Katy Perry covers the February issue of ESPN mag to promote her upcoming “ideal” Super Bowl halftime act. Her covermate is none other than Texans defensive end J.J. Watt. Katy has no idea who the dude is, so we have something in common. Since I’m from Oklahoma, I keep confusing the guy’s name with former congressman J.C. Watts. There’s my lazy excuse. Katy’s performing in the year’s biggest game, so she should know better, right? In this joint interview, Katy and J.J. both play the role of the underdog who clawed their way to the top:
Katy didn’t know who Watts was: “I went straight to Google. I’ve been showing it to my friends, saying, ‘Check out this guy. I’m gonna be shootin’ with this guy.'”
Her first football game was last fall? “Journey was playing ‘Don’t Stop Believing,’ and I just thought, ‘Why not be the quintessential college girl and jump off the bar?’ It was everything I dreamed of. I only need to do it once, though. That was the one time on the tour that I really had a couple of beers. And the next day I was like [groan] …”
Katy’s most rewarding moments: “For me, it’s about the lyrics, when they’re all singing these songs I wrote in a little apartment, or in a garage, or a small studio. Especially when I first started, hearing these lyrics that were so sacred to me, hearing thousands of people sing them, it’s an incredible feeling that is unmatched to anything else.”
Her childhood: “Everybody would be going about their business, and then all of a sudden their heads would turn when I would start singing. It was this magic trick that I had. I guess I loved that attention. And I went for it. But when I was singing into a hairbrush, I had no idea the incredible amount of work that would be asked of me in order to be at this level. A lot of people would agree that it’s easy to get to the top, but it’s about staying there, following it up with great plays every time.”
Is she nervous? “Honestly? I feel like I’ve outdreamt my dream. I don’t get nervous about much, but I’ll definitely be a little tingly inside that day.”
[From ESPN mag]
This is a pretty sanitized interview without much to grab onto, mostly because at least 115 million eyes will be glued to the Super Bowl no matter what. The softball questions were answered in kind. Does anyone else find it hilarious that Katy doesn’t know jack about football, but she’s playing the halftime show in a few weeks? It doesn’t matter, really.
Katy’s discussion of lasting power is interesting. I never suspected she’d be around long after her gimmicky, faux-lesbian entry to stardom, but she proved us all wrong. Does that surprise you?
Photos courtesy of ESPN & WENN
When I think of the people who’ve performed at the Super Bowl halftime shows (Beyoncé, Bruno Mars, Prince) I just feel like Katy’s is going to be a total snooze fest. 😕
She is not a great dancer and is too gimmicky, she relies on a glittery rainbow explosion happening all around her to distract from her poor performance skills.
YES Loopy, she’s always Hamming Up and Big Kawaii Eyes Cultural Appropriation Barbie Schtick to distract from how Mediocre she is, so I call ALL THE PROPS THEY CAN POSSIBLY FIT IN A STAGE AT ONE TIME and Pink fluffy stuff to sell songs about Birthday sex to kids
Correct you are QQ. Much visual distraction to keep us from being aware of how crappy her singing is. What a lame, lame choice for a half time show. UGGG!
I agree to an extent. I’ve been to her concert and damn it was just a fun blast. Vocals were meh, but she definitely knows how to entertain, doesn’t take her weirdness to seriously as ‘art’ (like gaga) and when you’re singing along to songs you’ve heard so much, it’s just a fun time. She even flew around on balloons around the stadium while floating emoji balloons starting appearing everywhere. It was just wild!
It sounds like a lot of fun and I’m really sorry I didn’t get to see the tour. Personally I’m not surprised she lasted after her first single because of exactly what you’re saying. In a world full of deathly serious divas prancing around like the future of the world depends on their gamefaced sexiness, Katy Perry was the chick who was a little bit out there, a little bit kooky, and not afraid to make herself look like a dork or a weirdo. It was just lighthearted unserious fun. And plus, it appealed to kids and adults, and that right there is the key to megafame and mega$$$$.
It surprises me that she shares some musical accomplishment that only Michael Jackson has, but she is in her thirties now how much longer will the bubble gum pop work. She has a decent voice but her fans will probably jump ship if she changes her schtick.
I think the key is to gradually transform the schtick so that people still have what they like and want from you while not letting it get stale. I know people who hate her say the basis of her success is “frosting boobs,” but I think it’s the kooky fun unserious nature of her image that keeps people interested in her, and she’s done a pretty good job at running with that in various guises.
yeah, it stuns me how she’s made a career with no talent, fake lesbianism and sexual innuendos. and pretending to be about female empowerment.
Her bubble gum songs are catchy and she’s pretty…that’s all I got.
She is a pretty woman, why did they make her face look weird?
I’m originally from Houston and JJ Watt is a beast!!! Extraordinary player and awesome person. Y’all should look into him!
A sexy beast!
Too bad she only goes for manboys like Mayer.
Watt is a real man and they look cute together! 🙂
I live in Houston and JJ Watt is the best! He is adored here, and so fun to watch. Too bad he had to share the cover with Katy Perry.
I’m in Galveston- LOVE JJ! He does a crazy amount of charity work with kids, particularly those with special needs. Great guy in life and on the field.
I still can’t believe how differently she looks without makeup. She’s still cute, but it’s like a different person. She must wear a boatload of the stuff.
Also, I really know nothing about football. I grew up in a hockey dominated area – there’s a lot of Pat’s fans around here, but until I started working in the company I work for now, I don’t think anyone I hung around with watched football. I think the Pat’s, Saints and maybe the Jets are the more popular ones here. Hockey wise, it’s Canadiens, Leafs, and Bruins. Then of course people love or hate Crosby but he’s from nearby.
Honestly, I could probably tell you more about Nascar than hockey or football just because it seems more straight forward to me. Ultimately, the only sport I played on a legit team was soccer, but I still don’t enjoy watching other people play it.
Is it bad that I mainly just look forward to the commercials from the superbowl popping up on youtube the next day? Because I’m not looking forward to this half time show.
Dude, what I wouldn’t give to see all her makeup secrets on Youtube. Like someone once said, it takes a lot of work to make Katy Perry look like Katy Perry. They could do that with me!
Honestly, I think if we all had the secrets Katy had, we’d all be walking around looking like super models and whatnot. She’s a cute, but relatively ‘normal’ looking girl without it. There must be a lot of use of those airbrush machines and HD makeup or something. Whoever she pays to do it, is an artist for sure.
OMG Yes! those Pics I was Like… WHAT SORCERY MADE THIS HAPPEN
I don’t know why Katy not know who JJ is, is a big deal. Most people who performed probably don’t know much about football. Katy is there to perform not compete. I agree that Katy is a good entertainer. I enjoyed her concerts.
I don’t either. She admit that she went to Google to see about the person she would be posing with. Common sense move. Now if she will use that move to dump Meyer.
My husband and I had our first date on Super Bowl Sunday 20 years ago. We went to see Nobody’s Fool. I loved the fact that he didn’t want to sit inside all day and night and watch football, and I was so excited that he asked me out that I don’t remember the movie. We still go to the movies instead of watching the game. No offense to fans, but I sometimes think what a world we could have if we have if we channeled half of the energy, time and money wasted on this macho pass-time into something that helped people.
Alternatively, we could just channel their unfathomable revenue into tax paying dollars!
That would be a good start.
There’s actually a bit of a misconception there. The NFL as a governing body is tax exempt, but the 32 teams (which actually generate most of the $$$) most definitely are not. So a great deal of tax revenue is being generated by football.
And sports may seem silly, but they’re one of the great unifying events we have. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but sports (and by extension professional sports) absolutely have a place in society. And we could make the argument that any past time would be better off directing that money & time elsewhere in society.
I am blissfully ignorant of the players ad do not enjoy football. I only ever tune in for halftime.
Congrats on the 20 years! I’m betting some beige Bootie (booty Sp?, seen it spelled both ways) shorts can be be credited for your endurance.
Yes, we have our own little half-time show. Lol, now that’s a revolting image.
I wouldn’t know most of those football players either, love Superbowl parties! She looks pretty there in stripy dress.
Yawn.
I only know of him because I came across an article in Google a year ago about how he kept breaking his nose.
I still, for the life of me don’t understand why there’s a concert in the middle of a sports’s game. Nor do I get the commercials.
Me neither.
I like football but I stopped watching it ages ago. I grew up in the Bay Area and I always loved the Oakland teams (A’s and Raiders). Nowadays I rely on my football obsessed 12 year old son to keep up with what’s happening in football. For some reason, he’s latched on to the Packers for his favorite team so I mostly hear about them. He was really bummed when they lost last week. I do like to tune into the Superbowl to watch half time but I have to say that I will be more interested in Lenny Kravitz than Katy Perry.
Can’t wait to see Lenny!
Your son has great taste, I’m a HUGE Packers fan! I was really sad they lost on Sunday. Also, I love J.J. Watts. Not only is he an incredible player but he is also a humanitarian (and pleasing to the eyes). I am a big football fan, football Sunday’s are my absolute favorite. Even though my Pack is out, I look forward to watching the Super Bowl. I hope the Seahawks go dowwwwwn!
What is w/ the grandma hair at the Elle function? Wow. JJ Watt is awesome. It seems like he’s an all around good guy. He does TONS for the community.
Alot of NFL players (and pro athletes in general) do great charity work. Sadly, it just doesn’t make as juicy of headlines as wife beating and child abuse so the general masses don’t know about it.
Also from Houston, also love JJ Watt!
I wish she would go back to “singing into a hairbrush”. that would be too awesome. No way is this show going to be good unless she vanishes into a pink genie/geisha haze and it’s just Lenny up there. I am also praying that he wears gold eyeliner, because that makes him even hotter than he already is. Can I get an amen on that?!
I grew up 10 minutes from Foxboro, mass. Worked for the Patriots for 7 years, but had to move to Florida. I can’t wait for the super bowl. I’m a metal head but I love Lenny.
Yeah, I just came here to say GOOOOOO HAAAAWWWWKKKKSSSS!!!!!
Who cares about Katy Perry with JJ Watt in the same picture? He is so handsome. It’s almost enough to make me root for Houston, but having been raised as a Cowboys fan, I would feel dirty and probably be kicked out of my family. 🙂
I wish they’d go back to rock bands for the halftime show.