E.T.

Katy Perry Embraces an Otherworldly Love on "E.T."

Picture the year 2010: Katy Perry, at the height of her pop superstardom, releases a futuristic, otherworldly song about an irresistible, alien attraction. Featuring a guest verse from Kanye West, "E.T." was a dramatic, electronic-driven anthem using science-fiction imagery to capture the feeling of an overwhelming, otherworldly love, becoming a number-one smash and one of the defining pop songs of its era.

A Pop Superstar's Bold Move

By 2010 Katy Perry was at the height of her pop superstardom, one of the biggest stars in the world, and "E.T." was a bold, dramatic, futuristic single. The song embraced science-fiction imagery and a dramatic, electronic-driven sound to create something otherworldly and distinctive. For the song she teamed with Kanye West, whose guest verse added star power and hip-hop flavor. The song used alien, otherworldly imagery to capture the feeling of an overwhelming, irresistible attraction. It became a number-one smash and one of the defining pop songs of its era, showcasing Katy Perry's bold, imaginative pop vision.

Otherworldly Drama

The recording is built on a dramatic, electronic-driven, futuristic sound, framing Katy Perry's powerful vocal and Kanye West's guest verse. The song uses science-fiction imagery, comparing an irresistible love to an alien, otherworldly encounter, the beloved like an extraterrestrial being whose attraction is overwhelming and otherworldly. That theme of an overwhelming, irresistible, otherworldly love, captured through alien imagery and delivered with dramatic, electronic energy, gives the song its distinctive, futuristic character. The dramatic, electronic production and the otherworldly imagery create a distinctive, futuristic atmosphere. It is dramatic, futuristic pop of real imagination and power.

A Number-One Smash

The single climbed all the way to the top of the Billboard Hot 100, reaching number 1 on April 9, 2011, and enjoying a substantial 30 weeks on the chart. Topping the chart confirmed the song's enormous popularity. The dramatic, futuristic song became one of the defining pop songs of its era and one of Katy Perry's signature hits. Its enormous popularity reflects its status as a beloved classic and a showcase of Katy Perry's bold, imaginative pop.

A Defining Pop Hit

"E.T." stands as one of Katy Perry's most distinctive and successful hits, a dramatic, futuristic anthem of otherworldly love that became a number-one smash. The song's science-fiction imagery, dramatic electronic sound, and the star-powered collaboration have kept it a beloved pop classic. The recording captures the bold, imaginative pop vision that made Katy Perry a superstar. Its enduring popularity reflects its status as a defining pop hit of its era.

The Imagery of Otherworldly Attraction

What gives "E.T." its distinctive appeal is its use of science-fiction imagery to capture the feeling of an overwhelming, otherworldly attraction. Rather than describing attraction in conventional terms, the song reaches for alien, otherworldly imagery, comparing an irresistible love to an extraterrestrial encounter, the beloved like an alien being whose attraction is overwhelming and otherworldly. That imaginative use of science-fiction imagery captures a real truth about powerful attraction, the way an overwhelming, irresistible love can feel otherworldly, alien, beyond ordinary experience, as if one is encountering something not of this world. By comparing the irresistible attraction to an alien encounter, the song gives vivid, imaginative form to the feeling of an overwhelming love that seems beyond the ordinary, otherworldly in its intensity and strangeness. That creative imagery, the comparison of overwhelming attraction to an otherworldly, alien encounter, captures the way powerful love can feel strange, overwhelming, and beyond the ordinary, as if one has been swept up by something otherworldly. The dramatic, electronic, futuristic production reinforces that otherworldly imagery, creating a distinctive, alien atmosphere that embodies the otherworldly attraction. Katy Perry's bold, imaginative pop vision, her willingness to reach for science-fiction imagery and a futuristic sound, made the song genuinely distinctive. That imagery of otherworldly attraction, the imaginative comparison of overwhelming love to an alien encounter, is exactly why "E.T." became such a distinctive and beloved hit.

Press play and feel that otherworldly attraction; this is dramatic, futuristic pop of an alien, irresistible love.

"E.T." — Katy Perry Featuring Kanye West's singular moment on the 2010s charts.