you’ve been nominated for 13 Grammys without a win. Are you gunning to be up there next year?
The only thing that is on my mind when creating music is being authentic and vulnerable and making sure that it connects. And I know that it does connect because numbers don’t lie. I know that might sound a little sassy, but all I want to do is stay true to myself and dig deep to pull out some of the messages or perspectives that I have on the world.
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How far along are you on a new album?
I’m in the research and development phase. I’ve been going at it for eight or nine years in the spotlight, and then before that there’s that decade of hustle that never gets recognized but still shows up in your wrinkles. So right now I’m taking a little time. I don’t want to jump on any trends. I just need to evolve.
I do my records in a more traditional way, where the cycle is three years, so that once I start writing them, I know exactly where I’ll be in spring of 2018. That can get a little bit like “Ugh.” I need a little bit more freedom, especially when I’ve been doing it for this long.
As the reigning Super Bowl halftime performer, what did you think of Coldplay this year?
I thought it was cool. I always knew they were going to do a bit of a retrospective and bring back some artists that had done it in the past. I know how intense it is to do the Super Bowl and how much it takes. There are a lot of restrictions. It’s not as easy as saying like, “Hey, I want Rihanna up there with me.” I tried to get Dolly Parton out there. It’s more of a communal process with the N.F.L. and all the different artists. But I thought it was cool.
What did you make of Beyoncé using that enormous stage to make a political statement, with Black Panthers-inspired costumes and lyrics about race?
I think our world is becoming more transparent, and I encourage it. We need the transparency more than ever.
What else are you listening to lately?
I love Tame Impala so much. I love Purity Ring, I love Years and Years, I love the Jamie xx record from last year. Caribou, Rationale. I can’t wait for the new Rhye record. I love the “Magnets” song [by Disclosure] with Lorde.
Who are you rooting for at the Grammys?
The Weeknd has come a long way, especially since the very beginning when he put out all those records himself. He took a chance and went a little bit more pop. To see that growth happen so quickly and knowing his evolution is a pretty cool story.
great interview
As Mark Williamson, the streaming service’s director of artist services, explained: “We bought into Katy’s vision that if we can work together to create these relationships, we’re going to benefit long-term, because we’re helping to improve their community.”
(And yes, Adele and Taylor Swift, both of whom have withheld their music from Spotify, are invited, Ms. Perry said. “It’s just up to their schedules.”)
Along with a tight guest list — about 250 people — the night will include performances by Sia and Jack Garratt. “I hired a 14-piece orchestra to play all of the modern Top 40 songs,” Ms. Perry added.
Ms. Perry, who answered the telephone with an Adele-inflected hello, also discussed the Super Bowl halftime show, her progress on a new album and her plans for music’s biggest night. These are excerpts from the conversation.
Q. So how does someone score an invite to this very exclusive party?
A. Well, you have to be a creator — it’s artists, producers and songwriters. And it’s a mixture of new and familiar artists, a combination of the past two years’ Grammy nominees and also [acts] from the Spotify Discover playlist. It’s Kacey Musgraves, Karen O, Miguel, Tove Lo, Shirley Manson, Max Martin. Then up-and-coming songwriters like Blood Pop and Bonnie McKee all under the same roof as Diane Warren. In some ways, I’m trying to start the Met Ball of music.
But publicists and managers aren’t welcome?
They are not creators. They’re important to the creation, but it’s only artists, producers and songwriters. There’s a press opportunity in the front, like a red carpet, but if you want to be more low-key you can arrive via garage. I’m trying to keep it as pure as possible because in the eight years that I’ve been going to these things, I am just always so exhausted.
so cocky.
