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"California Gurls" is a song by American singer-songwriter Katy Perry, featuring vocals and an additional rap verse from American rapper Snoop Dogg. Following and illegal leak, it was released as the lead single from Perry's third studio album, Teenage Dream (2010), by Capitol Records on May 7, 2010. It was written by Perry along with the song's producers Dr. Luke, Benny Blanco, and Max Martin, and features additional songwriting from Bonnie McKee and Snoop Dogg. Feeling the album was incomplete, Perry decided to go into the studio with Dr. Luke, Benny Blanco, and Max Martin to write two more songs, which would end up being "California Gurls" and "Teenage Dream". After seeing her friends dancing to "Empire State of Mind" (2009), by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys, Perry felt inspired to write an answer song about California from a woman's perspective. In order to achieve her desired sound, she browsed West Coast artists on Wikipedia before deciding on Snoop Dogg, calling him the "Doggfather" of rap.
Musically, "California Gurls" is a mid-tempo disco, house, and funk song which draws heavy influence from New Wave and electronic music, although critics also noted influences of hip hop and Europop within its composition. Described as "neon-pop ode to the popsicle-maiming bikini vixens of the Golden State", it has been labeled a "summer anthem" by the majority of critics. The song garnered positive reviews from music critics, who complimented its production and chorus. "California Gurls" was a worldwide success, peaking at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for six consecutive weeks, as well as a variety of markets worldwide.
A music video for the song was released on June 15, 2010, and features Perry and her dancers as pieces of a board game, set in the fictional "Candyfornia". Perry has said that the inspiration behind the video was artist Will Cotton, who was also the artistic director of the video. It has been noted that the video is influenced by several other works, including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Alice in Wonderland, and the board game Candyland. On December 2, 2010, the song received a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals. According to Billboard, "California Gurls" is the most successful summer song of all time, and was the most successful summer song of 2010, along with the fourth most successful song of 2010 in the United States. The song has sold over 5.542 million in the U.S., making it Perry's third highest-selling song behind "Firework" and "E.T.". With sales of over 9 million worldwide, "California Gurls" is one of the best-selling singles of all time.