Katy Perry’s ‘Teenage Dream’ Album Turns 5: Stan & Deliver

Jonathan Riggs | August 24, 2015 5:42 am

3. “California Gurls”

Name: Jessica Spirit | Location: Dresden, Germany | Twitter: @JessicaSpiritDD

Fun, fun, just fun. This song is full of it. Katy’s smash hit is one of my most favorite summer tunes, all peoples knows the lyrics. It have all what it needs for a perfect summer feeling. When I hear the song I wish I would be also a California girl, laying under palm trees and the sun kiss my skin. “California Gurls” is full of happiness and brings me every time in a good mood. And even if the weather is bad, singing this song let the sun immediately shine. This song is like candy: sweet and lovely!

As I started to impersonate Katy in 2012, this was always the first song I performed on stage, and still is today. I was looking for a title which perfectly shows who Katy is, a song for perfect entertaining. Most of her songs are funny, colorful and full of happiness, perfect for the stage. When I perform this song I always see the audience smile, celebrate and sing with me — no matter how old they are. On this day, when I perform “California Gurls” at first time, a special part of my life starts.

This song always helps me to forget my sorrows and problems and let me start to think positive again. Because I know there is a place where the grass is really greener. And one day I’ll visit the beach of California and sing this song! Maybe together with Katy, this would be one of my biggest dreams.

4. “Firework”

Name: Angela Azevedo | Location: Carolina, Brazil | Twitter: @pearlkaty

The first song I heard by Katy Perry was “Firework” and it was enough for me to get involved by her voice and the messages in her compositions. I believe that Katy was one of the pioneer singers to encourage fans to face the world and show themselves as they really are.

One of Katy’s goals in her music is to make people feel good. “Firework” is seen as an anthem by fans —  the anthem that encourages and motivates us to face problems, prejudices and differences that we deal with in everyday life, especially in social life.

There are molds in society, in all its segments. Most of the time, we are pressured to follow and copy. Katy wanted to tell us that we can be whatever we want and to never give up ourselves. We show what we are capable of being and doing. We can also be a firework. It is this light that exists within each of ourselves.

I think this song is a metaphor for the great explosion of Katy in the pop world. She faced many difficulties along the way until she was a success, and she never gave up. It is therefore the biggest and best example we can follow. “Firework” was inspired by the classic novel On The Road by Jack Kerouac, one of the exponents of the generation “beatnik”, young people who fought for their rights in American society. Kerouac described the youth as spontaneous, politically courageous, showing that many could demonstrate their disagreement and express his own self without being properly learned through art.

According to Billboard, “Firework” sold 2.3 million digital downloads in the US alone in 2010. The single was released on October 26 the same year. It was one of the most played songs of 2012, along with “Teenage Dream,” according to ASCAP; International Video of the Year by the MYX Music Awards; awarded by BMI in 2011; Best single by J-14 in 2011; Your video now has over 610 million views on VEVO’s website.

All these awards fill us with pride, as we know it is more than worthy. But more important is the song’s message brought to so many people, of various ages, that there is a light within each. That light must shine — we should let it shine and fight for that to happen. The apex of the inspiration of the fans is the confidence that Katy makes us realize that we have. “Firework” translates it masterfully. It is an anthem for all the Katy Cats.