In August 2020, Perry released her sixth studio album Smile with earlier released songs " Never Really Over" and " Harleys in Hawaii". Its tracks include "Bigger than Me", " Bon Appétit", " Chained to the Rhythm", and " Swish Swish". Her fifth album, Witness, was released in June 2017. Aside from her regular collaborators, Perry co-wrote the track "Double Rainbow" with Sia and Greg Kurstin, while Emeli Sandé contributed lyrics to "It Takes Two". The song " Birthday" was Perry's attempt at writing a song which Mariah Carey would have included in her eponymous debut album. " Dark Horse" is a trap and hip hop song about witchcraft and black magic. It was noted for having a noticeably darker and moodier tone than her previous releases. Her fourth studio album, Prism, was released in October 2013. Perry recorded three new songs for the re-issue, including " Dressin' Up", which lyrically documents dressing up for one's lover, and features a request by Perry for a "dirty doggie" to "pet her kitty". New material included alternate versions of some of the standard songs, including an acoustic version of " The One That Got Away". The singer re-released the album in March 2012 with the title Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection. "Circle the Drain" alludes to a previous boyfriend's drug addiction, speculated to be about Travie McCoy, and the effects it had on them as a couple, with lyrics which include "You fall asleep during foreplay/ 'Cause the pills you take are more your forte." Another Stargate produced track called " Peacock" makes use of double entendres whereby Perry propositions her lover with showing her his penis, singing "I wanna see your peacock, cock, cock." Lyrically, "Who Am I Living For?" recalls Perry's Christian roots and retells the biblical story of Esther, the Jewish Queen of Persia who discovered and foiled Haman's plan to massacre the Jewish community. For the track " Firework", Perry collaborated with Sandy Vee, Ester Dean and the Norwegian production duo Stargate, and with Tricky Stewart on the songs "Who Am I Living For?" and " Circle the Drain". Luke, Max Martin and Greg Wells for most of the songs, but also worked with some new writers and producers for the project. Perry released her third studio album, Teenage Dream, in August 2010. In 2009, she released a live album titled MTV Unplugged, which featured acoustic performances of five tracks from One of the Boys along with two new recordings, "Brick by Brick" and "Hackensack". They were later recorded by American singer Kelly Clarkson for her album All I Ever Wanted (2009).
During the recording process of the album, Perry had written the songs " I Do Not Hook Up" and " Long Shot" with Kara DioGuardi and Greg Wells, but decided not to include them on the final track list. The track " Ur So Gay" opens with the lyrics "I hope you hang yourself with your H&M scarf," which BBC critic Lizzie Ennever believed was Perry's response to people who may have "wronged her in the past". The songs "Mannequin" and "Lost" have themes of determination and self-belief. Perry was the sole writer of " Thinking of You", "Mannequin", and the album's title track. Luke, Max Martin and Cathy Dennis, and alludes to bisexuality. The lead single, " I Kissed a Girl", was co-written by Perry with Dr. The pop-rock album was composed over a period of five years. Her second studio album, One of the Boys, was released in June 2008. Following two unsuccessful contracts with Island Def Jam Records and Columbia Records, whereby Perry was dropped by both them before she could finish an album, she ultimately secured a deal with Capitol Records in 2007, a division of record label Virgin. Red Hill Records shut down later that year. The album was unsuccessful and it failed to garner any attention. She wrote its songs "Last Call", "My Own Monster", "Spit", and "When There's Nothing Left" by herself while co-writing the remaining six with Mark Dickson, Scott Faircloff, Tommy Collier, and Brian White.
She signed a record deal with Red Hill Records, and released a gospel album called Katy Hudson in 2001.
After singing at church during her childhood, she decided to pursue a career in music in her teenage years. American singer Katy Perry has recorded songs for six studio albums.