Katy Perry: Dark Angel

The child of pastors and one-time gospel-rocker has parlayed infectious fruit-flavored hits like “I Kissed a Girl” and “Hot and Cold” into a sold-out 50-city concert tour. And somewhere along the way, her career became a blueprint for aspiring pop stars.

Everything is calculated: the bright red lipstick; the pin-up aesthetic; the irreverent titles and earworm hooks. But where it might seem cynical coming from anyone else, Katy makes it work. Hell, she makes it honest. 

I came out like this 1940s pin-up girl, and of course that has evolved a little bit here and there. It’s a bit of a darker side of me, a little S&M. 

Katy Perry: Dark Angel; Story By Joe La Puma; Photography by Gavin Bond; Styling by Kelly McCabe. Complex Magazine, | May 26, 2009 | 10:10 am |