(Photos: Rony Alwin)
Katy made her Capitol Records debut with 2008’s One of the Boys after signing to the label in 2007. She cemented her status as a global superstar with the follow-up album, Teenage Dream (2010), which made her the only female artist (tied with Michael Jackson) to have five No. 1 singles from one album on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (“California Gurls,” “Teenage Dream,” “Firework,” “E.T.” and “Last Friday Night”). PRISM, her 2013 album, debuted at No. 1 on iTunes in 100 countries and has sold more than 12.5 million adjusted albums worldwide. With the singles “Roar,” “Firework,” and “Dark Horse” each surpassing the 10 million threshold including song sales and streams, Katy became the first artist to earn three RIAA Digital Single Diamond Awards. Katy is one of only five artists in history to have topped 100 million certified units with their digital singles – and the first-ever Capitol Records recording artist to join the elite RIAA 100 Million Certified Songs club.
Her fourth studio album, WITNESS, debuted in June at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200, and No. 1 on iTunes in 46 countries. It set the record for the biggest week for an album by a female artist in 2017. The certified Platinum lead single, “Chained To The Rhythm,” has over 1 billion streams worldwide, views on the accompanying video made her the most-viewed female artist on VEVO. Follow-up single “Bon Appetit” is certified Gold, and “Swish Swish” is now certified Platinum. Globally, it has achieved more than 2 billion cumulative streams and sold more than two million adjusted albums. Her summer 2019 single, “Never Really Over,” is certified GOLD and was the biggest streaming launch of Katy’s musical career.
In her 10 years with Capitol, she has racked up a cumulative 30+ billion streams alongside worldwide sales of more than 43+ million adjusted albums and 133+ million tracks. Katy’s 2015 Super Bowl performance is the highest-rated in the event’s history. She is the first person to surpass 100 million followers on Twitter. Katy is the only female artist to have four videos surpass a billion views each. Her videos for “Firework” and “Last Friday Night” have over one billion views, while “Roar” and “Dark Horse” have surpassed the two billion mark.
Aside from being one of the best-selling musical artists of all time, Katy is an active advocate of many philanthropic causes. In 2013, Katy was appointed a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador as a result of her commitment to improving the lives of children worldwide. From traveling to Vietnam and Madagascar to highlight the needs of some of the world’s most vulnerable children, to recording PSAs about the importance of empowering girls and supporting adolescents living with HIV/AIDS, as well as raising awareness for UNICEF’s emergency relief efforts, Katy has used her powerful voice to advocate for children and support UNICEF’s mission to ensure every child’s right to health, education, equality, and protection. She was awarded with the Audrey Hepburn Humanitarian Award in 2016.
Katy has also been a champion for LGBTQ+ equality. She has received numerous awards for her work, including the Trevor Project’s Hero Award in 2012, the Human Rights Campaign’s National Equality Award in 2017, and amfAR’s Award of Courage in 2018. She has also performed at various events to raise funds for the fight against HIV/AIDS, including 2009’s Life Ball and 2016’s amfAR Cannes Gala.
