3 Songs for People Who Say They Don’t Like Katy Perry

If there is one artist on planet Earth who knows how to make a statement, it’s Katy Perry. Just look at the names of her debut single (“I Kissed a Girl”) and debut LP (One of the Boys). From the very moment she landed in the spotlight, she was making people say, “What? Huh? What did she do?” And that’s exactly the job of a pop star. Perry plays it well.

Indeed, Perry is polarizing in the best of ways. For more examples, just look at her outfits (beer can bras) or stage setups in Las Vegas with giant toilet paper rolls. The longtime American Idol judge is brilliant when it comes to attracting attention. And this may be a reason why some might not dig her aesthetic or stature. As a result, here below, we wanted to offer three songs for people who say they don’t like Katy Perry.

[RELATED: The 30 Best Katy Perry Quotes]

“Roar” from Prism (2013)

Nominated for Grammy Awards for Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance, this song is all about strength, and showing it off. Featuring a swelling melody, Katy Perry takes on the persona of a tiger in the track’s meaning (and music video) and she touts her power. People will know her abilities and she will sing—er, roar—about them from the rooftops. On the offering, she belts,

I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter
Dancing through the fire
‘Cause I am a champion, and you’re gonna hear me roar
Louder, louder than a lion
‘Cause I am a champion, and you’re gonna hear me roar

Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
You’re gonna hear me roar

“I Kissed a Girl” from One of the Boys (2008)

This song came out in 2008 when it wasn’t so normal to have girls talking about kissing girls. But Perry helped that idea come more and more into the public sphere. Today, those conversations and that behavior is much more mainstream. But at the time, it made many music listeners say, “What did she just sing?!” But that’s the power of Perry—she has an earnest sense of flair. This flirtatious, boundary-pushing song, which was her first single on her debut LP, put her on the map. And on it, she sings,

This was never the way I planned
Not my intention
I got so brave, drink in hand
Lost my discretion
It’s not what I’m used to
Just wanna try you on
I’m curious for you
Caught my attention

I kissed a girl and I liked it
The taste of her cherry chapstick
I kissed a girl just to try it
I hope my boyfriend don’t mind it
It felt so wrong, it felt so right
Don’t mean I’m in love tonight
I kissed a girl and I liked it
I liked it

“Dark Horse” ft. Juicy J from Prism (2013)

This song, which boasts billions of streams on YouTube alone, opens with an infectious beat. And Perry tangos all over it with an alluring vocal melody. A genre-bending song that bridges pop, rap, and more, “Dark Horse” is a warning. Here, Perry tells one who might wish to fall in love with her that it would be a bad decision. On the sticky track, she sings,

So you wanna play with magic?
Boy, you should know what you’re fallin’ for
Baby, do you dare to do this?
‘Cause I’m coming at you like a dark horse

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