Scarlett Johansson Inspired a Controversial Katy Perry Song From 2008 Which Became One of her Biggest Regrets Despite Being Called “lesbian-friendly” at First
American singer and songwriter Katy Perry is one of the most celebrated artists in the music world. Her songs like Wide Awake, Last Friday Night, Teenage Dream, and Harleys In Hawaii have earned her a lot of fame and appreciation. However, one of her songs from 2008 has been a personal regret for the 39-year-old diva.
Although art is referred to as the mirror of society, it’s also true that time is directly proportional here. As soon as time changes, taste in art changes too. The Bon Appètit singer probably realized that more than anyone else when one of her appreciated songs changed into a topic of controversy.
Katy Perry’s I Kissed a Girl Was Inspired by Scarlett Johansson
Katy Perry released a song named I Kissed A Girl in 2008, through Capitol Records. The song was Perry’s debut single and had disco and glam rock elements in it. Interestingly, the song was inspired by one of the most beautiful American actresses, Scarlett Johansson.
Perry herself revealed that it was Johansson who inspired the I Kissed A Girl lyrics. She told Steppin’ Out magazine (via NME):
‘I Kissed a Girl’ was inspired when I opened up a magazine and I saw a picture of Scarlett Johansson…I was with my boyfriend at the time, and I said to him, ‘I’m not going to lie: If Scarlett Johansson walked into the room and wanted to make out with me, I would make out with her.
Back then, it seems like Perry admired the Ghost In The Shell actress. Johansson herself was also flattered upon being notified that her lips inspired Perry’s debut single in 2008 and told Allure (via PEOPLE):
That’s flattering, but my lips are kind of taken. I had no idea [about the song]. I should get a cut!
The song was initially perceived as ‘lesbian-friendly’, but later took a rather chaotic turn. With the queer community becoming a target with the passage of time, people and critics have begun to believe that the song is a negative influence on society.
Katy Perry Would Have Changed The Lyrics if She Had The Chance
Inspired by Scarlett Johansson, Perry’s I Kissed A Girl was initially treated as LGBTQ+ positive. However, as time passed, the song was excessively criticized for its stereotypical portrayal of bisexuality.
A few lines of the song like ‘you are my experimental game’ and ‘just wanna try you on’ didn’t impress the critics and within no time, the once-loved song became a heated argument. A critic stated (via UNILAD) :
the lyrics reflect the trivialization of queer female sexuality and the cultural norms which state that female sexuality exists for the pleasure of men
In an interview with Glamour, Perry admitted that she was aware of the gravity of the situation and that the song actually had some harmful ideas. She further mentioned that if by any chance she could rewrite the song, she would definitely make the edits required.
