Jack's Info Portal: Katy Perry's Wild Road To 'Part Of Me'

Perry will debut the video for her hit on 'MTV First: Katy Perry' on Wednesday, March 21, at 7:23 p.m. ET on MTV.
By John Mitchell

<a href="http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/perry_katy/artist.jhtml">Katy Perry</a>'s 2011 was huge, and 2012 is shaping up to be even bigger with the March 27 release of Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection and a new album in the works. We're just days away from "MTV First: Katy Perry," when the pop star will debut her video for <a href="/news/articles/1681187/katy-perry-part-of-me-music-video-premiere-thursday.jhtml">"Part of Me."</a> The special airs Wednesday, March 21, at 7:23 p.m. ET on MTV ahead of a 30-minute interview on MTV.com. But before that, we decided to look back on the superstar's crazy year. <CENTER><embed src="http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:uma:video:mtv.com:749674/cp~name%3Dnews%26id%3D1681186%26vid%3D749674%26uri%3Dmgid%3Auma%3Avideo%3Amtv.com%3A749674" width="460" height="260" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" base="."></embed></CENTER> » February 13, 2011:Perry walked into the <a href="/news/articles/1657862/katy-perry-grammy-performance.jhtml">53rd Grammy Awards</a> as one of the top nominees. Her Teenage Dream was up for Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album, and the tracks "Teenage Dream" and "California Gurls" were nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and Best Pop Collaboration, respectively. She also hit the stage to perform a medley of her Dream tracks "Not Like the Movies" and "Teenage Dream." During "Movies," Perry floated over the audience while footage from her lavish wedding ceremony in India to Russell Brand played on a screen behind her. » February 20, 2011: The pop diva kicked off her California Dreams World Tour in Lisbon, Portugal. At the time, she told MTV News that her favorite songs to perform for her sellout arena audiences were the big anthems, like <a href="/news/articles/1661404/katy-perry-firework.jhtml">"Firework."</a> "I started writing songs like 'Firework' and 'Teenage Dream' and songs that I think now are anthems for people," she explained. "When I'm playing 'Firework,' the whole arena literally moves up and down. It's the song that people are holding onto and inspired by." » May 3, 2011: Though they were plagued throughout their marriage by rumors of discord, <a href="/news/articles/1663163/katy-perry-russell-brand-vanity-fair.jhtml">Perry gushed about Brand</a> in the May issue of Vanity Fair, saying, "[He] never lied to me once. I trust him; there's just a level of trust that we've built up." » July 20, 2011: Perry scores a leading nine nominations for the <a href="/news/articles/1667615/2011-video-music-awards-nominees.jhtml">2011 MTV Video Music Awards</a>, including bids for Best Pop Video, Best Collaboration, Best Direction, Best Special Effects and the biggie, Video of the Year, for her smash "Firework" clip. » August 17, 2011: When her summer hit <a href="/news/articles/1669214/katy-perry-michael-jackson-singles-record.jhtml">"Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)"</a> moved into the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100, it marked the fifth #1 hit from Perry's Teenage Dream. The achievement tied Michael Jackson's record, set with 1987's Bad, for the most #1 hits from a single album. » August 29, 2011: Perry wins the <a href="/news/articles/1669864/katy-perry-firework-vma-best-video-of-the-year.jhtml">Video of the Year VMA</a> for "Firework." "Oh my goodness! Thank you so much," Perry said while accepting the prize. "This has been a night of firsts. This is my second Moonman. I'm very proud of the song it stands for, which is 'Firework.' I feel like I am doing something right when I sing that song. So thanks to everyone who helped to create it." » November 11, 2011: Appearing on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" to tout the end of her successful California Dreams Tour, <a href="/news/articles/1674192/katy-perry-russell-brand-want-baby.jhtml">Perry told DeGeneres</a> she wanted kids with Brand. "I would love to have children. I think that's one of the reasons you get married, and especially to the person that you marry. You think, 'Hmmm, that person is going to be a good partner, a good parent,' " Perry said. "But I'm not sure it's yet. We'll see, you know?" During the sit-down, she admitted that she and Brand worked hard to see each other while she was on tour but that it was often a challenge. "Two weeks, that's the longest we ever go. Anything longer than that is not fun." » December 11, 2011: Perry hosted "Saturday Night Live" and was a big hit. Poking fun at fellow celebs like Christina Aguilera, Florence Welch and Pippa Middleton, <a href="/news/articles/1675773/katy-perry-snl-ratings.jhtml">Perry brought "SNL" its best ratings</a> since its popular November 5 episode hosted by comedian Charlie Day. Speaking to MTV News on the "SNL" set, Perry said something that took on a whole new meaning just a few short weeks later. "I've only ever hosted, like, dinner parties and birthday parties. This is a bit more than that," she joked. "I'm up for a challenge, for something new. I love to be challenged — I married Russell Brand." » December 25, 2011: Katy was spotted splashing around in the ocean in Hawaii without Russell and <a href="/news/articles/1676624/katy-perry-russell-brand-wedding-rings.jhtml">not wearing her wedding ring</a>. Just days later, Brand's ring finger was bare when photographers caught him out walking in London. » December 30, 2011: With the new year looming, <a href="/news/articles/1676628/russell-brand-katy-perry-divorce.jhtml">Brand filed for divorce from Perry</a>, citing "irreconcilable differences." No separation date was provided in the filing. » January 13, 2012: After canceling her first scheduled post-split appearance at the <a href="/news/articles/1676963/katy-perry-peoples-choice-awards-cancellation.jhtml">People's Choice Awards</a>, Perry finally steps out of hiding to tape a <a href="/news/articles/1677278/katy-perry-adidas-commercial.jhtml">commercial for Adidas</a>. A photo of the star, sporting brand-new blue locks, is the first of her post-split. » February 1, 2012: After receiving a Record of the Year Grammy nomination for "Firework," Perry is announced as a performer at the <a href="/news/articles/1678301/katy-perry-grammy-awards.jhtml">54th Grammy Awards</a>. » February 12, 2012: Perry performed her <a href="/news/articles/1679098/grammy-awards-katy-perry.jhtml">new single, "Part of Me,"</a> from Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection at the Grammys. The song was widely believed to be a kiss-off directed at Brand because of lyrics like "Look at me/ I'm sparkling/ You will never put me out again/ So you can keep the diamond ring/ It don't mean nothing anyway." During a recent <a href="/news/articles/1680321/katy-perry-part-of-me-russell-brand.jhtml">interview with MTV News</a>, however, the pop star denied the song was about her ex, saying she wrote the track two years ago. "I wrote it two years ago, which is funny because everybody is like, 'God, it sounds so current,' " she told MTV News. "And some people that I work with were like 'You should just say you wrote it a couple of weeks ago.' I'm like 'I'm not a d---, I'm going to tell the truth.' I wrote it two years ago when I was writing and recording Teenage Dream, [but] it didn't feel right on the record. I would've had to take out one of my other songs that [made the album] a nice, complete package." » February 23, 2012: >> <a href="/news/articles/1679744/katy-perry-breaks-billboard-record-part-of-me-teenage-dream.jhtml">"Part of Me" debuts at #1</a> on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming just the 20th track to debut on the top of the tally and selling a massive 448,000 downloads in its debut frame, the most of any song since Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" dropped almost exactly a year earlier. Are you excited for "Katy Perry: MTV First"? Let us know in the comments below!

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