1. Music Analysis Presentation
Katy Perry
Music 1010
Kalie Maxwell
10/6/2014

2. Biography Katy Perry was born in Santa Barbara, California
Perry practiced singing with her sister’s cassette tapes
Her parents suggested she take vocal lessons
She started singing at her church at age 9
She did vocal training from ages 9 to 16
When she turned 13 she was given a guitar for her birthday
She started writing songs and publicly performed these songs
During her freshman year of high school she completed her GED at age 15
Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (not to be confused with the actress Kate Hudson) is better known as Katy Perry. She is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Katy Perry was born in Santa Barbara, California. Her parents were pastors, but her family consisted of an uncle who is a film director, a brother and an older sister, who are also singers. Because of her parents who are reformed Christians, Katy was only allowed to listen to gospel music. Non-religious music was frowned upon in her family’s home. She discovered popular music through CDs she got from her friends. Perry practiced singing with her sister’s cassette tapes. She then started to perform the songs in front of her parents, who suggested she take vocal lessons. Perry started singing at her church at age 9. She also started vocal training at age 9 and continued to age 16. When she turned 13 she was given a guitar for her birthday. She started writing songs and soon after, publicly performed these songs. During her freshman year of high school she completed her GED at age 15. Perry left school to pursue a career in gospel music, releasing her debut studio album, Katy Hudson, in The album only sold an estimated 200 copies and the label then quit at the end of the year.

3. Released her debut album Katy Hudson in 2001
Perry left school
Released her debut album Katy Hudson in 2001
At age 17 Katy Perry started writing songs with producer Glen Ballard
She moved to Los Angeles to try her hand in non-religious music.
She briefly performed with the name Katheryn Perry so as not to get confused with actress Kate Hudson
Later adopted her stage name Katy Perry, using her mother’s maiden name
Perry was signed and dropped from record companies such as The Island Def Jam Music Group and Columbia Records
In April 2007, she signed a deal with Capitol Records
Her single “I Kissed a Girl” was her rise to fame in 2008
She became the first female artist to produce five number-one Billboard Hot 100 songs
At age 17 Katy Perry started writing songs with producer Glen Ballard and moved to Los Angeles to try her hand in non-religious music. She briefly performed with the name Katheryn Perry so as not to get confused with actress Kate Hudson, but later adopted her stage name Katy Perry, using her mother’s maiden name. Perry was signed and dropped from record companies such as The Island Def Jam Music Group and Columbia Records.
After Columbia Records dropper Perry, Jason Flom, the Virgin Records chairman, was convinced that she could be a star. In April 2007, she signed a deal with Capitol Records. Her single “I Kissed a Girl” was her rise to fame in From there she had numerous chart-topping singles and she became the first female artist to produce five number-one Billboard Hot 100 songs.

4. On Forbes list of “Top-Earning Women In Music”
Sold over 10 mil. Albums and nearly 100 mil. Singles worldwide
Debuted her voice in “The Smurfs” and also released a documentary film “Katy Perry: Part of Me”
Influenced by artists such as Amy Grant, Queen, Beach Boys, Madonna, Gwen Stefani and Bjork
Katy Perry has received many awards and nominations. She was on Forbes list of “Top-Earning Women In Music” in 2011, 2012, and Throughout her career, she has sold over 10 million albums and nearly 100 million singles worldwide. This all makes her one of the best-selling artists of all time. She has also made celebrity endorsements, released perfumes, debuted her voice in The Smurfs, and also released a documentary film Katy Perry: Part of Me, which was about her life as an artist and also about her marriage to Russell Brand in 2010.
Many artists influenced and inspired Perry and her music. During her gospel years she wanted to be as successful as Amy Grant. The song “Killer Queen” by Queen was the song that inspired her to pursue a career in music. The Beach Boys also had an influence on her music. Madonna has the ability to reinvent herself, and Perry admires her and wants to evolve in the same way. Some other artists who inspired Perry’s work include Gwen Stefani and Bjork.
Perry’s music is unique. Her music incorporates pop, rock, and disco. Her first album contained gospel. Her other releases involve themes of sex and love. ”Teenage Dream” has a disco influence while “One of the Boys” is a pop record. Her newest album is mostly influenced by pop and dance music. Her songs are very relatable. In her songs she speaks of relationships, love (both as a teenager and evolves into love as a woman), life, and self-reflection. Perry is brave. She allows herself to be truthful, vulnerable, and honest.
Perry has a low female singing voice. Her voice has been both criticized and praised. Some say her voice is powerful and has a hard edge. Others say she has a perky voice, a rock chick voice, and even a voice that is unpleasant at times because she shifts octaves mid-syllable. All in all, most of her listeners, who happen to be teenage girls, would agree that she has that punk rock chick in her but also has a sweet tone in other songs. She can relate to girls of all ages with any number of her songs. There is a song for almost every emotion a girl feels and that is what makes her music so popular.

5. COMPOSITION HISTORY This Is How We Do Birthday Dark Horse Roar
I chose to do my paper on Katy Perry. She obviously does not have a song that is minutes in length so I chose four of my favorite songs from her and did a composition on each. The songs I chose to analyze include “This Is How We Do,” “Birthday,” “Dark Horse,” and “Roar.” I chose these songs because they are upbeat. They are “feel good songs” and some of them even make me feel powerful. Katy Perry is an amazing artist with a talent of making a song for every mood you could be in. As you will see, I chose these songs from the same album, which, was actually an accident. I guess I just like her current songs more than her older ones. I think she has grown as an artist and will continue to grow.

6. This Is How We Do
“This Is How We Do” was produced by Klas Ahlund, and Max Marin who also helped Perry co-write the song.
The song was recorded in Stockholm, Sweden in 2013 and was released on August 11, 2014.
It is a dance pop song with urban and hip hop influences.
A remix of the song was made featuring rapper Riff Raff

7. Listening Guide 1 This Is How We Do
0:00 Introduction: The introduction of this song is somewhat confusing to begin with. It is not until 0:04 that you can hear the rhythm of the music. However, you can distinguish with ease, the difference between what is being played and what is being sung at 0:04. I would have to say that the texture of the introduction is not as great as it could be. With that being said, it is still interesting to hear.
0:10 Verse 1 begins: The rhythm is definitely presenting itself now. The melody is different, but it is interesting. The harmony supports the melody which sets the mood for the song. The timbre is obvious. Her voice stands out from the piano playing in the song. It is easy to distinguish what instrument is playing if you listen. Each piece has its own sense of belonging in that song. When you combine the rhythm with the melody and harmony, the texture is on point.
0:30 Chorus: The rhythm of the song changes for a couple seconds before the beat picks up where it left off. It keeps the song interesting and gives the listener a break from the same repetitive beat. The volume of the sounds and notes get louder. There are some musical instruments that come in for only a couple seconds to change the sound as well.
1:00 Verse 2 Begins: It is the same as the first verse. However, the melody is choppy. The harmony changes due to the melody, and in turn it changes the texture, but in a good way. This is the final verse where you understand what the “big picture” is about. The lyrics are different, but the rhythm has not changed.
1:20 Chorus: The chorus here is exactly the same as the first chorus. It is interesting but is also different from the original form of the song.
1:50 Bridge: This harmony and melody both change quite a bit. The rhythm is still there, but it gets a little off. You can definitely distinguish timbre here. She talks over the music, but you can still tell the difference between instruments. It is more intense in this section.
2:19 Coda: This is the most exciting part of the song. The pitch is louder, and she sings with more emphasis. At 3:00 is where you simply hear the instruments playing in rhythm. The texture of the coda and the overall form of the song was great.
3:­­24 Ends

8. Birthday
“Birthday” was written by Katy Perry, Bonnie Mckee, Cirkut, Dr. Luke, and Max Martin.
The song was recorded in 2013 and was produced by Dr. Luke, Max Martin, and Cirkut.
“Birthday” is more of a funk-pop song with a heavy disco influence.
The single was promoted at the 2014 Billboard Music Awards for the first time.

9. Listening Guide 2 Birthday
0:00 Introduction: To begin, there is an instant rhythm. The beats are short and simple. The tone makes the melody and harmony fun and upbeat.
0:08 Verse 1 begins: By paying attention to timbre, you can tell the difference in instruments. Her voice blends with the instruments playing. However, it is distinctive, but it is still soft and pleasing. The harmony definitely makes the music satisfying to hear. The texture of this verse is nice. It is exciting to listen to her vocals ascend along with the instruments.
0:39 Chorus: The rhythm of the music stays the same. However, while the beats stay the same, the tones ascend. The harmony changes here and gives a happier feeling to the song. The timbre is very distinctive here as the trumpets start playing toward the end of the chorus. Then it suddenly stops when the second verse begins.
1:10 Verse 2 Begins: She talks about popping champagne, so to add musical effect there is a sound of a cork popping in the background of the music. The pitch and intensity of the trumpets add flare to the song. The trumpets are much louder than the rest of the music, even her voice. But this does not mess with the form of the music. If anything, it brings the piece together.
1:40 Chorus: She gets bolder and sings some words in a higher register than the others so it adds emphasis. But it is the same as the first chorus.
2:10 Bridge: The music changes here. It is different from every other piece of music in this song. For a while there is only one instrument playing. At the end of this line, a beat “drops.” It is not the same rhythm as the rest of the song. It has its own rhythm. It starts out slow and eventually it gets faster. When it reaches its fastest beat, it drops you back into the final chorus.
2:45 Chorus: The chorus is repetitive for a reason. It stays the same throughout. There is no change in the form at all.
3:00 Coda: The undertone of the song is still playing and the words are the same as the chorus. However, she sings lines way above the top of the undertones. All of the instruments are playing, but the trumpets are now blending rather than standing out alone. The whole song is coming together. The piece is amazing. The overall quality of the rhythm, melody, and harmony is satisfying to listen to. This song has great form. It is very well put together and bringing every vocal, instrument, and piece into this song together at the end was perfect.
3:­­35 Ends

10. Dark Horse
“Dark Horse” was written by Katy Perry, Jordan Houston, Lukasz Gottwald, Sarah Hudson, Max Martin, and Henry Walter.
It was recorded in 2013 and produced by Dr. Luke, Max Martin, and Cirkut.
It has a strong hip hop influence and features rapper Juicy J in one verse in the original song. In the remix Juicy J has a much larger part.
“Dark Horse” was first performed at the iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas, Nevada on September 20, 2013.

11. Listening Guide 3 Dark Horse
0:00 Introduction: The introduction begins with a “noise”. It is very repetitive. The only change is a person talks over the top of the music for a few very brief seconds. The intensity and pitch of this introduction is not very pleasing. There is no rhythm to it at all.
0:15 Verse 1 begins: This is perfect for rhythm in my opinion. The song itself has snaps to the beat. It makes you want to snap in sync with it. It has very distinct beats and pieces to the song. Her melody combined with the harmony makes the song soft and intriguing. It is almost mysterious.
0:45 Chorus: To start the chorus, the beats of the music stops. You can hear the vocal instruments and her singing but it isn’t until a few seconds in that the beat and rhythm start up again. At 1:00 more instruments come into play and the song picks up where it left off. Her vocals get higher and they are repetitive but conclude to a single sentence which trails off. After this, there is nothing but rhythm and instruments that keep the song going. This is where there is mostly snapping of fingers as an instrument. This allows the second verse to pick up in that same softness as the first verse.
1:20 Verse 2 Begins: Same dynamics as the first verse. Same rhythm, same harmony, and melody as well. The only difference between the first verse and this verse is the lyrics.
1:50 Chorus: Same as the first chorus. From paying attention you can tell that the distinct point in the chorus is at the very first beat. It is a piano that plays a low note and holds that note right before she sings.
2:19 Verse 3: The song is virtually the same in this verse however, there are fewer instruments. This is where Juicy J is featured and he does his rap piece. At 2:33 there are percussions that pick up but only for a few beats throughout this verse. There are pauses at the end of his sentences which make for an interesting but overall effective piece to listen to.
3:03 Coda: Vocals are the main instrument. The rhythm stays the same. The volume of the song gets louder right before the end.
3:­­35 Ends

12. Roar
“Roar” was written by Katy Perry, Lukasz Gottwald, Max Martin, Bonnie Mckee, and Henry Walter.
It was recorded in March 2013 and was produced by Dr. Luke, Max Martin, and Cirkut.
This song is another pop song but has influences such as power pop, and glam rock.
“Roar” was first performed at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards under the Brooklyn Bridge as the ceremonies closing.

13. Listening Guide 4
Roar
0:00 Introduction: The rhythm is distinct. It starts by playing with percussions. This gives the beat right away.
0:05 Verse 1 begins: The rhythm stays the same playing with percussions. The melody and harmony are perfect. The pitch of her voice is just right. She sings softly through this verse. Her words are very easy to understand so it paints a picture for you.
0:45 Chorus: The percussions start playing loudly. This is fitting because she talks about being a fighter, being fearless, and being a champion above all. Her vocals get higher and the beat gets stronger.
1:22 Verse 2 Begins: She drops back down to a lower register in her vocals. The percussions aren’t as loud either. This is fitting because she talks about being fragile like a butterfly. The picture she paints not only with her words, but with the music is amazing.
1:52 Chorus: The chorus is the same as the first chorus, with the exception of the last sentence where she emphasizes her words in a louder pitch.
2:40 Bridge: The Bridge is quiet at first. She starts singing “Roar” and each time she gets louder and louder and the music follows.
2:53 Coda: This is where the song is at its loudest. Everything including the drums and guitars are loud. Her voice is very high pitched but not so high that it disrupts the song. It ends very well with everything playing together. She is singing lone words or phrases above the already recorded song. It is a very exciting and inspiring piece. The form of the song is incredible.
3:­­42 Ends

14. Bibliography
Katy Perry The Movie: Part of Me. Dir. Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz. Perf. Katy Perry, Adam Marcello. Paramount, DVD. Sept 17, 2014.
"Roar Prism." Katy Perry. Icon Interactive, n.d. Web. 22 Sept <
"Katheryn Hudson." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 20 Sept <
"Rhapsody :: Subscription Music Service: Listen All You Want: Millions of Songs." Rhapsody. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Sept <
Wang, Julia. "Katy Perry." PEOPLE.com. People, n.d. Web. 13 Sept <
"Roar (song)." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 10 Apr Web. 14 Sept <
"Birthday (Katy Perry Song)." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 10 Mar Web. 14 Sept <
"Dark Horse (Katy Perry Song)." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 10 May Web. 14 Sept <
"This Is How We Do." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 10 Mar Web. 14 Sept <