Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson, known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American pop superstar and songwriter recognized for her theatrical visual style and a string of record-breaking anthems. Born on October 25, 1984, in Santa Barbara, California, she was raised in a strict Pentecostal household where secular music was largely forbidden. Perry began her career in gospel music, releasing a self-titled album as Katy Hudson in 2001, which saw little commercial success. her debut secular album, One of the Boys. However, it was her 2010 follow-up, Teenage Dream, that cemented her status as a global icon. The album produced five number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100—”California Gurls,” “Teenage Dream,” “Firework,” “E.T.,” and “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)”—making her the first female artist to achieve this feat, tying a record held only by Michael Jackson. Perry continued her dominance with the 2013 album Prism, featuring the Diamond-certified hits “Roar” and “Dark Horse”. Known for high-concept performances, she headlined the Super Bowl XLIX halftime show in 2015, which became the most-watched in history at the time. Beyond music, Perry served as a judge on American Idol for seven seasons (2018–2024). A dedicated philanthropist and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, she has sold over 143 million records worldwide and holds the record for the most Diamond-certified singles by a female artist. In 2024, she released her seventh studio album, 143.