California Gurls

"California Gurls" is a song by American singer Katy Perry from her third studio album, Teenage Dream (2010). It was released as the album's lead single on May 7, 2010, through Capitol Records. The song features rap verses from Snoop Dogg. They both co-wrote "California Gurls" with Bonnie McKee and its producers Dr. Luke, Benny Blanco, and Max Martin. The song's mid-tempo production incorporates disco-pop and funk-pop with influences of electropop and new wave. Its lyrics are an ode to the state of California, in which both Perry and Dogg were born and raised. According to Perry, "California Gurls" is an answer song to "Empire State of Mind" by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys.

Originally, "California Gurls" was intended to be sent to mainstream and rhythmic airplay on May 25, 2010. However, it instead debuted on May 7, 2010, after the song leaked online. It was subsequently released to iTunes on May 11, 2010. Upon its release, "California Gurls" received generally positive reviews from music critics, with the majority of critics labeling it a "summer anthem", as well as complimenting its production and chorus. The song earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards. In 2012, Billboard ranked it No. 1 on a special "The 30 Summer Songs of All Time" listing.

"California Gurls" was a commercial success, topping the US Billboard Hot 100 for six consecutive weeks, giving Perry her second No. 1 single in the United States and Dogg his third. It also topped the record charts in seven other countries, was the best-selling single of 2010 in Canada, and is certified Platinum or higher in nine countries, including 9× Platinum in Australia, and Diamond in Canada and the United States. 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, the others being "Firework", "Roar" and "Dark Horse".

The accompanying music video for "California Gurls" was directed by Mathew Cullen, and depicts Perry and her backup dancers as pieces of a board game, set in the fictional "Candyfornia". Perry has said that the inspiration behind the music video was artist Will Cotton, who was also the artistic director for the video. It has also been noted that the music video was influenced by several other works, including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and the board game Candyland.