Katy Hudson (album)
| Katy Hudson | ||||
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| Studio album by Katy Hudson | ||||
| Released | February 8, 2001 | |||
| Recorded | 2000–01 | |||
| Genre | Christian rock, contemporary Christian music | |||
| Length | 48:11 | |||
| Label | Red Hill | |||
| Producer | Tommy Collier, Otto Price, David Browning | |||
| Katy Hudson chronology | ||||
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Katy Hudson is the eponymous debut studio album by American singer Katy Hudson, who subsequently adopted the stage name Katy Perry. It was released on February 8, 2001 by Red Hill Records. It incorporates primarily Christian rock and contemporary Christian music elements with lyrical themes of adolescence and childhood and Hudson's faith in God. Reviews of the album were mixed and it sold fewer than 200 copies. Later due to Hudson's increased popularity, demand for the album increased.
Contents
Composition
Katy Hudson saw Hudson exploring Christian rock and contemporary Christian music (CCM).[1] Amongst what was described as an alternative direction were prominent influences of pop rock. During an interview for her official website at the time, Hudson cited artists Jonatha Brooke, Jennifer Knapp, Diana Krall, and Fiona Apple as her musical influences. "Trust in Me", "Naturally", and "My Own Monster" were said to capture "loneliness, fear and doubt often ascribed to teens".[2]
The first features "haunting" strings with "electronica effects" and "solid rock roots".[3] An aggressive track, "Piercing" depicts the infatuation people have with expendable things. In "Piercing", Hudson sings: "Lord, help me see the reality / That all I'll ever need is You".[2] "Last Call" was written by Hudson while reading the book Last Call for Help: Changing North America One Teen at a Time, written by Dawson McAllister. Musically, it sees Hudson going into a more jazz-oriented sound.[1] Hudson described "Growing Pains" as an anthem for children and adolescents, explaining that society shares a misconstructed image of them, often viewing them as individuals that do not believe in or do not know much about God. Written by Hudson when she was in eighth grade, the song "Spit" addresses the hypocrisy she faced in Christian school.
"Faith Won't Fail" was inspired by faith always sufficing in Bible situations and chapters; and Hudson commented on "Search Me": "I was struggling with the fact that I would have the huge responsibility of how others would be affected through what I was doing or saying on stage. I don't want to put on some kind of front that everything is good when it's not. I wanted to keep it real, but still give people hope." The record closes with "When There's Nothing Left", which has been described as a "crisp and clean 'love note' to God".[4] The album was described as not being in the vein of the bubble gum pop variety rather evoking comparisons to the Christian pop songstresses Rachel Lampa and Jaci Velasquez.[5]
Promotional tour
To promote the album Hudson went on a tour, opening for Phil Joel, Earthsuit, and V*Enna[6] and later a 46-state solo tour.[7]
| Tour dates | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | City | Country | Venue |
| North America[7] | |||
| September 6, 2001 | Sherman | United States | Austin College Auditorium |
| September 7, 2001 | San Antonio | University United Methodist Church | |
| September 8, 2001 | Abilene | Hardin–Simmons University | |
| September 9, 2001 | Austin | Westlake Bible Church | |
| September 11, 2001 | Wichita Falls | The Wichita Theater | |
| September 13, 2001 | Dallas | The Door | |
| September 14, 2001 | Norman | Common Ground CoffeeHouse | |
| September 15, 2001 | Houston | 1st Baptist Church-Metro Worship | |
| September 16, 2001 | Bryan | VFW Wall | |
| September 19, 2001 | Lubbock | Indiana Avenue Baptist Church | |
| September 21, 2001 | Bartlesville | Bartlesville Weslyan College | |
| September 22, 2001 | Shiloam Springs | JBU Cathedral of the Ozarks | |
| September 23, 2001 | Jonesboro | First Baptist Church | |
| September 26, 2001 | Arkadelphia | Ouchita Baptist University | |
| September 28, 2001 | Grove City | Grove City College (Crawford Auditorium) | |
| September 29, 2001 | Grantham | Messiah College (Brewbaker Auditorium) | |
| October 3, 2001 | Malibu | Pepperdine University | |
| October 6, 2001 | Deerfield | Trinity College | |
| October 7, 2001 | Westbrook | Westbrook Christian Church | |
| October 9, 2001 | Upland | Taylor University | |
| October 11, 2001 | Toledo | University of Toledo | |
| October 12, 2001 | Dubuque | Emmaus Bible College Auditorium | |
| October 13, 2001 | Wilmore | Asbury College | |
| October 14, 2001 | Nashville | Belcourt Theater | |
| October 15, 2001 | |||
| October 16, 2001 | Lafayette | University Church at Purdue University | |
| October 18, 2001 | Bloomington | Sherwood Oaks Christian | |
| October 20, 2001 | Grand Rapids | Ground Floor, Res Life Church | |
| October 21, 2001 | Milwaukee | Crossroads Presbyterian | |
| October 22, 2001 | New Brighton | O'Shaughnessy Education Center | |
| October 23, 2001 | Sioux Falls | University of Sioux Falls | |
| October 25, 2001 | Colorado Springs | Vanguard Church | |
| October 26, 2001 | Boulder | Flat Irons Theater | |
| October 27, 2001 | Denver | Regis University Auditorium | |
| October 28, 2001 | Buena Vista | Mountain Heights Baptist | |
| October 31, 2001 | Hattiesburg | William Carey College (Smith Auditorium) | |
| November 1, 2001 | Gainesville | Florida Theater | |
| November 2, 2001 | Tallahassee | Lawton Chiles Auditorium | |
| November 4, 2001 | Orlando | Wesley Foundation | |
| November 9, 2001 | West Palm | Palm Beach Atlantic College | |
| November 11, 2001 | Clemson | Clemson University | |
| November 12, 2001 | Montgomery | The Train Shed | |
| November 13, 2001 | Auburn | Auburn University | |
| November 16, 2001 | Columbia | Shandon Baptist Church | |
| November 17, 2001 | Elon | 1st United Methodist Church of Elon | |
| November 18, 2001 | Harrisonburg | Court Square Theater | |
Reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Billboard | Positive[8] |
| Christianity Today | Positive[3] |
| Cross Rhythms |   [9] |
| The Phantom Tollbooth | [5] |
Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic awarded Katy Hudson three stars out of five, stating that with the album, Hudson had "betray[ed] a heavy, heavy debt to Alanis Morissette". Erlewine also interpreted some of the songs' lyrics as having sexual overtones, and identifying those as "the most interesting things" in the album, describing the record's overall sound as "the kind of assaultive, over-produced Wall of Sound that some CCM rockers do in order to prove they're contemporary".[1]
Christianity Today writer Russ Breimeier was positive about Katy Hudson, highlighting Hudson's songwriting style for being "insightful and well matched to the emotional power" of Hudson's music. He further deemed Hudson a "young talent" and expected to hear more from her in the next year.[3] Similarly, Tony Cummings from Cross Rhythms also considered Hudson to be a "vocal talent", recommending readers to listen to the album.[9] The Phantom Tollbooth's Andy Argyrakis stated that Hudson having been reared in church had "paid off", and noted that "Although a mere pop lightweight, it's hard to ignore Hudson's sincerity and lyrical maturity."[5] DEP from Billboard, also calling Hudson a talent, classified the record as "textured modern-rock collection that is equal parts grit and vulnerability" and "impressive".[8] The album was a commercial failure for Red Hill Records, selling between 100 to 200 copies.[10]
Musical change
Some time after the album's release, the label Red Hill Records went bankrupt.[11] Katy Hudson is the only Christian music-influenced album by Hudson, who subsequently adopted Katy Perry as a stage name.[12] After her popularity increased, copies of Katy Hudson have become a sought-after item amongst her fans.[11]
Track listing
Credits extracted from Katy Hudson liner notes.[13]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Trust in Me" | Katy Hudson, Mark Dickson | Otto Price | 4:46 |
| 2. | "Piercing" | Hudson, Brian White | Collier | 4:06 |
| 3. | "Search Me" | Hudson, Scott Faircloff | Collier | 5:00 |
| 4. | "Last Call" | Hudson | David Browning | 3:07 |
| 5. | "Growing Pains" | Hudson, Dickson | Browning | 4:05 |
| 6. | "My Own Monster" | Hudson | Browning | 5:25 |
| 7. | "Spit" | Hudson | Price | 5:10 |
| 8. | "Faith Won't Fail" | Hudson, Dickson | Price | 5:14 |
| 9. | "Naturally" | Hudson, Faircloff | Browning | 4:33 |
| 10. | "When There's Nothing Left" | Hudson | Browning | 6:45 |
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Total length:
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48:11 | |||
Credits and personnel
Adapted from Katy Hudson liner notes.[13]
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References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Summers, Kimberly Dillon. Katy Perry. p.10
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Summers, Kimberly. Katy Perry. p. 10
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
External links
- Book Last Call for Help: Changing North America One Teen at a Time on Amazon.ca, which is referenced on the Composition section regarding the album's song "Last Call".
