| "I Kissed a Girl" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Single by Katy Perry | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| from the album One of the Boys | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Released | June 16, 2008 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Format | Digital download, CD | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Recorded | January 2008 at Dr. Luke's Studios, Lagacy Recording Studio (New York City, NY) Conway Recording Studio (Hollywood, CA) |
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| Genre | Pop rock,[1] electropop, electro rock | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Length | 3:00 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Label | Capitol | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Writer(s) | Katy Perry, Lukasz Gottwald, Max Martin, Cathy Dennis | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Producer | Dr. Luke | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Katy Perry singles chronology | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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"I Kissed a Girl" is a song by pop singer Katy Perry, written by Perry, Dr. Luke, Max Martin and Cathy Dennis. It was produced by Dr. Luke for Perry's 2008 album One of the Boys. Perry says the song is "about the magical beauty of a woman".[2]
Released as the album's lead single, "I Kissed a Girl" was a commercial success. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for seven consecutive weeks, becoming the 1000th chart-topper of the Rock Era.[3] The song has since become a major worldwide hit, and along with the United States, it has topped the charts in more than 20 countries, including Australia, Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom.
"I Kissed a Girl" was performed and a nominee at the 51st Grammy Awards (Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance). It was also nominated for Favorite Song at the 2009 Kids' Choice Awards.
The song is recognized as the 10th best selling single in the 21st century.[4] The single has sold over 4,155,000 digital copies in the US alone. "I Kissed a Girl" is one of six Perry songs to top 4 million paid downloads in the US, the others being "Hot n Cold", "California Gurls", "Firework", "E.T." and Teenage Dream.[5]
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According to Perry, I Kissed a Girl "was born as an idea in her head". She says: "The chorus actually popped into my head when I woke up. It was one of those moments where you hear artists talking about songs they get in dreams or in the middle of the night. I was like 'wow, what an interesting subject matter to kind of pop into the head' and I didn't do anything with it for about a year-and-a-half. Then all of a sudden at the very, very end of making my album, I literally had two days left in the recording studio with my producer, Dr Luke. We just said, 'we're gonna finish it - it's so catchy because it won't get out of our heads.'"[6]
According to Perry, the song became a massive hit because musically the song is catchy. "I think that it's one of those subject matters that is, you know, like 'Oh my God I can't believe she said that, that someone came out and said it'. I think that, whenever anyone writes something that is different than, like, your plain peanut butter and jelly song, 'I love you, you love me', everyone kind of perks up and says 'what's this?'."[6]
We brought it to the record label and they didn't even wanna put it on the record and we were like 'You're crazy, you need to put this on the record, you need to put it out as the first single". Capitol A&R, Chris Anokute, told HitQuarters that the song and its controversial theme met with strong resistance at the label, "People said, 'This is never going to get played on the radio. How do we sell this? How’s this going to be played in the Bible belt?'"[7]
Anokute said that they needed the support of one of the label's radio promoters to convince people to believe in the record otherwise Perry would have likely been dropped again. Capitol's SVP of Promotions Dennis Reese saw the vision and helped push the single on national radio. The first station to pick it up and take a chance was 107.5 The River in Nashville. After playing it for three days they were inundated with enthusiastic calls.[7]
She has said:[8]
Everyone takes the song and relates it to their situation, they can see it however they want to see it. Love it, hate it, for me it was about us girls. When we're young, we're very touchy-feeley. We have slumber party sing-a-longs, we make up dance routines in our pajamas. We’re a lot more intimate in a friendship than guys can be. It’s not perverse but just sweet, that's what the song is about...
The song was partially inspired by Scarlett Johansson.[9][10]
Perry has also stated that the song was inspired by a particular person:[11]
The song was inspired by a friendship I had with a girl when I was 15, and I did kiss her. I was totally obsessed with her. She was beautiful – porcelain skin, perfect lips – and I still talk to her, but I've never told her the song is about her.
A music video for the song was released on May 16, 2008 on Perry's personal website and on MySpace. The video was directed by Kinga Burza and features a Moulin Rouge and burlesque-type setting with scenes of Perry, along with many other flamboyantly-dressed women dancing to the song. Towards the end of the video, she wakes up next to a male companion called Derek (DJ Skeet Skeet).[12] Despite the song's title, there is no depiction of same-sex kissing. Perry features her real life friend and DJ, Mia Moretti, Markus Molinari's cat Bella and a then-unknown Kesha in the music video.[13]
The video made its television debut on June 12, 2008 on TRL with the visit and interview by Perry in set show. On June 24, 2008 it became #1 on TRL. The video obtained high airplay on this music video channel, as well as on VH1. It debuted at #20 on VH1's VH1 Top 20 Video Countdown on June 28, 2008. On June 30, 2008 the video was premiered on MTV Latin America. On July 6, 2008, it rose to #4 on VH1's VH1 Top 20 Video Countdown. The video received five nominations for the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards, including Best Female Video and Best New Artist. The video has had over 38 million views on YouTube and an additional 67 million pre-vevo views. Due to the video and the song's popularity around the world, there are videos on YouTube which imitate and parody the song.
"I Kissed a Girl" has generally polarized music critics. Blogcritics Magazine called it "an instantly catchy number",[14] and About.com said, "fueled by an instrumental wallop provided courtesy of producer Dr. Luke, 'I Kissed a Girl' is the perfect breakthrough".[15] However, Rolling Stone magazine, while giving her album 2/5 stars, described the song as a "New Wave-y club single", saying the supposedly rebellious "attention-grabbing" lyrics are "a vanilla recounting of her chick-on-chick exploits" and that this "acting out" is "just to get a dude's attention".[16] This song was number 20 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2008.[17] Allmusic praises "the stomping Gary Glitter beat" before criticizing the producers for turning it "into a leaden stumble and burying Perry's voice underneath Pro Tools overdubs so it all winds up as a faceless wash of sound designed to be placed in TV shows, movie trailers, and malls".[18]
Sal Cinquemani of Slant magazine wrote, Perry's "lead single 'I Kissed a Girl' features a throbbing beat and an infectious, bi-curious hook, but its self-satisfied, in-your-face posturing rings phony in comparison to the expertly constructed ambiguities of 'Justify My Love' or practically anything in the first decade of Ani DiFranco's catalog; it's like a tween version of DiFranco's tortured bisexual confession 'Light of Some Kind'".[19] Hiponline.com wrote that the song is "not nearly as interesting or exciting as you’d expect. It’s not even half as good as Jill Sobule’s song 'I Kissed a Girl'".[20] Glitterati Gossip agrees Sobule's song "was ten times better, because there was actual emotional content to her lyrics".[21]
Sobule shared her feelings about Perry's song and use of the title in a July 2009 interview with The Rumpus:
| “ | When Katy Perry's song came out I started getting tons of inquiries about what I thought. Some folks (and protective friends) were angry, and wondered why she took my title and made it into this kind of 'girls gone wild' thing....
As a musician I have always refrained from criticizing another artist. I was, 'Well, good for her.' It did bug me a little bit, however, when she said she came up with the idea for the title in a dream. In truth, she wrote it with a team of professional writers and was signed by the very same guy that signed me in 1995. I have not mentioned that in interviews as I don't want to sound bitter or petty... Okay, maybe, if I really think about it, there were a few jealous and pissed-off moments. So here goes, for the first time in an interview: [jokingly][22] Fuck you, Katy Perry, you fucking stupid, maybe 'not good for the gays,' title-thieving, haven't heard much else, so not quite sure if you're talented, fucking little slut.[23] |
” |
AllMusic concluded "the problem is not with Katy's gender-bending, it's that her heart isn't in it; she's just using it to get her places, so she sinks to crass, craven depths".[18] Slant Magazine agrees, saying the song "isn't problematic because it promotes homosexuality, but because its appropriation of the gay lifestyle exists for the sole purpose of garnering attention — both from Perry's boyfriend and her audience".[19]
Adam Holz of PluggedinOnline, a division of Focus on the Family, wrote an article entitled "A Tale of Two Katys"[24] about the singer's image transformation from a Contemporary Christian music artist to one of the "girls gone wild". He criticizes the song for being the latest, "high-profile message to young women and men that our sexuality is a malleable commodity that can be reshaped at will". Holz also argues that Perry's message carries with it "no need to worry about who might get used or objectified in the process", causing Perry to live "down to a damaging, demeaning stereotype".
In some areas of the world, the song's lyrics have kept it from reaching the Top 40 or even being released at all. The song is banned in Singapore. Though the Toronto Star describes it as "a lesbian-friendly tune",[25] whether homophobia fuels negative reactions to the song or the song itself appears to divide critics. Slant and other critics[26][27] suggest that Perry may be homophobic, especially given her single "Ur So Gay", which makes "I Kissed a Girl" seem like "a classic example of the 'Guys kissing is gross, girls kissing is hot' line of thought," which promotes hypersexualization of queer women and demonization of queer men.[28] MomLogic.com writer Vuv-A-Licious agrees, asking "What's the big deal? ...When this tune is playing and my son and daughter are dancing, I will be trying to dance along, or trying to acknowledge that they may one day dance to the beat of a different drummer than me".[29]
In an August 2008 interview with British national newspaper Daily Mail, Perry's mother, Mary Hudson, an evangelical Christian preacher, was reported as saying that she disliked the song, stating: "It clearly promotes homosexuality and its message is shameful and disgusting..."[30] However, Perry took to her official blog stating that her mother's supposed comments were completely fabricated, while also saying her parents love and support her and attend many of her shows.
Regarding the question of her own sexuality that the song has raised, Perry told Santa Barbara magazine "I like to kiss boys, but there is no doubt in my mind if Angelina Jolie or Gisele Bündchen came a callin', who wouldn't pucker up?"[31] In an interview on the blog The New Gay, Perry admitted she has never actually kissed a girl and is heterosexual. She is quoted as saying "Yeah, it’s fantasy, it’s a song about curiosity."[32] However, in a separate interview, Perry stated that she has kissed a girl.[33][34]
During December 2008, openly bisexual singer Amanda Palmer performed a skit at several concerts where a Perry look-alike made her way to the stage and began singing "I Kissed A Girl", only to end up being groped, kissed, and fondled by Palmer and comedian Margaret Cho. The skit ended with the two forcing a bound and gagged Perry into a faux wedding with Palmer.[35] On her blog, Palmer mentioned that the piece was meant as a protest against Proposition 8, and claimed to wonder if Perry was exploiting homosexuality to sell her music.[36]
In February 2009, Márcio Barros, a substitute English language teacher in a Distrito Federal, Brazil public school was fired after he used the song in a class activity among students aged 12 to 14. He was accused of promoting "homosexualism" and alcoholic beverages usage through the lyrics of the song. The Secretary of Education supported the decision of the head of the school.[37]
"I Kissed a Girl" debuted at number 76 at Billboard Hot 100. After a couple of weeks, the single hit the top 5, due to the rising digital downloads and increasing radio airplay. It continued to rise the next week, reaching #2 just behind her labelmate, Coldplay. The following week, the song reached the summit of the US chart, becoming the 1000th #1 song of the rock era (the 961st #1 on the Billboard Hot 100).[38] In addition the song also gave the Capitol label two consecutive Hot 100 #1's, as the week's prior #1 was fellow Capitol artist Coldplay's "Viva la Vida", making it the first time since 1976 Capitol has had two back to back chart toppers on the Hot 100.[39] The single also crossed over to Billboard's sister publication R&R's Rhythmic chart in its July 5 issue, where not only did she have the highest debut ever for a non-rhythmic track, entering at number 26 with 1,065 spins, she also had the highest debut from a new artist in over five years. The bow is the best for a debut track at Rhythmic since Beyoncé entered at No. 21 with "Crazy In Love" in 2003.[40][41] It also became the first song since Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" to simultaneously appear on the Mainstream Top 40, Rhythmic, Adult Top 40 and Alternative charts.[42] On July 26, 2008, the track also made history by reaching the number one spot on Billboard's Hot Dance Airplay chart by three weeks, a first for a solo act with a debut single. The song topped the Hot 100 for seven weeks in a row before finally being dethroned by Rihanna's "Disturbia". It is the second longest running number one on the Hot 100 of 2008 (tied with "Whatever You Like"), with only Flo Rida's "Low" topping the chart for longer. As of September 2011, the song has sold more than 4,131,000 downloads in the United States.[43]
According to Britain's Official Charts Company, the single has sold over 635,000 copies in the United Kingdom as of June, 2010, is the first Virgin label single to sell more than half a million copies since the Spice Girls’ "Goodbye" in 1998. In Canada, the single debuted at #55 at Canadian Hot 100, reaching #1 on June 12 in a 26-position jump, becoming the first country where the song reached the pole position.
In New Zealand, the song debuted at number 38, the single's first appearance in other countries chart outside North America, moving to number three the following week. The song was certified Gold after seven weeks with sales of over 7,500. On August 11, 2008, eight weeks after debuting on the chart, "I Kissed a Girl" finally made it to number one. "I Kissed a Girl" was certified Platinum in New Zealand after 20 weeks selling 15,000+ copies.
In Australia, the song debuted at #13 on 30 June on downloads alone, then the next week jumped to second position behind Jordin Sparks, still on downloads alone. The next week it jumped to number one still solely off downloads, becoming only the second single to do so. Ironically, by the time the song went number 1, this was the time when World Youth Day 2008 had started and the event held anti-gay views. On July 21, 2008, after the singles physical release, the track retained its number one position and was certified Gold. The single has held the number one position for several weeks and was certified 2× Platinum.
In the United Kingdom, the single debuted at #4 on the UK Singles Chart on August 3, 2008. A week later, it reached the #1 spot, where it remained for 5 weeks (a feat which would not be matched again until "Someone Like You" by Adele in 2011) until it was knocked off the summit by "Sex on Fire" by Kings of Leon. It later debuted on the UK Singles Chart at position number 50.[44] Alongside Basshunter's "Now You're Gone" and "Mercy" by Duffy, "I Kissed a Girl" spent more weeks at #1 on the charts in Britain than any other single in 2008.
A second cover version, by Barnicle, entered the UK Singles Chart (published August 3, 2008) at position #116.[44] British girl-band The Saturdays did another cover version, never released commercially. The band performed it in each of their The Work Tour venues. The song was covered in the Pilot episode of Glee. The song is alluded to by Smurfette, voiced by Perry, in the 2011 film The Smurfs. When mentioning songs to Patrick Winslow (Neil Patrick Harris), Smurfette mentions "I Kissed a Smurf (and I Liked It)". On March 9 (UK) and March 10 (US) metalcore band, Attack Attack! released a cover for the song for the Punk Goes Pop 2 compilation. Because of the success of the cover versions, the official release of Perry's version was brought forward from September 1 to July 30, 2008. On August 3, 2008, the song, which had entered the UK Singles Chart at number 139 the week before,[45] climbed 135 places to reach position number 4.[44] The song has become one of the most requested on Radio 1's request hour. The following week it climbed 3 places to reach number 1. The following week it stayed at the top spot for a second consecutive week and then went on to spend 5 consecutive weeks at #1.
Even parodies of "I Kissed a Girl" are seeing chart success. Dr. Demento ranked Robert Lund's spoof "I Peed in the Pool"[46] his #1 song of August, 2008,[47] and one of his Funny 25 for the year.[48] The song climbed back into the top 20 (reaching #19) in the UK on January 4, 2009, five months after it was first released. The Blackout also covered this song on their single "Children of the Night". The song is featured in "Weird Al" Yankovic's new album Alpocalypse in his polka medley "Polka Face".
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