Not to be confused with the 1965 song by the Beach Boys, California Girls.
"California Gurls"
Single by Katy Perry featuring Snoop Dogg
from the album Teenage Dream
B-side
"Hot n Cold" (Yelle Remix)
Released
May 7, 2010 (2010-05-07)
Studio
Conway Recording Studios, (Hollywood, California)
Genre
Bubblegum pop
disco-pop
funk-pop
Length
3:56
Label
Capitol
Songwriter(s)
Katy Perry
Lukasz Gottwald
Max Martin
Benjamin Levin
Bonnie McKee
Calvin Broadus
Producer(s)
Dr. Luke
Benny Blanco
Max Martin
Katy Perry singles chronology
"If We Ever Meet Again" (2009)
"California Gurls" (2010)
"Teenage Dream" (2010)
Snoop Dogg singles chronology
"That Tree" (2010)
"California Gurls" (2010)
"It's in the Mornin'" (2010)
Music video
"California Gurls ft. Snoop Dogg" on YouTube
"California Gurls" is a song recorded by American singer Katy Perry. It served as the lead single for her third studio album, Teenage Dream (2010). The song features verses from rapper Snoop Dogg. The artists co-wrote the song with Bonnie McKee and its co-producers Dr. Luke and Max Martin, with additional production from Benny Blanco. According to Perry, "California Gurls" is an answer song to "Empire State of Mind" (2009), by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys. Its mid-tempo production incorporates disco-pop and funk-pop with influences of new wave and electropop. Its lyrics are an ode to the state of California, in which both Perry and Snoop Dogg were born and raised.
"California Gurls" garnered positive reviews from music critics, with the majority of them labeling it a "summer anthem",[1] as well as complimenting its production and chorus. Originally, the song was intended to be sent to mainstream and rhythmic airplay on May 25, 2010, the song debuted on May 7, 2010, after clips from the Teenage Dream album were leaked online. It was subsequently released to iTunes on May 11, 2010, as the album's lead single. The song was a worldwide success, peaking at number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 for six consecutive weeks, giving Perry her second number-one single in the US and Snoop Dogg his third. The song also reached number-one in seven other countries, was the best-selling song of 2010 in Canada, and is certified Platinum or higher in nine countries, including 4× Platinum in Canada, 6× Platinum in Australia, and Diamond in the US. When "California Gurls" was certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), Perry became the first female artist to have four Diamond-certified singles in the country, the others being "Firework", "Dark Horse" and “Roar”.
A music video for the song was released on June 15, 2010, featuring Perry and her dancers as pieces of a board game, set in the fictional "Candyfornia". Perry has said that the inspiration behind the video was artist Will Cotton, who was also the artistic director of the video. It has also been noted that the video was influenced by several other works, including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and the board game Candyland. On December 2, 2010, the song received a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals. In 2012, Billboard ranked the song number one on a special The 30 Summer Songs of All Time listing.
^"Weekly US music releases: Katy Perry, Usher, Eels, and Fantasia". The Independent. August 23, 2010. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
spelling was changed to "CaliforniaGurls" after the death of Big Star member Alex Chilton as a nod to their song, "September Gurls". Rondor Music, the company...
including Big Star's "September Gurls", the Magnetic Fields' "California Girls", and Katy Perry's "CaliforniaGurls". In 1984, David Lee Roth recorded...
singles selling over 5 million (in order of release date: "Hot n Cold", "CaliforniaGurls", "Firework", "E.T.", "Roar", and "Dark Horse"). Perry also holds the...
"September Gurls" is a song written by Alex Chilton that was first released by Big Star on their second studio album Radio City in 1974. "September Gurls" was...
)" "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" "Firework" Encore: "CaliforniaGurls" Notes "One of the Boys" was played instead of "Hummingbird Heartbeat"...
November of that year. In 2011, she embarked on her second world tour, the California Dreams Tour, to promote her third studio album, Teenage Dream (2010)....
female artist to produce five number-one Billboard Hot 100 songs—"CaliforniaGurls", "Teenage Dream", "Firework", "E.T.", and "Last Friday Night (T.G...
Dream (2010), including the Billboard Hot 100 numbers-one hit singles "CaliforniaGurls" (2010), "Teenage Dream" (2010), "E.T." (2011),"Last Friday Night (T...
pop album Teenage Dream (2010) spawned five U.S. number one singles—"CaliforniaGurls", "Teenage Dream", "Firework", "E.T.", and "Last Friday Night (T.G...
(Ke$ha) number one 2010: "My First Kiss" (3OH!3 featuring Ke$ha) 2010: "CaliforniaGurls" (Katy Perry featuring Snoop Dogg) number one 2010: "Please Don't Go"...
collaborating with pop singer Katy Perry. The duo wrote the hits "CaliforniaGurls", "Teenage Dream", "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)", "Part of Me", "Wide...
featured cover versions of five songs, including a dance performance of "CaliforniaGurls" by Katy Perry and a mash-up of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" with "Heads...
streams in 2013. The first song of the summer on Billboard's chart was "CaliforniaGurls" by Katy Perry and Snoop Dogg. Achieving song of the summer became...
appears with pop singer Katy Perry in 2010 with the music video of CaliforniaGurls as "Bubblegum Girl". In 2020, Evans began starring as Mercedes Woodbine...
ticket recipients (Abi Carter, Julia Gagnon, and Odell Burton Jr.) sang "California Dreamin'" by The Mamas & the Papas as a trio. Their advantage was the...
November 2021. Moore, Sam (17 December 2020). "Yungblud: 'Katy Perry's "CaliforniaGurls" and "I Kissed A Girl" felt so punk rock to me'". NME. Retrieved 3...
song videos such as "G33k & G4m3r Girls", a spoof of Katy Perry's "CaliforniaGurls", and "All About that Base", a Star Wars parody of Meghan Trainor's...
(2008-09-27) "My Life Would Suck Without You" (2009-02-07) "3" (2009-10-24) "CaliforniaGurls" (2010-06-19) "Teenage Dream" (2010-09-18) "Raise Your Glass" (2010-12-11)...
change, and progressed into a "campy" medley of "Teenage Dream" and "CaliforniaGurls". Rapper Missy Elliott subsequently appeared, performing her songs...
Year Title Director(s) 2010 "CaliforniaGurls" (Katy Perry cover) Oliver Schillo 2011 "Is Anyone Up?" Unknown 2012 "Muffin Purper-Gurk" Eskimo Callboy...