Katy Perry covers the March issue of Glamour. At first I thought “that’s a weird choice, her album came out last year, why is she still promoting it?” But she’s doing this to promote her gig on American Idol: The Reboot. She’s also trying to showcase the New Katy, the Katy who talks more about peace and happiness and healing. Maybe she’s always been like that – has she? – but she’s really been leaning into this New Katy persona for the past year or so. It’s fine – she seems happier now, but I also think peace, love and happiness isn’t really gossip-worthy. You can read the full Glamour piece here, and here are some highlights:
Redefining “winning”: “I’ve come to learn, after 10 years of success in the spotlight, that being happy is something you have to work for every single day. Even if you have money or houses or status or fame—and all of that stuff is great for a moment—if you don’t have happiness charging the train, you’re gonna derail. A lot of my early twenties were really intense, really extreme, and somewhat unconscious. It was all career focused, which was great, but once you touch the ceiling so many times, it’s like, “Oh yeah, I did that. I touched the ceiling.” Now I want to touch the stars, which has to do with the heart.”
What advice she would give to herself in her 20s: “Pertaining to relationships, I would tell myself, “There really, truly are so many fish in the sea. There’s some whales. There’s some sharks. There’s some blowfish. And there’s some cuttlefish. And you want to end up with the ‘cuddle’ fish.” [Laughs.] I’m just kidding. But I’d also say [much like the famous Maya Angelou quote], “People may not remember everything about meeting you, but they will always remember the way you made them feel.” When I was first getting to Hollywood and meeting my heroes like Gwen Stefani and a couple others, one was amazing—she introduced herself and asked my name—but one just brushed me off. I’ll never forget how that made me feel.
Music democracy: “When American Idol was born, it was one of the only ways to shoot to stardom or get your music out there. Now you can do it on your own, but there are so many options out there that you need an even bigger platform—you need the Internet and beyond—to cut through to make an actual impression. I think that American Idol is finally coming full circle: I think it will once again be an amazing launching pad for whoever wins.
How she deals with touring: “Well, I love routine. I feel very out of sorts without routine, and the devil is sort of my playground when I don’t have it. Every day is just a preparation for the show. Sleep is really important to me. I’m a big sleeper. I get eight to nine hours every night. Nine to 10 hours, actually. I eat about four meals—or four and a half meals—a day. I’m constantly eating. Luckily, I have this really amazing chef who does a no-sugar and no-dairy diet for me, and I stick to that pretty well. Maybe once a week I’m cheating. When I wake up, I go straight into yoga for an hour, and I usually do 30 minutes on the elliptical to get the blood flowing. I’ll try to put in a meditation around 4:30 or 5:00 P.M. Transcendental meditation has been a game changer for me. We’re all so “connected” to our devices, which, I think, is disconnecting us from reality.
Moving on from the past: “I’m preparing to do a big soul overhaul very soon that I’m nervous about. I want to emotionally elevate myself. I don’t want to hold on to childhood trauma anymore. I want to grow into becoming an adult. I’m preparing myself for having a family of my own someday. And that’s the thing: I want to do a little bit more soul surgery before I have a family of my own so that I don’t transfer any of those lingering feelings. I’m about to go heavy into that emotional process, and I’m nervous, but I don’t think I have a choice anymore. This last year has been about killing my ego, which has been really necessary for my career. But for my personal life, it doesn’t work that way. If I want to have that true balance, I have to step into being Katheryn Hudson.
I used to think Katy was an idiot, but now I kind of wonder if she was one of those still-waters-run-deep people. I’m not saying she’s a genius now, but that I accept that she’s grown as a person, and gained some wisdom as she’s aged in the spotlight. She knows she’s has a bad “picker” when it comes to men. She knows she still has sh-t to deal with from her family and her background. And she wants to stop those cycles. She comes across as self-aware to me and that’s not a bad thing at all.
Photos courtesy of Glamour.
My long-time ex has a close family friend who is one of her long-time back-up dancers (one of the three she and Tay Tay biffed over actually). He says she is the nicest person, she treats her employees like family, and she has a huge heart. I’ve ever been a big fan of her music or voice but that is something to remember.
She talks like a bad self-help book. She sounds like she has memorized passages and is reciting them.
Yeah. I don’t think she’s necessarily grown THAT much – I think she’s just learned what she should be saying. I don’t doubt that she’s probably a pretty nice person for the most part. But I don’t buy into her being anything other than the lower end of average intelligence. She’s still done and said some crappy things and some of them more recent. The question is – was it because she’s a jerk, or was it because she’s genuinely not smart enough to realize?
Russell Brand sounds the same, so maybe that’s actually their personality (why they clicked)?
Yeah I was thinking the same about Russell Brand. They sound pretty similar here lol
I remember seeing Brand on Bill Maher and he was exhausting. He went off on long, self-indulgent sermons, and as soon as anyone asked him anything, he couldn’t function, because he couldn’t process any information that wasn’t his own. She is kind of similar. She has internalized a bunch of new age buzzwords and has the ability to regurgitate them without actually thinking about any of it in a meaningful way. She is just not political.
Russell Brand, however annoying (and yes, he can be frustratingly annoying), is incredibly bright.
I’ve read 2 books by RB and watched lots of his interviews. He’s a lot of things, and not all of them good, but stupid is not one of them. He’s very articulate and witty as hell. I was always surprised he married Katy.
I agree—Russell Brand is a brilliant man. I always thought he was attracted to her physically, but in the end, he could deal with her dimness or her reported drug use.
Russel brand would be exhausting to partner with- kind of new agey controlling and criticizing. From her upbringing as hyper religious and didactic, it’s no wonder the mini cult leader RB was her “normal”.
Sleeping nine to 10 hours every night, eating four and a half no-sugar and no-dairy meals a day that her private chef prepares for her, starting every day with an hour of yoga and 30 minutes on the elliptical, meditation around 4:30 or 5:00 P.M.
I’d love to have her tour life.
She does read like a bad self help book! It’s almost insincere in how rehearsed it is.
Right? Wow! To have that much disposable time in a day to do all that “self-work.”
I sleep 8-9 hours a night, but I only eat 2 low carb low sugar meals a day with snacking in between. I wish I had a chef!
She sounds like she has spent a lot of time in therapy/read a lot of self help books – which obviously is not a bad thing as she comes across as a pretty nice person. I feel more and more that she puts her money where her mouth is and isn’t afraid to be vocal about important stuff, which a of people with voices have failed to do, so she definitely gets points for that, too.
I really like this girl. I just found out that her parents are super and strictly religious (her father is an Evangelical Preacher).
Yup. Katy started out as a Christian music singer under the name Katy Hudson.
I like Katy and her music (have a soft spot for cheesy pop music) and she seems like a nice person. She has talent but she does need to sometimes think before she speaks. That comment she made about Britney was not nice.
Next step, get rid of that hair.
Seriously. That hair HURTS me
I loved that she was a brunette in this silly pop sea of blondes. Then this. Plus, she looked a MILLION times better with dark hair. Bananas.
Short hair doesn’t suit certain facial types—including hers.
Well, a lot of people could use some books or at least introspection so good for her. I also appreciate that she’s honest about her diet and the time and money she can spend on herself and her well-being. No pizza and beer talk. A chef would be soooo nice.
On a superficial note, I really wish she’d change up her hairstyle. This one doesn’t suit her at all, better said, it sucks.
I am also a big sleeper,I sleep about 8- 9 hrs a day,and I get a lot of sh#t about it.If I hear one more time that I am “sleeping my life away” I am going to hurt somebody.
And then I will take my daily nap.
Big sleeper here too. If someone ever says crap about it to you again, knock the person down and sleep on him/her.
Same. I can’t function properly if I don’t get 8-9 hours of sleep. I can’t take a nap though to save my life. I just end up waking up grumpy, just to go right back to sleep.
I LOVE sleep and napping!
Oh my god there is nothing like a Sunday afternoon nap. Err … I work for people who are proud to have spent the last decades sleeping maybe 4-5 hrs a night. Their careers look awesome. Their faces and health do not.
I rarely sleep more than four hours a night, even after I had my daughter I never took naps. It’s not because of a career (I’m a stay at home mom), I just never needed much sleep. I’m usually up until 2 reading, and get up at 6 to get my husbands coffee and lunch ready for work, then my kid is up at 7 for school. It definitely doesn’t effect my face or health…everyone is different I guess
Some people don’t need a lot of sleep, and that’s great for them. I do, especially the older I get. Nothing feels better than drifting off into a nice nap 😴💤
Yeah, more modern research is actually showing that the ideal sleep time varies widely for different people. Personally, sleeping over 8 hours leaves me incredibly tired, weird as that sounds.
Yes, okay. But I’m saying that if 4 hours is not what you need, it’ll show. These people didn’t go into law because they’re naturally fine with that kind of sleep. They went into it because they wanted to and adapted. But I’ve been at that firm for a handful of years and have seen people my age go from 30 to 40, looks-wise. So if Katy needs 9 hours, I say let her have nine hours. And I want my Sunday nap.
I have always slept 8-9 hours a night and so many people mock me because of how late I sleep–I have a mostly afternoon/evening job (not overnight) so I go to bed between 1 and 2 am and sleep until 10 and 11 am. I tutor students on skype ESL, I teach ESL and I tutor in english/writing. I am thus a night owl and not an early riser. Early risers think I’ve wasted the day. I simply function best in the afternoons/evenings. I dated a man for a long time who sleeps 9-10 hours a night, is an accomplished and awarded math professor who teaches in the afternoons/evenings. People seem to equate non early risers with laziness.
I’m also an 8-9 hr sleeper, and I still harbor guilt about it because I’ve heard waaaay too many times that I’m sleeping my life away… or the early bird gets the worm (yuck!)…
I feel your pain, and I loved reading these comments from my fellow sleepers – thank you! I feel less alone. And Yes! There is nothing wrong with being different. We know what we need. 🙂
Sleeping for at least 8 hours should be mandatory. And she spends her money exactly how I would: hiring a chef who’d do lots of healthy stuff so I could eat all day.
This sounds a bit crazy but i almost feel kind of sorry for her. I think she is a well intentioned person that really is not all that bright and is really just looking for love, with a very broken picker.
Mind you, I DONT feel sorry for her with her financial resources, fame, talent, personal chef, etc. Just that she can’t seem to find what she’s looking for on an emotional level.
I feel sorry and have compassion for her too. I think she doesn’t have a supportive, we-love-you-no-matter-what kind of family from the little I know of her dad and mom, and you can overcome that but it definitely makes life harder when your parents are kind of cuckoo.
I would imagine she has spent and will continue to spend a lot of time in therapy unpacking her sh*t.
Looks like someone’s taken up therapy. If that’s the case, then great for her!! I’m really liking Katy these days. Also, on a superficial note, I kind of want to see her trying a buzzcut. I think she’d look lovely with one, to be honest.
I like that cover
i think growing up and realizing you can’t burn the candle at both ends and choosing to take care of yourself is really mature and intelligent. does she sound like the secret had a baby with who moved my cheese? for sure! but there is nothing wrong with self help speak if it actually motivates you and makes you a better person. i really like katy perry. she seems sweet and harmless and has given us some pretty good bops over the last decade.
I don’t mean to be disrespectful to anyone here, because I don’t know your lives and struggles, but to those saying they’d love to have to disposable time to do all that self work, etc (in a sarcastic way), I’d offer the following:
I’m a practicing attorney that is on call 24/7, basically. It’s stressful and exhausting and I’ve been doing it for years. But years ago, I stopped saying i was too busy for anything – because it wasn’t about being busy, it was about priorities. I’m big into self help but not Big on actually doing the long arduous work some of those books require, LOL. But I try to do something small every night. Bad example, but if a book calls for me to make 200 lists (never happened, not a real book, just an example), instead of saying I’m too busy for that crap, I might do one or two lists a week, at night, in bed, after a long day. If I miss a list, oh well, keep going. If I miss a list because I had a long day and I just want to watch Parks&Rec, I own that – I didn’t fail to do self work because I was too busy; I failed to do it because I prioritized Parks&Rec over it. Which is fine.
I understand some folks have crazy commitments and schedules. I’m not diminishing that and you know your lives best! But I know that a HUGE shift happened in my life when I just stopped using the words “too busy.” It allowed me to, for the first time, really SEE what I was prioritizing.
Perhaps that would be a helpful way for those of you interested to be able to start finding time (aka shifting priorities) to do the self work you want to do?
YES!
Thank you for this. I, too, have a demanding career at a business I own with my spouse, and a house and three kids and pets and, and, and.
I turn 40 this year and it’s been a huge wakeup call for me. I just started prioritizing myself more. I go to bed early because I know the benefit sleep has, and I get up early, so I can have a leisurely coffee time with my husband and a relaxing bath all before the kids get up. I’m not saying everyone has to do what I do, but that you need to cut the bullshit out of your lives and focus on taking care of yourself, truly. Figure out what matters most, and do that – if that’s spending all day Sunday in your pj’s watching tv – go for it! You’ve got to take care of yourself – whatever that looks like – or you’ll end up truly sick.
Truth. It is why I made my life choices too. I prioritized and I am happy I did.
Rumors of her extreme drug use makes this very hard for me to believe.
maybe she quit putting stuff up her nose
she probably has a lot of sleep to make up for hence the 9 – 10 hours she gets now lol
Sleeping 10hrs a day and 4.5 meals a day….sign me up! I like her even if her music isn’t my jam.
I like her. Not so much her music. So impressed with her when I took my daughter to see her. However I’m super gullible, to a fault sometimes , and if I see someone acting nice, behaving nicely I’ll automatically assume they’re a good person. However I think like the above poster, she was young and dumb in her 20’s, but omg, so was I! I cannot imagine if I’d been a celebrity in my 20’s!!! It would’ve have been a nightmare. I’m happy to give someone young a bit of a pass and hope that the wisdom comes, it seems like it is? Right?! I want to believe! 😝😂
I hope she does this. If someone decides they want to work on themselves and become more evolved then more power to them. I wish her luck.
do you boo boo
happy she isn’t basing her life and happiness around some lame hollywood loser. she sounds like she knows her happiness comes from within and u must take care of yourself
I admire her. Think about how easy it would just be an overindulgent slob if you had what she has. Maybe she sounds rehearsed, but a lot of effort probably goes into keeping herself focused. I can’t hate on anyone who wants to become a more emotionally responsible person before having kids.
She really has always seemed to be super likeable and goofy and a decent person. She seems like she’d be fun to be friends with and I wish so, so many more people would adopt her “soul surgery before having kids” thing… so many people i see, including in my own family, just keep passing the same trauma and emotionally manipulative and painful and maladaptive b*sh*t down the generations, and the buck’s gotta stop somewhere. It must be said, too, that a lot of her songs, bubblegummy as they are, have always had pretty positive messages. Good on her.