The In Sound From Way Out - EMI Australia's Music and MP3 Blog » Katy Perry

EMI’s Magical Mystery Tour – Chapter 3: Katy Perry’s Teenage Dream

Kara — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 07:11:13 +0000

And so it turned out our next Mystery Stop was the Plaza Ballroom for the exclusive Katy Perry Mastercard Show. The spectacular venue was packed with punters of all ages, shapes, & sizes – far more so than we expected!

After drinking some intensely coloured cocktails in electrified martini glasses and finding the best vantage spot, Katy burst out onto stage amid The Strangeloves’ I Want Candy – highly appropriate for the iconic Candy Girl.

Post-show, we had the great pleasure of meeting Katy and presenting her with a double platinum plaque for California Gurls. Pictures are below, but here is our newest EMI resident Bianca’s take on the evening’s events.
Bianca is also a talented music journalist and heads up the blog Writers Anonymous – How To Be An Unsuccessful Writer And Annoy People.

So you thought you didn’t like Katy Perry huh? You thought you had it all figured out – she’s super pop, she isn’t a “muso”, she’s just for 14 year old girls who want blue hair too etc, etc. Well do I have news for you: KP is cool.Before I go into my own opinion, I want you to read a review on The Vine. Yep, the uber-hipster, way too cool for school website The Vine. The ones who recently panned both Richard Ashcroft’s latest effort AND Broken Social Scene. Right, get it? Now read this...

Add to that the amount of requests I have been getting for a copy of Katy’s album with the words “Shhh don’t tell anyone” following it, and you have a down right and dirty closet case of pop hipster-hysteria. They even ask for posters, and are really excited about the fact the album is going to smell like cotton candy (no, it actually is). I’ll keep my promise and not divulge names.

So the scene is set for a ‘phenomenon’. Not even Gaga has reached out to editors of hipster blogs and electro obsessors alike… And what an unlikely hero: Katy Perry, complete with cupcake bra and sugary sweet refrains.

But here’s the catch: the beauty is in the cross over. Those who remember UR So Gay, one of Katy’s first singles, knew she had it in her – but flash forward a few years and who would’ve thought she would be screaming “Cock, Cock, Cock!” to 14 year olds in the front row. Sure, it’s in the context of her song Peacock in which she sings “I wanna see your Peacock, Cock, Cock, Cock”, but there’s no doubting that those little kids know exactly what they’re mimicking. Especially when you add to that the fact that KP is thrusting in time with each ‘Cock’. Wow.

But then again, the last word in UR So Gay IS “penis”. There seems to be some kind of pattern here…

It’s this kind of brazen live act which screams out ‘try-hard’ on the surface, but for some reason in person, there is absolutely no irony. It seems entirely in line with her character. This angel with a dirty mouth schtick isn’t so much a schtick as entirely genuine. It’s who she really is.

Add to that the fact that the second she picked up a guitar, every music journo and blogger in the room immediately focus on those fingers to tear her apart. They were writing the sentences in their head, laughing internally; what a try hard! She can’t play guitar! But… she can.

Her vocals are flawless, her manner is sweet and funny, and no matter how hard you try, you are swept into a sad ocean of personal lameness – finding yourself singing along to every word you never knew you knew, and dancing like a tool to Teenage Dream. Putting your hands in the air like you just don’t care with strangers you just met at the bar. Bonding over California Girls with your workmates.

Here’s my advice people: Give in. It’s great in here in the pop closet… plus, it smells like cotton candy.

Next stop… the afterparty!

Katy Perry’s Summer Teenage Dream

Kara — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 07:25:13 +0000

This Australian winter has me down and chilly. Answer? A California beach frolic with really really ridiculously good looking boys and girls.

Enter Katy Perry with her Teenage Dream and skin tight jeans.

(to save you ladies the effort Googling, Katy’s love interest is Josh Kloss, AKA Chip Saunders from The O.C.)

The full length official video is coming soon, but in the meanwhile you can watch more Katy and Josh canoodling on Music Fix.

Teenage Dream is the title track from Katy’s upcoming album. This track is available exclusively on iTunes for the moment.

The Greatest Covers of all time

Jess — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 08:03:14 +0000

According to the Guinness Book of Records, the song Yesterday by The Beatles holds the record for having the most cover versions of any song ever. More than 3,000 versions of the song are available, but none of them could be better than the original!

Given the rise in popularity of the cover song, many becoming huge hits for the covering artists, what does make a great cover song? Is it a seamless rendition? Is it in seeing how far you can twist it from the original while still maintaining the original intent? Is it about sincerity? Irony? Perhaps putting that unmistakable personal stamp on it? The truth is that there is no formula for a great cover but we’ve found our favourites and put them on Video Hits: The Greatest Covers.

It’s three CDs packed with everything from Faith No More, Jeff Buckley, Red Hot Chili Peppers and UB40 to Florence + The Machine, Lily Allen and Katy Perry.

My personal favourite is a little gem from our very own Paul Dempsey covering the MGMT smash Time To Pretend.

It’s in stores today, so grab yourself a copy!

Katy Perry and Snoop represent West Coast “California Gurls”

Kara — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 04:00:52 +0000

Katy… I truly have no words.

But our Chairman’s disclaimer / introduction to our in-house screening of California Gurls says it all:

Katy Perry and Snoop Dogg tease us with “California Gurls”

Shelley — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 21:32:48 +0000

Check out this super fun teaser for Katy Perry’s California Gurls feat. fellow West Coast representative Snoop Dogg.

It’s cupcake-alicious and outrageously colourful – so very Katy.

Seems like Australia loves the West Coast… California Gurls is #1 on iTunes Australia and is now a Gold single!

Grammy Nomination Fever

Kara — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 04:40:45 +0000

Riding off the back of the biggest ARIA Awards since Ben Hur (please don’t mention that ARIAs didn’t necessarily operate during the time of Christ), it’s difficult to let the party die down. After all, it’s only 3 weeks til Christmas!

So indeed the good times continue with the news that we (that’s EMI worldwide, not my band) have FIFTY SIX Grammy Award nominations in the whopping one hundred and nine categories – far too many to list, but here are our EMI highlights!

Multiple nominees include our favourite shaggy-haired, bikini-babe-surrounded Frenchman David Guetta (who also produced The Black Eyed Peas’ Grammy nominated album and record of the year), Coldplay, Depeche Mode, Keith Urban and American Classic legend Willie Nelson.

Katy Perry announced the Best Rock Album nominees and discussed the Black Eyed Peas nominations – watch the videos.

And yes, the reason why the Grammy artwork is so cool this year is no other than Shepard Fairey – the man behind THAT Obama / Hope and Obey / Giant artwork – is responsible. OBEY (great music)

Best Female Pop Vocal Performance

Hot N Cold – Katy Perry

Best Dance Recording

When Love Takes Over – David Guetta & Kelly Rowland

Best Electronic/Dance Album

One Love – David Guetta

Yes – Pet Shop Boys

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album

American Classic – Willie Nelson

Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals

Life In Technicolor II – Coldplay

Best Hard Rock Performance

Check My Brain – Alice In Chains

Best Alternative Music Album

Sounds Of The Universe – Depeche Mode

Best Country Album

Defying Gravity – Keith Urban

Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group

Too Many Rappers – Beastie Boys & Nas

Best Male Country Vocal Performance

Sweet Thing – Keith Urban

Best Country Album

Defying Gravity – Keith Urban

Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals

Baby, It’s Cold Outside – Willie Nelson & Norah Jones

Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package

Lost In The Sound Of Separation – Deluxe Edition (Underoath)
Jordan Butcher, art director

Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical

Greg Kurstin

It’s Not Me, It’s You
(Lily Allen)

Ray Guns Are Not Just The Future
(The Bird And The Bee)

Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical

The Girl And The Robot – Jean Elan Remix (Röyksopp)
Jean Elan, remixer

When Love Takes Over – Electro Extended Remix (David Guetta ft Kelly Rowland)
David Guetta, remixer

Best Short Form Music Video

Life In Technicolor II – Coldplay (Dougal Wilson, video director; Matthew Fone, video producer)

Wrong – Depeche Mode (Patrick Daughters, video director; Jonathan Lia, video producer)

Best Long Form Music Video

Love, Pain & The Whole Crazy World Tour Live – Keith Urban Chris Hicky, video director; Blake Morrison, video producer

The Beatles “Love – All Together Now” -
Adrian Wills, video director; Martin Bolduc & Jonathan Clyde, video producers

Katy Perry – Waking up in Brisvegas!!

Trent — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 05:25:09 +0000

While in Brisbane to kick off her first Australian tour date KATY PERRY took the time to visit the Brisbane EKKA yesterday and hang out with the B105 Breakfast radio gang. Our favourite girl was mobbed but Katy couldn’t have been happier getting to meet her Brisbane fans for the first time before she thrilled them again live that same evening at her SOLD OUT “Hello Miss Katy” show at The Tivoli.

Come back soon Katy…..

Katy Perry’s armpit jam

Nikki — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 06:04:55 +0000

I love the interwebs. You find weird stuff like this all the time…Katy Perry being challenged by Calvin Harris to open a can of Jam for ‘JAM TV’:

WTF, Calvin Harris?

And more tasty Katy fodder… Check out the ‘Manhattan Clique Mix’ of Waking Up In Vegas including far too M&Ms for this lifetime:

Nice one bruvva!

Katy is coming to the land of Oz in August for her first proper tour – superfantastic! Dates and ticket info her: www.katyperry.com

Personally I’m hoping to see some outfits like this:

Or this:

Or an entrance like this:

Or this:

Any or all of the above would be fine with me, Katy. KTHANXBAI

Katy Perry Power Metal

Kara — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 15:32:38 +0000

Thankyou to Perez Hilton for this absolute gem, performed and recorded by Andy Xiong. Original version and vocals, naturally a Katy Perry classic.

Dragon Force all the way! Would like to hear some Cannibal Corpse-esque death metal growls though…

Katy Perry – Waking Up In Vegas

Kara — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 07:37:35 +0000

It was premiered on Perez Hilon today, so you pop-junkies should have already heard… The trailer for Ravishing in Red Katy Perry’s Waking Up In Vegas vid is at http://perezhilton.com/2009-04-10-your-first-look-32.

Yes, it’s cinematic enough to need a trailer. We’re talking Lambourghini’s, stretch-limos, gold confetti (probably 24K), tears, and smeared make-up (yet again).

Power Pop at it power-iest.