Lady Gaga and Katy Perry Inspired an Episode of ‘Glee’ After Unleashing a Fierce Battle Between Their Hit Songs – Here’s Where Their Careers Have Gone Since
- In 2013, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry sparked a major pop rivalry by releasing their singles 'Applause' and 'Roar' on the same day.
- 'Glee' was inspired by the hype of the battle and released an episdoe named 'A Katy or A Gaga'.
- After the showdown, Katy Perry continued with pop music, while Lady Gaga shifted toward new genres and acting.
Lady Gaga and Katy Perry are two pop icons who dominated the charts in the early 2000s and 2010s. Their catchy songs and huge personalities were, of course, the reason for their popularity, but what took their competition to the next level was when they released two of their biggest hits on the same day.
New music drops were like an event, and this was the mother of all events. Both artists were at the pinnacle of their fame and were coming off after very successful albums. They decided to release their lead singles for their new eras on the same day, which divided the listeners into two groups.
Lady Gaga vs. Katy Perry Inspired One Glee Episode
The competition between two songs and the war of fanbases was so intense that even TV shows decided to use the hype. One such show was Glee, which decided to dedicate an entire episode to the Gaga vs. Perry phenomenon. On August 12, 2013, Lady Gaga dropped Applause and Katy Perry released Roar simultaneously.
Applause was Gaga’s first single from her album Artpop. The song was a synth-heavy dance track with lyrics like “I live for the applause.” Gaga was letting her listeners know that she lives for appreciation. The music video was shot in black and white and had pop art references with amazing dance choreography.
On the other side, there was Katy Perry’s Roar. The song was from her album Prism and was all about finding your inner strength. The chorus of the song was so catchy that even those who don’t follow Perry’s music remember it after listening to it once. The video was colorful, in contrast to Gaga’s, and Perry turned into a jungle queen.
The battle was so epic that it inspired a Glee episode named A Katy or A Gaga, which aired in November 2013. In the episode, Will Schuester splits New Directions into Team Katy and Team Gaga, and each group performs songs by the opposite artist. It was all about stepping out of one’s comfort zone and exploring different styles.
As far as the two songs are concerned, both were well received. Some praised Applause for its artsy vibe, while others felt it was a bit underwhelming after Gaga’s previous hits. Roar got props for its catchy vibe and uplifting mood. According to Entertainment Weekly, Roar didn’t take much time to hit the #1 spot on the Digital Songs chart and was there for 3 weeks.
Lady Gaga and Katy Perry’s Post-2013 Careers
What happened after the great Gaga vs. Perry battle of 2013? Both artists kept working in their fields, but eventually, their paths took some interesting turns.
Katy Perry stayed in her field of pop music. Prism was a hit with songs like Dark Horse and Roar, but her next album Witness, which was released in 2017, wasn’t able to capture the same magic. Perry once again bounced back with Smile, released in 2020, but it also didn’t match the reputation of someone who has released Teenage Dream.
Other than releasing music, Perry did sold-out tours, became a judge on American Idol, and launched a shoe line. Although she is still waiting for her first Grammy win after earning several nominations, her place in the top list of pop icons is secure.
Lady Gaga, on the other side, focused more on a completely different path after Artpop got mixed reviews. She released Joanne, which was a mix of country music and pop. Then she explored jazz with Tony Bennett. But her biggest success was in acting.
Gaga won an Oscar for Shallow as the Best Original Song and also earned a Best Actress nomination. She then starred in House of Gucci which showed she was not just a one-hit wonder in acting. Now, with her upcoming Joker: Folie à Deux, she aims to solidify her status as an actress even more.
Musically speaking, Gaga returned to her dance-pop roots with Chromatica which had hits like Rain on Me with Ariana Grande. She went up to win more Grammys since 2013, and she has a total of 13 as of 2024. She also launched a beauty line, and she has become a powerful advocate for mental health and LGBTQ+ rights.
