"California Gurls" Katy Perry

"California Gurls" by Katy Perry was the most overplayed single of 2010 and is one of the top-selling California songs in music history.

Singer-songwriter Katy Perry will be living off "California Gurls" for the rest of her life and will probably be performing the #1 song when she's a California Old Ladee.

Both the California blog and the California blogger, however, are happy to finally place the 'cherry on top' of the Candyfornia anthem here at the end of the year 2010.

Katy Perry and Snoop Dogg created a monster hit single, and it was an exhausting roller coaster ride for everyone affiliated with the year's most phenomenal song --- exciting, yes, but exhausting.

Last April, I was asked by the Katy/Snoop camp to help promote an "upcoming single about California that is sure to be the song of the summer".  I must admit that the idea made sense.  This blog is extremely Californiacentric.

Sure.  Why not?  Californiality plus Candyfornia seemed like a fun idea, so I asked for the yet-to-be-released single's audio file.  It was an upbeat California-themed dance song that had the right vibe at the right time.  Very cool.

I published the "California Gurls" post on May 1, 2010.  Back then, the single had not yet hit radio and there was no video.  Katy Perry's team threw together a "lyric video" --- better than nothing.

Over the first few days, my write-up got a respectable number of page views.  After "California Gurls" started getting radio airplay, however, everything went crazy with zillions of hits coming from everywhere.

I did not need to check the Billboard charts to know that "California Gurls" was exploding all around the world.  Californiality was being invaded by the teenagers of earth amid a full-fledged phenomenon.

The #1 California song was taking over the #1 California blog.

Everywhere I went, there was "California Gurls".  The mall.  The grocery store.  The public restroom!  The song was blaring from every car on the street.  It became the droning soundtrack in my sleep.

I saw an old lady with blue hair and felt the urge to scream bloody murder.

"California Gurls" became the first single by a Capitol Records recording artist in 43 years to hit the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 in its fourth week since "Ode to Billie Joe" by Bobbie Gentry.

"Ode to Billie Joe" was produced by Bobby Paris, my mentor who helped me improve my songwriting and taught me studio production back in the '80s.  How ironic.

I started feeling like I was MARRIED to "California Gurls", though.

Now, as a California blogger reflecting on the year 2010, I am happy that Katy Perry's fourth #1 single, "Firework", is on top of the music charts this week --- and it's not a song about California.

"California Gurls are undeniable".  What an understatement.  What an experience.  What a wild ride through Candyfornia it's been.  Thank you, Katy Perry.

Katy Perry California Gurls