Katy Perry returned to the city she now calls home, Los Angeles, on August 5 for a three-night stint at the Nokia Theater, the latest stop on her California Dreams Tour. And while her crowd-pleasing set was packed with surprising covers (including Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” and a mashup of Rihanna’s “Only Girl In The World”/Willow Smith’s “Whip My Hair”/Jay-Z’s “Big Pimpin’”), it was another cover, of Rebecca Black’s “Friday” with fellow California gurl Rebecca herself joining in, that was the biggest surprise of all. And it just so happened to be a Friday night! [liek omg!]

Katy seems determined to help Rebecca Black–or “the infamous Rebecca Black,” as Katy introduced her to the Nokia crowd–extend her 15 minutes of fame. Rebecca recently made a cameo in Katy’s “Last Friday Night” video (playing the BFF of Katy’s geek-girl alter ego, Kathy Beth Terry), and when the two reunited onstage this week, Katy beamed at her like a proud mother figure. Their surprise duet ended with a hug, after which Katy sweetly declared, “That was our moment,” referencing Rebecca’s new “My Moment” single.

Ironically, though, Katy upstaged her young charge, as her superior “Friday” vocals completely overwhelmed Rebecca’s reedier voice. (And Katy’s fluffy pink circus-girl get-up certainly took attention away from Rebecca’s more sedate gray tunic and black leggings.) But that didn’t matter–the unison singing by the sold-out Nokia crowd during this a cappella duet practically drowned out both ladies, especially when partyin’, partyin’ spectators chanted the song’s “yeahs” right on cue.

Declared Katy afterwards , “Damn it, I love the Internet!” And we’re sure Rebecca feels the same way. The 14-year-old viral video sensation’s life is currently a California dream come true.

Source: OMG Yahoo

Katy Perry is on the verge of tying an incredible Billboard Hot 100 chart record — held by Michael Jackson — thanks to some help from Missy Elliott.

Jackson owns the record for the most Hot 100 No. 1 singles from one album — with five from his 1987 classic “Bad.” Presently, Perry has four No. 1s from her “Teenage Dream” set. Its fifth single, “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F),” rests at No. 2 on the chart this week.

However, on Monday, Aug. 8, a new remix of “Friday” (featuring Missy Elliott) will hit radio airwaves, the web and digital retailers.

If the sales, airplay and streams of the track are strong enough, it could push the song to No. 1 in the coming weeks. (All versions of a song and its remixes are generally merged together for charting purposes.) Last week, it trailed the current Hot 100 No. 1, LMFAO’s “Party Rock Anthem,” by about 50,000 digital downloads on the Digital Songs chart. Over on the Radio Songs tally, “Friday” was behind “Party” by 2 million in audience points and had been the greatest gainer for the past three weeks.

This late-in-the-game remix-release strategy has become a popular concept in recent months. In April, Rihanna enlisted Britney Spears for a remix of the former’s “S&M” that prompted its jump to No. 1. Shortly after, Spears turned to Nicki Minaj and Ke$ha to help out with a remix of her track, “Till the World Ends.” Its release helped push the single 11-3 on the Hot 100.

But let’s get back to Perry versus Jackson. Perry has so far claimed four No. 1s from “Teenage Dream” — “California Gurls,” the title track, “Firework” and “E.T.” (featuring Kanye West). “Last Friday Night” is in its second week at No. 2 and its seventh frame in the top 10.

Jackson’s five No. 1s from “Bad” are “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You,” the title track, “The Way You Make Me Feel,” “Man in the Mirror” and “Dirty Diana.” Some fans might have immediately thought “Thriller” held the record for the most No. 1s, since it was such a monster album. While it did spawn seven top 10 hits, only two of them — “Billie Jean” and “Beat It” — hit No. 1.

Source: Billboard

Lady Gaga has surely got a new competition. After edging past Lady Gaga in MTV Video Awards nominations, Katy Perry has broken another record set by Gaga as well, thanks to her latest smash hit “Last Friday Night.” With this song, the 5^th song from the album “Teenage Dream” has find a place at the top position of Billboard’s Pop Songs airplay rankings. Earlier, Lady Gaga and Justin Timberlake had a record of having 4 singles at the top from an album.

Katy Perry does not need to stop here though. She has a unique opportunity to touch the pop legend Michael Jackson as the latter had a record of having 5 singles from his 1987 album “Bad” at the top of Billboard’s historic Hot 100.

Currently, at the top of the list is LMFAO’s “Party Rock Anthem” which is enjoying its 5^th straight week there. However, according to music analysts, next week “Last Friday Night” can topple “Party Rock Anthem and if that happens, Katy Perry will surely touch a new height.

Source: 4 Press Biz

Katy Perry is pleased her parents have “let go of the leash” they had on her.

The ‘Friday Night’ hitmaker – whose parents Keith and Mary Hudson are Christian pastors – explained her mum and dad have “finally” stopped worrying about her life and career and accepted her marriage to British comedian and actor Russell Brand, who has battled sex and drug addictions in the past.

She said: “It’s good my family and my parents have finally let go of the leash.”

Katy’s mother previously expressed her concern over Russell’s past, urging him to “go towards the light” and find God.

Mary said: “Russell must go towards the light and not toward the darkness. Only God can take the very worst person and turn them around for good.

“You just have to see how the Lord’s will is done. I mean, how many times have your kids disappointed you so profoundly you wanted to get up from the chair and knock them out?”

However, following the couple’s wedding last October, Keith admitted he couldn’t wish for a “better son-in-law”.

He explained: “I could not have wished for a better son-in-law in Russell. He makes my girl so happy. She’s so happy and he makes her light up. They’re going to be just fine.

“You couldn’t see two f***ing happier people.”

Source: NZ City

Lady GaGa and Katy Perry are among the artists nominated for the inaugural ‘Best Video With A Message’ prize at the MTV Video Music Awards. 

Pink, Eminem and Rihanna, Taylor Swift and Rise Against have also been nominated for the brand new trophy.

MTV has said that the pro-social category, in partnership with MTV Act, is designed to “celebrate the powerful intersection of music and social activism, and highlight artists who created music videos with positive messages of self-empowerment or raised awareness of key social issues facing today’s youth”.

MTV’s president Stephen Friedman said: “During the past year, we’ve seen a remarkable number of artists use their music to explore deeply personal experiences and issues they were passionate about to create powerful videos that resonated with and inspired millions of their fans.”

MTV has already announced that Adele, Lil Wayne, Chris Brown and Young The Giant will perform at this month’s ceremony.

The 2011 MTV Video Music Awards air live from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday, August 28, 2011 at 9pm ET/PT. 

Source: Digital Spy

Joseline Patterson was disappointed when her boyfriend told her tickets to see Katy Perry, her favorite artist, were too expensive.

Chris Gloria, 26, recommended he and his girlfriend take the day off to go support his mother at an award show. Since the show was being held around the corner from Comerica Theater, he told Patterson, 25, they could stop by and soak in the atmosphere surrounding Perry coming to town.

The pop star’s nationwide tour stopped in Phoenix on Wednesday.

But when the couple got to the theater, Gloria surprised Patterson with two tickets to the Perry show that he bought on eBay for $500. Patterson was ecstatic.

“This is the best boyfriend ever,” Patterson said, hugging Gloria. “He played it off really well.”

The couple joined other Katy Perry fans in line outside Comerica Theater, some of whom had been waiting for hours in weather that warranted an excessive-heat warning for the Phoenix area.

While most fans did not show up until shortly before the doors opened at 6:30 p.m., the first people in line got to the theater at 10 a.m.

“The love for Katy Perry” drove 18-year-old Rose Abear to be the first outside the theater in the sweltering heat that morning. For the occasion, Abear donned an Elmo shirt reminiscent of the one worn by Perry on Saturday Night Live for a skit that mocked Sesame Street‘s decision to pull from the air her appearance on the show wearing a bustier. • Read full story…

Among Katy Perry’s nine VMA nominations is one for Best Pop Video for her colorful, over-the-top “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F)” clip.

“That’s really cool,” Black told MTV News. “Katy, I’ve always been really inspired by all of her story. I’ve always loved her story and just to finally be part of one of my big inspiration’s, like, [my] idol’s big video, and now it’s nominated for a VMA? I couldn’t be happier,” she gushed. “But I couldn’t be happier for her. She dominated the VMA nominations, so it’s really cool.”

In the video, Black gives Perry’s Kathy Beth Terry a makeover, elevating her to party-queen status. And on the video set, Perry gave Black a little music industry advice. “She really just gave me a lot of support, really reassured me,” she recalled. “She was very reassuring and kept telling me keep doing what you’re doing, don’t listen to the haters. I mean, a lot of people have told me that, but coming from one of my idols that really gave me an impact, that really gave me that reassurance that I really needed.

“She’s got this presence about her that is so comforting because she’s so, she’s not intimidating. She’s just like a big sister,” she added. “She’s so gorgeous, but she’s not that popular girl in school that no one can talk to because she thinks she’s better than everyone. She’s humble, she’s down to earth.”

Source: MTV

Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream” becomes the first album in the almost 19-year history of Billboard’s Mainstream Top 40 chart to generate five No. 1s, as “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)” ascends 2-1.

The song follows “California Gurls,” featuring Snoop Dogg, the title cut, “Firework” and “E.T.,” featuring Kanye West, to the top of the Nielsen BDS-based pop radio airplay ranking.

“Dream” pushes past two albums that each yielded four Mainstream Top 40 leaders: Justin Timberlake’s “FutureSex/LoveSounds” (2006-07) and Lady Gaga’s “The Fame” (2009).

Piggybacking one record on top of another,“Friday” sets the mark for most weekly plays in the chart’s history (12,468; or, an average of 92 plays per station among the 136 Mainstream Top 40 reporters [the chart's entire reporter panel] playing the song). The previous record-holder? Perry’s own “E.T.” (12,361 the week of May 21, 2011).

Further evidence of the unprecedented domination that “Dream” has demonstrated at pop radio? The five singles from the album account for five of the top six titles with the chart’s highest-ever weekly spin totals:

Plays, Title, Artist, Chart Date
12,468, “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.),” Katy Perry, Aug. 13, 2011
12,361, “E.T.,” Katy Perry, May 21, 2011
12,159, “California Gurls,” Katy Perry featuring Snoop Dogg, July 17, 2010
12,107, “Give Me Everything,” Pitbull featuring Ne-Yo, Afrojack & Nayer, July 23, 2011
11,857, “Firework,” Katy Perry, Jan. 22, 2011
11,841, “Teenage Dream,” Katy Perry, Oct, 16, 2010

While “Friday” is the fifth Mainstream Top 40 No. 1 from “Dream,”it’s Perry’s seventh topper on the list overall.She scored two No. 1s from her prior album, “One of the Boys”: “Hot N Cold” (2008) and “Waking Up in Vegas” (2009).She ties Lady Gaga and P!nk for second-most No. 1s in the chart’s archives, one away from Rihanna’s record eight leaders.

Perry additionally ties Gaga for most consecutive No. 1s (six) for a lead artist in the Mainstream Top 40 chart’s history.In between “Vegas” and “California,” Perry peaked at No. 25 as a featured artist on two songs: 3OH!3′s “Starstrukk” (2009) and Timbaland’s “If We Ever Meet Again” (2010). (Lady Gaga sent her first six singles, beginning with “Just Dance” (2008), to the chart’s top spot).

As Perry achieves a first with her quintet of No. 1s from one album on Mainstream Top 40,she’s seeking to become just the second artist to earn the honor on the Billboard Hot 100.“California,” the title track, “Firework” and “E.T.” all reigned on the Hot 100, while “Friday” last week lifted 3-2 (with Greatest Gainer/Airplay honors).

Should “Friday” reach the Hot 100 summit, “Dream” would join Michael Jackson’s “Bad” as the only albums in the Hot 100′s 53-year history to produce five No. 1s apiece.

We’ll see if Perry can add to her already historic week Wednesday (Aug. 3), when highlights of this week’s Hot 100 will be released.

All charts, including Pop Songs and the Hot 100, will be refreshed Thursday (Aug. 4) on Billboard.biz.

Source: Billboard

Pop singer Katy Perry and her husband Russell Brand have sold their Los Feliz home for $3.3 million – just weeks after splashing out double that on a new Los Angeles home.

The gated one-third-acre property they have sold includes a 1922 Mediterranean-style house and a swimming pool.

The 4,600-square-foot home has four bedrooms and four-and-a-half bathrooms.

Public records show the couple bought the Los Feliz house in 2009 for $3.25 million.

The couple own a pied-a-terre in New York and recently bought a Sunset Strip-area compound for $6.5 million.

The new house, built in 1925, boasts nine bathrooms, a guest house, a home cinema and a grotto-style swimming pool.

Perry, 26, started out as a gospel singer before releasing studio albums including One of the Boys and Teenage Dream.

She also stars in the animated film Smurfs, out this week. Brand, 36, starred in the remake of Arthur, released in April, as well as Get Him to the Greek and Forgetting Sarah Marshall.

Source: Monsters and Critics

The Scouser, who avoided flashing the flesh during her time in the Spice Girls, believes the current generation of female pop stars are too focused on their sexy image instead of their music.

Katy Perry has been advised to cover up occasionally.

Gaga is regularly snapped in bizarre revealing outfits, while Perry’s usual look involves low-cut latex dresses and Spears has worn bondage-style outfits on her current tour.
Mel C is concerned about the lessons fans are learning from that.

‘It sends the wrong message to teenage girls,’ the 37-year-old told the People.

‘Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Britney Spears have great voices and don’t need to take their clothes off.

‘Young fans can be impressionable. Sometimes people go a little too far.’
Mel C is currently working on her fifth solo album, The Sea, which is scheduled for a September release.

Source: Metro UK

This year musicians and artists will duke it out to be crowned the king & queen of popular music at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards airing on Sunday, August 28 at 9PM (ET/PT). Leading the pack is Katy Perry with nine nominations including “Video of the Year” and “Best Female Video for her hit, Firework. Right behind Perry is U.K. bred soul singer Adele with a well deserved seven nominations including Video of the Year and Best Direction in a video for Rolling in the Deep off her sophomore album “21″.

Other artists up for awards include Kanye West with seven nominations, Bruno Mars with four nominations, Beyoncé, Eminem, Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj, and Thirty Seconds To Mars with three nominations each and Beastie Boys, Chris Brown, Pitbull and Lil Wayne who have two nominations.

Source: Daily Nu Divas

When people ask you to name the two greatest pop stars of all-time, it’s a no-brainer—Michael Jackson and Katy Perry, right? Well, chances are pretty good you’d at least name one of them, and the other might be on their way to joining them in one of pop music’s most exclusive clubs. To date, Jackson is the only artist in pop music history to claim five #1s off the same album—though, oddly, the album was one that will probably only go down as the third-best and third-most-popular in MJ’s catalogue, 1987′s Bad. But Katy Perry now stands on the precipice of matching MJ’s chart-topping feat—with only rung left to climb to accomplish the historic chart achievement.

Katy Perry’s 2010 release Teenage Dream has, to date, spawned an impressive four chart-topping singles—”California Gurls,” the title track, “Firework” and “E.T,” though the last was with a Kanye-featuring version not on the original album, arguably meriting the accomplishment an asterisk. Now, fifth Dream single “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)” sits at #2 on the charts, having moved up one spot this week. Now only those jokesters of LMFAO (and their cronies Lauren Bennett and Goonrock)—currently celebrating their fourth week at #1 with the irrepressible “Party Rock Anthem”—stand in the way of Ms. Perry and Billboard immortality.

Will it get there? Well, it’s still moving up on both the radio songs chart (4-3) and the digital songs chart (3-2), though “Party Rock” still leads it on both lists. Perhaps more notably, the song is losing its footing somewhat on the iTunes charts, with Bad Meets Evil and Bruno Mars’ “Lighters” (which leaps 17-10 on the Hot 100 this week) sneaking ahead of Perry to #2. Still, all it takes is one week for everything to go right, and if LMFAO starts to slip in the next few days—and frankly, it’s a little remarkable that they’ve held on as long as they have for such a nutty duo with no Top 40 experience whatsoever—Katy could easily slide in to pole position for next week.

Few artists have the tendency to polarize the Popdust offices as much as Katy Perry—numerous have been the in-house debates over whether she’s a worthy pop star, has some good songs but some really-not-so-good songs, or is just all-out deplorable. But on the whole, I don’t think many of us are rooting for Katy to get her fifth Teenage Dream #1 here—it just doesn’t seem right for Katy, perhaps not even one of the five biggest pop stars of her era (and with an album that has yet to even go multi-platinum) to be up there by herself with a G.O.A.T. like Michael Jackson. We’ll be gracious and congratulate her if she gets there, but until then, keep on shufflin’, LMFAO.

Source: Pop Dust