2008)’
‘Waking Up in Vegas’ is a buddy road trip blockbuster disguised as a song – and that’s what makes it so great. From the get-go, this narrative about having the adventure of a lifetime in Las Vegas never lets up, bringing you along for all the ups and downs that the journey promises. Perry’s early years may be most remembered for the then-edginess of ‘I Kissed a Girl’ or dance-pop magic of ‘Hot n Cold’, but it’s ‘Waking Up in Vegas’ that will live on as the greatest display of her songwriting talent. PZW
‘Teenage Dream (2010)’
With ‘Teenage Dream’, Katy Perry has not just an indelible pop hit but a song that completely fulfils its brief. From the glimmering strums of guitar to its starry-eyed chorus, this song embodies the naive thrills of puppy love; the insecurities of the opening verse and the note-perfect frisson of “skin-tight jeans” capturing the sheer youth of it all. And it has one of those classic Perry choruses, her staccato delivery and powerful pipes hammering home that you feel like you’re living! A! Teenage! Dream! An all-time entry in the 21st century pop canon. KG
‘Never Really Over (2019)’
Following the disaster of ‘Witness’, Katy Perry hit the proverbial reset button on ‘Never Really Over’, returning to the bombastic, hypnotic bubblegum pop that made her a superstar in the first place. Adding a tinge of sadness and maturity to the joyousness of her ‘Teenage Dream’ era, it was Perry (with help from Zedd and a genius Dagny sample) firing on all cylinders – even managing to make rhyming “over” with “over” work over and over again.
But another part of what makes ‘Never Really Over’ so great is also the promise of what could have been if Perry had maintained course despite the tepid commercial performances of follow-up singles ‘Small Talk’ and ‘Harleys in Hawaii’. While the ’70s-inspired era that those songs heralded never came to pass – instead we got the blandness of ‘Smile’ – but this first taste continues to be as addictive as the first time we tried it. PZW
The post Katy Perry: every single ranked in order of greatness appeared first on NME.
