and digital single, and it
gained enough attention that
by spring of
2008, Madonna was calling
it her current "favorite song."
By that point, Katy's first
real single was scheduled for
release: "I Kissed a Girl."
Also vaguely scandalous, "I
Kissed a Girl" became a
smash and headed all the way
to the top of the Billboard
Hot 100. Her debut, One of
the Boys, followed in June of
2008, and it was also a
success, supported by the
Top 10 hit "Hot N Cold,"
along with "Thinking of
You" and "Waking Up in
Vegas." One of the Boys was
a big enough hit that the
shelved album Perry had
recorded with the
Matrix back in 2004 saw a
release in January 2009, but it
didn't do much upon its
release.
Perry supported One of the
Boys with media appearances
and steady tours, including an
appearance on the 2008
Warped Tour and her own
headlining Hello Katy jaunt
in 2009. A stopgap MTV
Unplugged album appeared
in November 2009, by which
time Perry was hard at work
on her second
album, Teenage Dream.
Preceded by the frothy single
"California Gurls," Teenage
Dream was an international
smash, generating no less
than five consecutive number
one singles in the US:
"California Gurls," "Teenage
Dream," "Firework," "E.T."
JOY FEELINGS