Perry's road to fame took more than a name and look change. The girl from Santa Barbara spent years attempting records with different labels, such as Red Hill Records, Island and Columbia, before Capitol Records finally gave her the artistic autonomy she insisted upon. With Capitol, she released her first commercially successful EP, One of the Boys.

But Perry had already solidified her Lolita-like looks, and personality, years before. At 17 the young blonde met record producer Glen Ballard, who produced Alannis Morrisette's Jagged Little Pill. Ballard seeded the angry, feminism-is-cool musical sensibility that would later help Perry stand out from a market full of sour-puss young singers.

'I think people can appreciate a songwriter who shows different sides. The whole angst thing is cool, but if that's all you've got it's just boring. Everything I write, whether it's happy or sad, has a sense of humour to it,' Perry said. Perry also recalls becoming obsessed with Dominique Swain in the movie Lolita, and similarly wears little more than hot pants.

'I'm obsessed with how [Swain] can straddle the line of being innocent and sexy all in one,' Perry told Blogcritics. 'She's a beautiful creature, very girlie, sweet, and innocent, but she knows exactly what's she's doing, you know?'

And like Lolita, Perry likes to tease her audience, whether its joking to the press about going celibate or falling face-first into a giant cake at the MTV Latin Music Awards. Either way, her performance tonight is sure to entertain.

'I get bored with performers who wear jeans and T- shirts onstage,' Perry told OK! Magazine.

'They think that's all they need. I like to see a show come to life, along with the eye candy.'

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