Katy Perry

Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson, born October 25, 1984, in Santa Barbara, California, began as a gospel singer before reinventing herself as a mainstream pop artist. Her breakthrough "I Kissed a Girl" (2008) reached number one in 20 countries. "Teenage Dream" (2010) became a historic commercial achievement: it produced five consecutive number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100—"California Gurls," "Teenage Dream," "Firework," "E.T.," and "Last Friday Night"—matching Michael Jackson's record from "Bad" and making Perry only the second artist in history to achieve this with a single album. "Prism" (2013) yielded "Roar" and "Dark Horse." Her 2015 Super Bowl halftime show was watched by 118 million viewers—the most-watched Super Bowl halftime in history at that time. She has sold over 140 million records, holds three Guinness World Records, and performed a Las Vegas residency (Play, 2021–2023) to sold-out audiences. As an American Idol judge (2018–2024), she influenced the next generation of performers. Her Witness: The Tour (2017) was one of the highest-grossing tours of that year.