Happy Birthday, Katy Perry! 29 Reasons We Love This "California Gurl"!
Katy Perry turns 29 today, and to celebrate her birthday we're counting off 29 reasons why we love her—from bad boyfriends to great style choices, this California Gurl makes us roar.
1. Her Cat Is Named Kitty Purry
2. She picks bad boys to date—just like we do
Russel Brand, John Mayer…#nuffsaid
3. She can be socially awkward
Perry met Brand by throwing a bottle at him, and asked Miley and Taylor Swift for locks of their hair
4. She's the first woman to have five Number One songs off one album
From Teenage Dream: "California Gurls", "Teenage Dream", "Firework", "E.T." and "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)"
5. Her '80s alter ego, Kathy Beth Terry
6. She Picks Great Duet Partners
Kanye, Snoop Dogg, 3OH!3 and Elmo, to name a few
7. "I Kissed A Girl" was about a girl crush Katy once had
8. Girl can hold her liquor.
Perry has said she can drink eight beers and feel fine the next day. No bloating?
9. Katy loves her grams very much
Perry wore her grandmother's earrings on the day she married actor Russell Brand. She also took her grandmother to Las Vegas for her 90th birthday.
10. One of her besties is singer-songwriter Bonnie McKee
11. Every song is a gay anthem
"I Kissed a Girl" started things off (duh) and while some folks got their noses out of joint over Ur So Gay" , Katy explained it as payback to an unrequited high-school crush (We've been there). "Teenage Dream" was embraced by the LGBT community after Darren Criss sang it to Chris Colfer on Glee, and Perry popped up at the Trevor Project gala to sing it with him. (Plus the video from "Firework" showed a pair of cute gay boys.)
12. Gay soldiers ask her to military dances
13. This!
14. She rocked it as Smurfette
Okay we didn't see The Smurfs but this trailer is so cute.
15. Her "Call Me Maybe" parody
16. During a radio interview, she told off Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott for not supporting marriage equality.
Mmmroww!
17. She gives good face—literally
Katy just joined Ellen DeGeneres and Queen Latifah as a celebrity CoverGirl spokesmodel
18. She has a unique sense of style and loves to show it off
19. She loves Daria as much as we do
She went as the disgruntled teen for Halloween last year, and also had her nails done with everyone from Lawndale High on them
20. She's a huge Queen fan
Perry told Elle magazine "I had my big, intense, meaningful musical moment with Queen... with the song 'Killer Queen.' I think that everybody has this one moment in their lives that they can remember. I just appreciate all the obvious hard work that Freddie Mercury did. Because there was no way to cut corners back then."
21. She's got balls
Katy called Sir Paul McCartney a hack, but it was hilarious and he took it well
22. She's been a hard worker since she was a kid
Perry's father was her first booker, paying her $10 dollars to sing at churches, restaurants and family functions when she was a tyke. #werk
- TBT on Twitter
23. She was dropped by her labels several times in the beginning of her career.
#makethemeatit
24. She battles breast cancer
In 2008 she had her breasts molded to benefit breast cancer research. This week she performed Tegan and Sara and an army of ladies at the We Can Survive concert benefiting the Young Survival Coalition. Even better, she organized the concert.
25. Madonna's a fan
Madge said "Ur So Gay"was her "favorite song" in 2008
26. She has her own doll
In 2008, she launched a limited-edition doll of herself similar to the one featured in"Ur So Gay" video, followed by an official Katy Perry Barbie to support Teenage Dream
27. She also has her own movie, perfume and comic book
28. She had to suck it up and change her name
She was born Katy Hudson but changed it to Perry (her mother's maiden name) early in her career to avoid confusion with actress Kate Hudson. #asif
29. She can throw shade like a queen
Perry once described herself as "a fatter version of Amy Winehouse and the skinnier version of Lily Allen." Allen was not impressed, and threatened to post Perry's personal phone number.
