Honestly, if you weren't there in 2011, it is hard to describe how much Katy Perry owned the world. She was in the middle of her Teenage Dream era, which basically turned everything she touched into a #1 hit. But when she decided to release "E.T." as a single, things got weird.
Then she added Kanye West.
The collaboration between Katy Perry and Kanye West on E.T. remains one of the most successful yet deeply polarizing moments in modern pop history. It wasn't just a song; it was a high-concept, big-budget sci-fi event that made everyone look at the "California Gurls" singer a little differently. Most people remember the catchy chorus, but the actual story behind the track—the "rape anthem" controversy, the bizarre music video, and the fact that Kanye almost wasn't on it—is much more interesting.
The Remix That Changed Everything
Originally, "E.T." was just a solo track on the Teenage Dream album. It was a moody, electronic power ballad with a heavy, industrial beat that sounded suspiciously like Queen’s "We Will Rock You."
Katy has gone on record saying the song is a metaphor. It’s about falling in love with a "foreigner"—someone so different from your world that they might as well be from another dimension. People at the time joked it was about her then-husband Russell Brand, which, looking back, kinda makes sense.
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But the label wanted a "single version." They brought in Kanye West.
Yeezy didn't just phone in a verse; he showed up with two distinct sections that leaned heavily into the "alien sex" theme. He brought lines about "probing," "disrobing," and being a "big-headed astronaut." It was peak Kanye—unfiltered, slightly arrogant, and undeniably creative. While some critics thought his addition was "tacked on" or unnecessary, it worked. The song rocketed to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying there for five weeks.
Why the Lyrics Caused a Firestorm
If you listen to the lyrics today, some of them are... a lot.
The song basically revolves around a metaphor of abduction and submission. Katy sings, "Wanna be a victim, ready for abduction." When you pair that with Kanye’s verse where he says, "I abducted you, so I tell you what to do," you can see why the internet lost its mind.
- The Consent Debate: Many bloggers and critics at the time labeled it a "rape anthem." They argued that romanticizing being a "victim" and "abduction" was dangerous.
- The Counter-Argument: Fans argued it was just sci-fi roleplay. It’s a simulation of a fantasy, not a literal endorsement of violence.
- The "Foreigner" Meta: Some listeners found the "alien/foreigner" comparison slightly xenophobic or condescending, implying that people from other cultures have "supernatural" or "mutant" powers.
Katy mostly brushed this off. She told Company magazine that she just feels there is "so much out there" in the stars and that she was frustrated the Hoverport hadn't been invented yet. She’s always been more about the "vibe" than the deep sociological implications.
That Mind-Bending Music Video
You can't talk about Katy Perry and Kanye West ET without mentioning the visuals. Directed by Floria Sigismondi—who worked with legends like David Bowie and Björk—the video was a massive departure from Katy's "bubblegum" image.
She spent roughly five to six hours in the makeup chair for each look. We saw her as a pink-skinned alien, a reptilian creature, and a tribal warrior. Kanye, meanwhile, spent the whole video floating in an escape pod in zero-gravity. It was striking, but the ending is what people still talk about.
Katy’s alien character lands on a dystopian Earth, finds a broken robot, and kisses it. The robot turns into a human—played by albino model Shaun Ross. Then, the camera pulls back, and we see Katy has the legs of a gazelle or a deer.
Why deer legs? Nobody really knows. It was just 2011 "weird for the sake of weird."
The Lasting Legacy of the Collaboration
Even though they performed it together on American Idol in a cloud of CO2 tanks and lasers, the two artists didn't collaborate much after that. However, the song's impact is undeniable. It was the fourth of five #1 hits from a single album, tying Katy with Michael Jackson for the most #1s from one record.
Interestingly, Katy still plays the song. In December 2025, she performed it at The Pyramids in Giza, Egypt. It’s become a cult favorite for people who like their pop music with a side of "dark and gritty."
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What You Should Do Next
If you want to understand the full impact of this era, go back and watch the "E.T." music video on a high-quality screen. Pay attention to the quick-cut "subliminal" images—the DNA strands, the animals hunting, the nuclear explosions. It’s a masterclass in early 2010s maximalism.
Also, compare the solo album version to the Kanye remix. The solo version is a much more cohesive "pop" song, while the Kanye version is a chaotic, experimental piece of culture. Seeing how a single feature can change the entire "moral" reading of a song is a fascinating exercise in music history.