A musician claiming to take inspiration from Freddie Mercury and Queen is nothing new. Aspiring rock stars have been channeling the charismatic frontman for decades, and every kid who picks up a guitar learns a Brian May riff at some point. So learning that Katy Perry drew on the band’s body of work for a project is not surprising, until you learn what type of project.
Perry borrowed the title of the band’s 1974 hit “Killer Queen” for her new fragrance, which is set to be released next month. The fragrance will be the third to bear Perry’s name, following “Purr” and “Meow”.
In abandoning the cat theme of her previous products, Perry sought to evoke the spirit of the woman being described in Mercury’s lyrics, a woman who she says she feels she is on her way to becoming.
“Freddie Mercury painted the lyrics of this woman who I wanted to be. She seemed very powerful, and she captivated a room when she walked in. I named my company Killer Queen after those lyrics. I feel like, after all this time, it was appropriate to use that name in association with something I did. I feel like I’m falling, finally, into that woman Freddie painted.”
The fragrance, which was designed by Internation Flavors and Fragrances, reportedly took over 30 attempts to reach its final form. Whether or not that hard work will pay off will have to wait until “Killer Queen” is released.
When Perry isn’t putting out new scents she is still performing to sold out arenas, including an upcoming headlining spot at the iHeart Music Festival at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, where she will perform alongside such pop heavyweights as Justin Timberlake, Bruno Mars, and Elton John. Perhaps she will look to John’s catalogue for her next fragrance and girls everywhere will be spritzing on “Island Girl” before heading to the club.