Katy Perry’s “Firework” Lyrics Meaning

Katy Perry’s “Firework” is a feel-good motivational song that is set to lift our hearts and souls, especially those who suffer from bullying and/or low self-esteem issues.

Comparing one to “a plastic bag drifting through the wind” shows how helpless one can be that they’d move anywhere the wind blows them, without a voice of their own. The first verse carries on including more comparisons such as getting blown “like a house of cards” and “buried deep”. These are phrases that are related to how insecure a person can feel from time to time that they almost feel trapped in their skin.

You are a “Firework”!

Perry goes on to exclaim that despite whatever hardships life gives, one should never stop trying. She also advises us not to undermine ourselves and our abilities to shine. According to her, all we need is to give ourselves a chance, and the benefits from that could amaze everyone.

Fourth of July is America’s Independence Day, which is celebrated with barbeques, parades, and fireworks, amongst other events. Hence, the relation to this historic day’s events in this song shows that one can light up the spark and shine it for the world to see, much like a firework.

What I think about the lyrics of “Firework”

In my opinion, this song remains an anthem to this day for anyone who’s going through tough times that make one undermine their worth. It is true that we are the owners of our lives and how the world sees us should be an extension of how we see ourselves. One should not give in to the peer pressure of social media or acquaintances if that pressure causes a negative emotion. That said, loving yourself and being healthy should be among the top priorities in our lives.

Why Katy Perry composed “Firework”

In an interview with MTV, Perry said that the reason she wrote this song was because she believes that every single person on earth has the potential to shine. According to Perry, she believes that in most cases, the reason we fail to shine is simply because we are the ones standing in our own ways.

The above said, it should be noted that Katy isn’t the sole writer of “Firework”. She wrote this song with four other writers. They are:

• Mikkel S. Eriksen
• Tor Erik Hermansen
• Sandy Wilhelm
• Ester Dean

Did “Firework” win a Grammy?

It received multiple nominations at the 2012 Grammys. One such notable nomination was for Record of the Year. Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” eventually won this prestigious award. Other nominees for the award included the following:

• “The Cave” by Mumford & Sons
• “Grenade” by Bruno Mars
• “Holocene” by Bon Iver

Was this song a Number 1 hit for Katy Perry?

Yes. It was number 1 in America (the Hot 100). It also topped the following Billboard America charts:

• Adult Contemporary
• Adult Top 40
• Dance Club Songs
• Mainstream Top 40

Outside of the Unite States, “Firework” was also extremely successful. For example, it also topped the official singles charts in Canada and New Zealand. It was a top-5 hit in the UK. It actually reached a peak position of #3 here (i.e. the UK Singles). The song performed as follows on charts around the globe:

• #3 in Australia
• #3 in Austria
• #5 in Belgium
• #1 in Canada
• #4 in Czech Republic
• #7 in France
• #4 in Germany
• #2 in Hungary
• #2 in Ireland
• #3 in Israel
• #4 in Italy
• #8 in Netherlands
• #2 in Norway
• #3 in Poland
• #3 in Scotland
• #4 in Sweden
• #3 in Switzerland

How many copies of “Firework” have been sold so far?

This song has currently gone 12x Platinum in United States with over 7 million copies sold so far. In the UK, it currently has sold over a million units.

Popular Media Appearances

“Firework” is used in the American musical comedy-drama television series “Glee” that aired in US from 2009 to 2015.

It is featured on the 2012 American computer-animated adventure comedy film “Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted”.

The 2012 French romantic drama film “Rust and Bone” features this song.

The 2014 American political action black comedy film “The Interview” also uses this song.

Netflix’s show “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” features “Firework”.

At the 2016 Democratic National Convention, when Hillary Clinton accepted the Democratic presidential nomination, this tune was played.

Katy Perry performed “Firework” during the “Celebrating America” show. This event was one of the many events held in support of the inauguration ceremony of the United States’ 46th President Joe Biden.

Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream”

Katy Perry had “Teenage Dream” released on August 24 of 2010. It was released as her third studio album.

To produce “Teenage Dream”, Katy worked with some big names in record production, including:

• Benny Blanco
• Dr. Luke
• Max Martin
• Stargate Greg
• Tricky Stewart
• Vee Ammo
• Wells Sandy

The album was recorded at  Playback Recording Studios and released through Universal Music’s Capitol Records.

The release of “Teenage Dream” was preceded by the release of seven singles. Five of the singles peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 100. This was another milestone in Katy’s career as she became the first female singer in history to achieve such a feat. Historically, she became the second musician to have 5 No.1 singles from one album. The first musician to do this was Michael Jackson with his “Bad” album of 1987.

In the US alone, “Teenage Dream” recorded sales of over 192,000 copies within its first week and has since sold over 8 million copies. In the UK, sales of over 1.3 million copies have been recorded. For its impressive sales, it has received quite a number of certifications, including:

• 8x Platinum in the US
• 5x Platinum in the UK
• 6x Platinum in Australia
• 4x Platinum in Canada
• Gold  in Belgium
• Gold in Japan
• 5x Platinum in Norway
• 2x Platinum in France
• 3x Platinum in New Zealand
• Platinum in Germany

Chart Performance

The album landed on the Billboard 200 at No. 1. On the Billboard 200 year-end, “Teenage Dream” remained within the top-40 for three consecutive years. It was at the summit of charts in the UK, Scotland, New Zealand, Ireland, Canada, Australia and Austria. It continued its dominance on top-10s in other parts of the world including:

• Belgium – 5
• Brazil – 4
• Finland – 8
• France – 3
• Germany – 5
• Greece – 2
• Hungary – 9
• Italy – 3
• Japan – 6
• Netherlands – 6

Grammy Nominations

The album won nominations for the awards, “Album of the Year” and “Best Pop Vocal Album” at the Grammy Awards in 2011. It however, lost both awards. Adele’s “21” won the former while “The Fame Monster” by Lady Gaga won the latter.

The Album’s Singles

Below are all the official singles used in promoting “Teenage Dream”:

• “California Gurls”
• “Teenage Dream”
• “Firework”
• “E.T.”
• “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)”
• “The One That Got Away”
• “Hummingbird Heartbeat”