Katy Perry has claimed the song of the summer title for 2026 with her hit single The One That Got Away. The track has returned the American pop star to international music charts 16 years after the initial release of her landmark album Teenage Dream.
The song achieved widespread popularity after going viral on the video sharing platform TikTok, where Perry used the track to react publicly to news involving her former partner. The resurgence has driven Teenage Dream, widely recognized as her most successful and defining record, back into global chart positions.
Securing a trending spot on TikTok is notoriously difficult for artists because short-form videos must capture a viewer's attention within five seconds of scrolling. Despite the challenge, the 2011 single began appearing across millions of video feeds in numerous countries, including Spain, over recent weeks.
Teenage Dream stands as one of the most prominent pop albums of the 2010s. The record previously made chart history when its sixth single, Last Friday Night, reached number one, tying a record for the most top singles from a single album held by Michael Jackson.
The inspiration behind Teenage Dream
Perry deliberately crafted Teenage Dream to reflect different facets of her adolescence, giving every track on the album a specific personal meaning. Her hit single California Gurls served as an anthem for her home city of Los Angeles, written because she felt frustrated that New York had received many tribute songs while Los Angeles lacked one.
Other tracks on the album focused on carefree youth and optimism. Last Friday Night drew inspiration from wild weekend parties with her friends in Malibu and Santa Barbara, where regrets did not exist, while the title track Teenage Dream captured the feeling of being unstoppable during youth. In contrast, The One That Got Away introduced a darker emotional tone to the record by exploring heartbreak, ghosting, and unreturned messages.
The narrative of losing a summer romance was drawn directly from Perry's real life. The track was written about her ex-partner, Josh Gorban, capturing the universal experience of losing a first love during adolescence.
Why the track went viral on TikTok
The sudden revival of the single on social media was sparked by recent events surrounding Gorban. After Gorban announced his engagement earlier this year, Perry posted a video on her TikTok profile featuring The One That Got Away in the background. In the clip, the singer feigned devastation while news of the engagement appeared on screen, captioning the post with an ironic message of congratulations.
Fans quickly connected the song's renewed popularity to its underlying history with Gorban. Addressing the viral revival, Perry expressed deep appreciation for the second life the song is experiencing. She stated that she remains deeply grateful simply to wake up each day and perform her work, adding that an intentional sense of gratitude surrounds her daily life.
Perry's ongoing career and legacy
The resurgence of Teenage Dream comes as Perry continues to reflect on her multi-decade career in pop music. She previously spoke openly about experiencing butterflies during an encounter with Canadian politician Justin Trudeau, commenting that he appeared very handsome at the time.
Perry has also reflected on the lasting legacy of Teenage Dream, noting that there are many other mountains with different views left to explore in her music career. The milestone follows the 13th anniversary of her smash single Roar, which originally transformed her follow-up album PRISM into a global anthem.
