Killer Queen by Katy Perry is a fragrance created by American singer Katy Perry and Coty Inc. The fragrance was released in 2013, and follows her first two fragrances Purr and Meow!. The perfume comes in a box that is red with gold touches, and the bottle is shaped like a red ruby. "Killer Queen" is drawn from the song of the same name by Queen. In the years following the release of the scent, several variations were released with subtitles.
Conception and background
It was reported in December 2012, that Perry had teamed up with beauty products giant, Coty, to produce a line of fragrance. Killer Queen is named after the song of the same name by Queen, and Katy Perry herself has revealed that she drew inspiration from Freddie Mercury. Perry told Women's Wear Daily that "Killer Queen has been in my vocabulary since I was 15, because of the song 'Killer Queen' by Queen. 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." Killer Queen was described as a playful, sophisticated, powerful, edgy and delicious fragrance, that reflects the rebellious spirit of the singer. The fragrance, released in 2013 is a departure from the concept of her first two fragrances Purr and Meow!, which were cat-themed.
Scent and packaging
Killer Queen was created by Laurent Le Guernec of International Flavors & Fragrances. Its top notes include wild berries, dark plum and bergamot accords. The main note of the heart is velvety red flower, but there are also sambac jasmine and rainbow plumeria. The base contains cashmere, patchouli and liquid praline. The fragrance comes in a red and gold jewel-shaped bottle, which was inspired by a queen's sceptre. Perry told Elle that the perfume is aimed at "any woman with even the smallest mustard seed of power inside her who wants to bring it out." Although marketed as a women's fragrance, Perry said it suits "someone daring and different – a man or a woman" and described the scent as having a "touch of androgyny".
Release and promotion
Killer Queen was released on August 24 in the US. It is available as a 15, 30, 50 and 100ml Eau de Parfum, and body lotion and shower gel are also available. In the official promotional picture of Killer Queen, Perry poses on an overturned throne with a crown by her feet, wearing a velvet dress, lace-up boots and criss-cross tights.
Commercial
The 30-second commercial was filmed in January 2013 and directed by Jonas Åkerlund. It features Perry as a queen being dressed by her servants. Eventually, she gets annoyed, knocks them away, ripping off her wig and dress and letting down her silky black hair. Perry then walks out of her dressing room and into the corridor, leaving the inhabiting nobleman in shock, toward a throne, kicks it over and perches on top of it, before uttering the fragrance's tagline 'Own The Throne.' The commercial was noted by many reporters to be similar to Beyoncé's Mrs. Carter Show promotional clip, which was also directed by Åkerlund.
Other versions
Oh So Sheer
A spring/summer limited edition version of Killer Queen, entitled Killer Queen: Oh So Sheer, was released by Coty in March 2014 in the United States. It was created by Laurent Le Guernec, who also created the standard edition of the perfume. Oh So Sheer opens with wild berries, and dark plum. Its heart is composed of velvet red flower, lilac, freesia and rainbow plumeria, while its base notes are cashmeran, liquid praline and patchouli. The bottle of this edition of Killer Queen maintains the gem-shape of the original version, but has a lavender tint instead of red. It is available as 30, 50 and 100ml Eau de Parfum.
Royal Revolution
A third version of Killer Queen, titled Killer Queen's Royal Revolution, was released in the United States in May 2014. The perfume was "inspired by the beauty of blue diamond" and is described as "irresistible floral fragrance that’s as beautiful as it is bold, as royal as it is rebellious." Its top notes are aromas of red pomegranate and pink freesia, while its heart is jasmine, orange blossom and sandalwood. Its base notes are "unusual mystical blackthorn" with additional notes of vanilla orchid, leather and skin musk. Similar to the previous editions of Killer Queen, its bottle is a gem-shape, but with a blue tint and a silver lid. It is available as a 50 and 100 ml Eau de Parfum with an accompanying body care collection. A commercial for the perfume was released in July 2014, featuring a cartoon Perry overthrowing a medieval king and releasing the town's women from his captivity.
Spring Reign
A fourth version of the original Killer Queen which has the title Killer Queen: Spring Reign, was released in the spring of 2015. The bottle is this time a light pink shade with a golden stopper. The fragrance's notes are of freesia, violet, rose, benzoin, black current, gardenia and cedarwood.
