Katy Perry on Fake Booze and Real Life
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In the song that made her famous—2007’s musical sour gummy “I Kissed A Girl”—Katy Perry is wasted by the second lyric, when she “got so brave, drink in hand, lost my discretion.” Similar hangovers happen in “Waking Up In Vegas,” “Chained To The Rhythm,” and “The One That Got Away.” So it’s a bit startling that Perry’s latest breakout isn’t a new album, but a line of non-alcoholic champagne called De Soi.
“I’m not saying no to alcohol ever,” Perry says from a giant armchair in Los Angeles, where she’s resting up between performances of her new Las Vegas revue. “But I’m 37. I wanted more of a balance during the week, when I put my daughter to bed at 7:30 and want to unwind but not necessarily with wine. And I thinnnnk,” she says playfully, “this is going to be huge.”
Which is a significant bet, since like some of the “California Gurls” in (yet another) hit song, Perry is a skilled surfer, riding cultural waves instead of literal ones. The megastar has been an early signal flare for major trends like eco-pop (2020’s Daisy) and luxury camp, thanks to a steady collaboration with Moschino’s Jeremy Scott. She also has her own shoe line, and holds investments in major wellness companies like Bragg’s. And of course, Perry is a judge on the ABC revamp of American Idol, which managed to dominate Nielsen ratings even during a global pandemic.
Will her canniness on what’s next, and her influence on what’s new, translate into the no-booze space this time around? Perry has some answers.
At this point in your career, you can pretty much do whatever you want. Why start a “sober champagne” line?
Well, I’ve always been a fan of—well, not always! But I guess in the past five years, the “non alc” section of the world became really interesting to me, especially trying different brands like Seedlip and Kin Euphorics. I’ve also been trying to dive more into the world of adaptogens, because being 37, I’d like what I’m drinking to be a more considered choice. At this point in my life, I’m not typically drink-drinking from Monday to Friday, right? I can’t! But I still want to have that feeling of winding down, and have something special at the end of the night, especially on a day like today.
Like, a Monday?
Yeah, like a workday that doesn’t stop. I’ve been up since 5:30 A.M., because that’s when my daughter wakes up. It’s not even noon and I already had to meditate like an hour ago! And I’m going straight through until 7 P.M., when she goes down. I would love to ease into the night with a drink, but I also know she’s going to wake me up at 5:30, and I want to be ready for that. So I think I’m just more conscious about my body and my temple. Because I have a daughter and I have a show in Vegas, I need to have a lot of stamina, and I just love what we’ve developed at De Soi that helps me get there. I really love this space of non-alcoholic, more wellness-based drinks right now.
You’re a working pop star, but you’re also an entrepreneur. What kind of fulfillment do you get investing in companies that’s different from the applause you get onstage?
It’s linked though! The entrepreneurial side of me is derived from getting up in front of large groups of people, and having success with large groups of people, and knowing—or at least sensing—what’s on their radar and what they want, what they will respond to. That’s how you can make anything accessible. If you can read the temperature of people, and use what you see to make creative decisions, you can go far.
What are you seeing right now?
I’m seeing successful people—especially young, really successful women in their 20s and 30s—who are going, “I’m not interested in having a hangover, but I am interested in having an experience.” There’s a lot of talk about balance right now, because we truly want to have a wonderful family life and a successful business. We want to be bosses and leaders, and that takes awareness and presence. That usually doesn’t happen with a hangover. I’m also thinking about the future of our planet.
In terms of music?
In terms of everything I get involved in, honestly. You know, you have a real time capsule when you have a child. You see what a year looks like when it goes by, because they’re growing. A lot of my friends who don’t have kids, they’re like, “Oh my god, it’s been a year!” Meanwhile, I’m like, “Yeah, I’ve seen it in weeks!” When you start seeing the world like that, you see what possibly will be left behind in the future.
And De Soi hits that with its ingredients, and the care we’ve taken with its formulas, and it also pairs really nicely with what I’ve been working on already. Like, I’ve been involved with Impossible Foods for years, since they were a baby! And then I’m on the board of Bragg, which is this wonderful company that has a lot of different apple cider vinegar products. They’ve been around for over 100 years. And then my other favorite company that I’ve been invested in is called Apeel, which works in sustainable farming.
You are famously a California girl, and California is famously known for its kooky wellness trends. When it comes to things like adaptogens and mushroom extracts—which you’re using in De Soi—how do you decide what information to trust?
Well, first of all, nothing is new, everything has just been forgotten. That’s an old saying that I love. And you know, all the different alchemists and the witches’ brews and stuff? All that was just science and herbs. My co-founder Morgan [McLachlan] is a top herbalist-slash-master-distiller. She knows everything about every herbal ingredient, and how to mimic all of it into non-alcoholic. So together, we explored things like reishi mushrooms, ashwagandha, matcha…they’ve been natural mood enhancers and brain boosters for thousands of years. Mother Earth has always given us those things! Go on a simple hike and you’ll find them.
So sure, California can be a little bit kooky in that regard, but remember when celery juice was weird everywhere but California? Remember how avocado toast was so strange to people? Now you can be in the Midwest, the South, and it’s right there on every menu next to eggs and bacon. So sure, California is on the extreme beginning side of these wellness trends. But all the good stuff filters to the rest of the country, eventually. And already, I’m seeing people nationwide who are getting into adaptogens.
Your Las Vegas residency is already getting rave reviews, and it involves—spoiler alert—an iconic beer bra. Is that a disconnect from a non-alcoholic beverage company?
Ha! You know, I’ve always had bras in my imagery, right? I’ve always been like, “Yes, give me this but make it a bra.” [Laughs.] There was a whipped cream bra, a cupcake bra, so this beer bra is just another dilution of that idea, especially because Las Vegas is so much about drinking. But you know what? I’ll burst that bubble. I will give you an exclusive right now.
Please do!
It’s chamomile tea in there. That’s what’s in my beer bra—chamomile tea! But you know, let the audience be in Vegas drinking whatever they want! I’m just gonna drink my tea onstage, because that’s just true to who I am in this moment. That’s show biz, I suppose!
Speaking of show biz, I’m curious, do you think you would win American Idol?
Oh! Huh...you know, legit, I think I would have a real shot. I’ve always gone my own way, and taken the road less traveled with my music, ever since I was 17. I got to the scene in L.A. and I definitely had a look of my own. I had a sound of my own, and I was not wanting to be a carbon copy of anyone else. And in this iteration of American Idol, one of the things we’re so proud of is how many singer-songwriters it’s showcased and fostered. Obviously, there’s a lot of luck involved—as there always is in our industry—and timing. But if I went on American Idol, would they be ready for me? Yeah, I think so.
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