Katy Perry 

I don’t know about you, but I love a good throwback. Songs have such a special capability to trigger memories, feelings and an overall sense of a different time. It’s hard to believe that some well-known pop songs we’ve heard a billion times are turning 10 years old this year. A few of those songs are by Katy Perry. In fact,  “Wide Awake” and “Part of Me” both topped the charts in 2012. Whether you are a fan or not, you must admit Katy Perry really helped shape this era of pop music. Her songs were fun and optimistic, accompanied by brightly colored outfits and music videos. Did you know Katy Perry started as a Christian singer? She released an album in 2001 under her name Katy Hudson before she later switched to the pop scene, taking her mother’s maiden name, Perry.

@justinbieber

In 2012, I was a Belieber, but looking back, the song “Boyfriend” wasn’t great. I mean, we let him get away with lyrics like “ima make you shine bright like you’re layin in the snow” and “swaggy.” Good or not, it was still a 2012 gem.

@carlyraejepsen

You can’t have a conversation about 2012 pop without mentioning “Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepsen. It’s funny because everyone found this song to be so annoying, yet it was a chart-topper that was sure to be stuck in your head.