This article is for quizzes on Wednesday August 26th...
"
Dark Horse" is a song recorded by American singer
Katy Perry featuring rapper
Juicy J. It was originally released on September 17, 2013, by
Capitol Records as the first promotional single from Perry's fourth
studio album,
Prism (2013). Three months later, it was released as the third official single on December 17. Both artists co-wrote the song with its producers,
Max Martin,
Cirkut, and
Dr. Luke, alongside
Sarah Hudson. It was conceived by Perry and Hudson during a writing session in Perry's hometown of
Santa Barbara, California, and Juicy J was later commissioned for a verse on the song.
"Dark Horse" combines the genres of
trap and
hip hop, replicating what has been described as a "
Southern rap-
techno mashup". The track features a minimal production, with a "seductive" and "mature" tone to Perry's vocals, while Juicy J is featured on the song's intro and
rapped bridge. Perry, in interviews, said she wanted the song to have a "witchy,
spell-y kind of
black magic-y idea", so she wrote it from the perspective of a
witch warning a man not to
fall in love with her because if he does, she will be his last. The song was part of a competition sponsored by
Pepsi in which fans could vote via
Twitter on whether they would prefer either "Dark Horse" or "
Walking on Air" to be released as the first promotional single from
Prism.
