Katy Perry’s evangelical upbringing

Katy Perry grew up in the strictest of families, said Vanessa Grigoriadis in Rolling Stone. The 25-year-old pop singer’s parents were itinerant evangelical Christian ministers, who taught her that dances, movies, and pop culture were the work of Satan. “It was not a ‘kumbaya’ atmosphere,” says Perry. “I knew about hell from the moment I understood a sentence. I wasn’t ever able to say I was ‘lucky,’ because my mother didn’t like that ‘lucky’ sounded like ‘Lucifer.’ Deviled eggs were called ‘angeled eggs.’”

She often traveled with her parents, who sometimes held religious services in hotel rooms with makeshift congregations of as few as five people. “My mom and dad practice ‘tongues and interpretation’ together,” Perry says. “My dad speaks in tongues, and my mom interprets it.” Perry learned to speak in tongues as well. “It’s as normal to me as ‘Pass the salt.’” These days, she’s known for provocative songs and her bubblegum-meets-burlesque image, but still considers herself a Christian. “Every time I look up [in the sky], I know that I’m nothing and there’s something way beyond me. I just don’t think it’s as simple as heaven and hell.”

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up