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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Entertainment
Lisa McLoughlin

Katy Perry sells music catalogue in deal worth $225m

Katy Perry is the latest artist to sell off the rights to her music catalogue for a reported $225m (£181m).

The Carlyle Group investing firm announced on Monday that the singer, 38, had sold the publishing rights to her songs and albums released between 2008 and 2020 to Litmus Music.

According to Deadline and Billboard, the whopper deal includes stakes in the master recordings of the Firework hitmaker’s five albums released through Capitol Records, One of the Boys, Teenage Dream, Prism, Witness and Smile.

Universal Music Group continues to own the masters to those albums.

Perry’s master recordings have fetched a reported $225m (£181m) (PA)

Speaking on the sale, Hank Forsyth, Litmus co-founder and CEO, said: “Katy’s songs are an essential part of the global cultural fabric.

“We are so grateful to be working together again with such a trusted partner whose integrity shines in everything that she does.”

While Matt Settle, managing director at Carlyle, added: “We believe this is a testament to the team’s ability to partner with the world’s top artists.

“Katy’s iconic songs have not only achieved outstanding commercial success but have significantly influenced popular culture.”

Perry’s deal follows the recent sales of Justin Bieber, Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen’s back catalogues.

Bieber sold his share of his own music rights to Hipgnosis Songs Capital for a reported $200m (£162m) back in January.

While Dylan sold the rights to his back catalogue to Sony, for an undisclosed amount, in January 2022 and Springsteen’s, also to Sony, in late 2021, worth an eye-watering $500m (£376m).

Aside from music, Perry has been in the spotlight once again in the wake of allegations levelled at her ex-husband Russell Brand, 48.

The comedian has been accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse by four women between 2006 and 2013.

The Get Him to the Greek actor has strongly denied and insisted that his past relationships have been “absolutely always consensual”.

Perry was married to Russell Brand for 14 months between 2010 and 2011 (Getty Images)

While Perry hasn’t addressed the allegations against Brand, her comments surrounding their split 14 months after saying ‘I do’ have resurfaced.

She told Vogue in 2013: “He’s a very smart man, and I was in love with him when I married him. Let’s just say I haven’t heard from him since he texted me saying he was divorcing me December 31, 2011.

“At first when I met him, he wanted an equal, and I think a lot of times strong men do want an equal, but then they get that equal and they’re like, I can’t handle the equalness.

“He didn’t like the atmosphere of me being the boss on tour. So that was really hurtful, and it was very controlling, which was upsetting.

“I felt a lot of responsibility for it ending, but then I found out the real truth, which I can’t necessarily disclose because I keep it locked in my safe for a rainy day. I let go and I was like, ‘This isn’t because of me; this is beyond me.’ So, I have moved on from that.”

Perry is now engaged to British actor Orlando Bloom and have welcomed a child together, Daisy Dove.

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