Over the past decade, few pop-stars have reached the same heights as Katy Perry. She helped shape this decade with her incredible run at the beginning of the 2010s. Her third studio album, “Teenage Dream,” was one of the highest-selling albums of the 2010s. It went on to become the second album ever to have five number-one singles, behind Michael Jackson’s “Bad.” Led by her smash hit “Firework,” Perry’s songs were everywhere in the early 2010s. You couldn’t turn on the radio or go out without hearing them. Her next album “Prism,” wasn’t as popular but was still extremely successful. With songs like “Roar” and “Dark Horse,” she continued her incredible run.

Over the years, her popularity has declined, and her latest album didn’t perform as well as her previous albums. However, this decline doesn’t diminish the impact she’s had over the past decade. We often get caught up in recency bias and forget about people’s past accomplishments. From “Teenage Dream” to “Dark Horse” and “Firework” to “Last Friday Night,” her songs were fun and carefree but inspiring at the same time. They helped people forget about their worries and enjoy life for a few minutes, which is what music is supposed to do. Perry defined pop music for so long, and it’s impossible to talk about pop in the 2010s without mentioning her.