“Part of Me” by Katy Perry
The lyrics of “Part of Me”, even though Katy Perry later stated they have more of a general applicability, were specifically about her relationship with a fellow singer, Travis McCoy, who she dated from 2007 to 2009.
Or more to the point, it was authored in the aftermath of the two of them parting ways. But again, there are no direct references to McCoy contained therein, so we can take “Part of Me” as an overall breakup anthem, as it has been generally interpreted.
With that established, this definitely isn’t one of those types of songs where the vocalist is also taking blame for the relationship falling apart in any way, shape or form. Or instead, let’s put forth that if she does feel any type of personal guilt, it would be due to giving herself to the addressee in the first place.
Indeed considering the way she is lambasting him, such as claiming that his “love was cheap”, one has to wonder how she allowed herself to get in so deep. But obviously, the logical deduction would be something like she wasn’t familiar with his true character until falling in love and fully familiarizing herself with him.
The Narrator was so in Love
And yes, we have to conclude that the vocalist was in fact in love. After all, it would have been hard for the vocalist to have been as emotionally devastated as detailed if she were not. Or in the least she was very trusting in him. And it is that trust that came back to bite her in the behind.
For instance in the second verse, Lady summarizes how the addressee mistreated and suppressed her. And in the second, she also seems to metaphorically state that when she “fell deep” into trouble, which all lyrics considered reads something like she was really depressed or even on the verge of a mental breakdown, he was content with letting her suffer as opposed to assisting her romantic partner.
In fact we may even go as far to say something like the addressee hated the vocalist or developed comparable feelings somewhere along the line. And that is because even now post-breakup, he is ‘throwing sticks and stones’ and stressing her out to the point where she even desires to ‘throw away her phone’. Or as Katy puts it, he is trying to ‘break her soul’. So if nothing else, we can logically conclude that their breakup wasn’t a peaceful one.
The Title “Part of Me”
But what the title indicates, in a roundabout way, is the vocalist’s resolve not to let this situation get the best of her. Indeed in the bridge she is able to tout that she is doing even better now than she was when they were together.
She also uses said passage to drive home the point that his presence when the relationship was still intact was very much a detrimental factor in her life. We may even reasonably postulate that one of the reasons she was so depressed, as noted above, when they were together is because they were in fact together.
All in all, her ex is trying hard to destroy her soul. However, that’s a ‘part of her’ he’ll never be able to reach. Hence the title “Part of Me”.
A Breakup Song
So yes, this is definitely a breakup anthem, as they are called, in that the vocalist is actually able to celebrate no longer being romantically involved with the addressee and emotionally prospering in his absence. Moreover she can confidently boast that despite his best attempts to hurt her in the aftermath, he is not capable of really doing so.
“Part Of Me” Facts
Artist(s): Katy Perry
Writing: Perry wrote this song with Dr. Luke, Max Martin, and Bonnie McKee
Production: Dr. Luke, Martin, and Cirkut were responsible for producing this tune
Release: February 13 of 2012
Album/EP: “Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection”
Genre(s)
- Power pop
- Dance-pop
Was “Part Of Me” a single release?
Yes. Single No.1 from Katy’s album of 2012, “Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection”.
Covers:
- Dev and NanosauR (2014)
- Jason Chen (2012)
- Kidz Bop Kids (2012)
- Lovers Lane (2012)
- Madilyn Bailey (2012)
- Meghan Tonjes (2012)
- Tanner Patrick (2012)
- Tyler Ward (2012)
- Van Lady Love (2012)
Sampling:
- DJ Kurara – “Gaudy Rape Machine” (2013)
- Fracx – “Part of Me” (Fracx Remix) (2012)
Charts:
- US – 1
- UK Singles – 3
- Japan – 1
- Ireland – 1
- Hungary – 1
- Germany – 1
- France – 2
- Finland – 1
- Denmark – 2
- Canada – 1
- Belgium – 1
- Australia – 1
“Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection”
American singer and songwriter Katy Perry released the dance-pop and power pop song Part of Me, in February 2012, as the lead single from her 2012 reissue album, Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection. The album was a reissue of her third studio album, Teenage Dream, which she released in 2010. It included three new songs, combining pop elements from the 2010 album and an acoustic version of “The One That Got Away,” and three official remixes.
Capitol Records released the project on March 23, 2012. Katy Perry worked with many producers, including Ammo, Benny Blanco, and Tricky Stewart, to improve existing songs from Teenage Dream’s recording sessions at Playback Recording Studio.
Upon release, project reached the top ten music charts of several European countries and the United. By the end of 2012, it had sold over a million copies globally.
The lead single of the album, Part of Me, was a huge commercial success and attracted massive attention to the entire album.
The song debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and has received a double-platinum certification from RIAA. Another single on the album titled Wide Awake peaked at number two on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart and was nominated at the 55th Grammy Award ceremony for Best Pop Solo Performance Award.
