Katy Perry 'Dark Horse' vs Pharell 'Happy' (VIDEOS): Perry Wins Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart Battle
Katy Perry's "Dark Horse" vs. Pharrell's "Happy" has been a Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart battle for weeks now, but the "California Gurlz" singer has been victorious. "Dark Horse" has been the no. 1 single on the charts for three weeks in a row now.
Katy Perry's "Dark Horse" beat out Pharell's "Happy," which gained massive popularity after being featured in "Despicable Me 2" and coming out with unusual music videos— one has Pharrell Williams in it, but the others mostly feature everyday people just dancing around and enjoying themselves.
Despite the "Happy" tie-in to a major motion picture, Perry has managed to stay on top because of a controversial performance of "Dark Horse" at the Grammy's recently. Perry emerged out of a crystal ball wearing the cross of the Knights Templar, danced on a broom surrounded by demons, and was finally burned at the stake by roaring flames.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
"Um, did we just witness actual witchcraft during Katy Perry's #Grammys performance?" E! News tweeted soon afterwards.
Christian singer Natalie Grant even left the Grammy's early, saying she's "never been more sure" of her choice as a gospel artist.
In addition to that, "Dark Horse" has suggestive and dark lyrics. The singer elaborated to during the E! pre-Grammy show, saying her performance was inspired by one of her "favorite" Stevie Nicks lyrics: "Which witch is which?"
"It's kind of a juxtaposition," she explained to MTV News of the single to her latest album, Prism. "It's got me, a pop artist … and the lyrics are kind of witchy and dark, as if I was a witch warning this man not to fall in love with me, and if you do know I'm going to be your last."
However, a closer analysis of the song points to a warning away from drug addiction as well. Perry refers to the feeling she gives as "magic," something to make you "levitate," fly "like a bird without a cage" and being "in the palm of your hand"— all references to getting high. Juicy J, who collaborated with a verse on the song as well, says leaving her will make her "cold as a freezer" and says he'll "put her in a coma"— references to the struggle of withdrawal from narcotics.
In addition, Juicy J also becomes more blatant with highlighting the drug warning, saying "Her love is like a drug, I was tryna hit it and quit it / But lil mama so dope, I messed around and got addicted."
