Female singers dominate in our culture, especially those who have the good looks or flare to become iconic in and of themselves. Madonna is perhaps the most famous for pairing a definitive image with her music, but if raunchy, in-your-face sexuality isn't your thing, she can be a bit much. Lady GaGa is a self-styled freak, wilfully crossing lines and pushing fans out of their comfort zones. Not known for her beauty, she has instead focused on the outrageous, the bizarre, the artist-as-art chic. Which leaves Katy Perry, a charming, wide-eyed throwback to a somewhat simpler esthetic. She's girly-girl and proud of it, happily wearing ribbons and bows, polka dots and bright colours. Her bubble-gum exuberance brings a kind of innocence to her music, the lyrics of which are often not the least bit innocent. Part pin-up, part vixen, part little girl and part hoochie mama, she manages to playfully embody all the stereotypes without taking any given one of them too seriously. We were inspired by her refreshing take on femininity, beauty and pure girlishness for this series with Rachelle Wilde.
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