It Takes Two

Album: Prism (2013)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Perry engages in some self-examination over the breakdown of her marriage to Russell Brand on this Stargate produced track, which she penned with Scottish singer-songwriter Emeli Sandé. She told MTV News that she believes it's important to be mature about ending a romance. "It's really easy when relationships end to be like 'That guy was a f---ing douchebag,'" she said. "But really if you laid it down, and you saw the whole span of the relationship, you saw that you were in love, you saw the intimate moments, you saw the pain, you saw all the emotions and you have to kind of say 'Well, what responsibility can I take for myself in all of this.'"
  • Perry's boyfriend John Mayer plays guitar on the track. He also co-wrote another song on the deluxe edition of Prism, "Spiritual" and suggested the album title.
  • Speaking with The Sun, Emeli Sandé recalled their songwriting collaboration:

    "Katy Perry was really cool because I got to meet her. We had a studio session for a day. She really understood pop music and what she needed to do – and totally understood how to do everything. Then we went and had dinner afterwards – it was amazing."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Director Mark Pellington ("Jeremy," "Best Of You")

Director Mark Pellington ("Jeremy," "Best Of You")Song Writing

Director Mark Pellington on Pearl Jam's "Jeremy," and music videos he made for U2, Jon Bon Jovi and Imagine Dragons.

Why Does Everybody Hate Nu-Metal? Your Metal Questions Answered

Why Does Everybody Hate Nu-Metal? Your Metal Questions AnsweredSong Writing

10 Questions for the author of Precious Metal: Decibel Presents the Stories Behind 25 Extreme Metal Masterpieces

Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & PalmerSongwriter Interviews

Greg talks about writing songs of "universal truth" for King Crimson and ELP, and tells us about his most memorable stage moment (it involves fireworks).

Paul Williams

Paul WilliamsSongwriter Interviews

He's a singer and an actor, but as a songwriter Paul helped make Kermit a cultured frog, turned a bank commercial into a huge hit and made love both "exciting and new" and "soft as an easy chair."

Harry Wayne Casey of KC and The Sunshine Band

Harry Wayne Casey of KC and The Sunshine BandSongwriter Interviews

Harry Wayne Casey tells the stories behind KC and The Sunshine Band hits like "Get Down Tonight," "That's The Way (I Like It)," and "Give It Up."

Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath, Heaven And Hell

Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath, Heaven And HellSongwriter Interviews

Guitarist Tony Iommi on the "Iron Man" riff, the definitive Black Sabbath song, and how Ozzy and Dio compared as songwriters.