Katy Perry's 'Firework' Becomes New Fourth of July Anthem

Katy Perry's "Firework" can be classified as many things. It is one of Perry's many hits in the last few years, a song about empowerment and personal fireworks, and features a music video that draws more attention to Perry's chest than usual. But it seems to have also been engineered as a Fourth of July soundtrack staple, as the holiday's firework shows proved.

Since Perry wrote a song called "Firework," it didn't take much thought to play it over fireworks displays. It was part of the soundtrack during the shows in Boston, New York and Philadelphia, and was even the climactic song in Philadelphia's display.

Given what the song was called, and how one lyric even mentioned the Fourth of July directly, it would have been surprising if it wasn't included on any soundtracks. In fact, it seems destined to become a new Fourth of July favorite, right alongside the usual patriotic tunes like "The Star-Spangled Banner" and "America the Beautiful."

Most holidays have songs penned especially for the occasion: Christmas has an entire musical industry, and any love ballad can be played on Valentine's Day. For the Fourth of July, pretty much every patriotic anthem can be played for the special day, since it is America's birthday.

But the major fireworks shows can't just feature the national anthem, so random pop songs usually fill out the soundtrack as well. Few of them are Fourth of July staples themselves, however, yet if any of them have a shot, it would be Perry's ode to the firework.

The anthem has little to do with the Fourth of July itself, or even America. But it does mention fireworks over and over, which is enough to associate it with one of the holiday's grandest traditions. It is actually surprising that no one thought of it sooner, although Perry was singing about the firework inside all of us, not those set off every July 4.

Nevertheless, the song was practically the new Fourth of July anthem this year, and may stay a July 4 staple as long as Perry remains popular. But since "Firework" came out last year, perhaps it will have run its course by next July 4 and give way to other new pop favorites. Yet with that title, it will probably stay near the top of the July 4 soundtrack charts for a while, if not at the very top.

Still, now that the holiday is over, other Perry hits like "Teenage Dream" and "California Gurls" can step out of the "Firework" shadow again. Yet the song will probably be on standby again for any New Year's fireworks displays in six months.

Sources

Television Without Pity- "Monday, July 4, 2011: Fourth of July Fireworks Round-Up"

YouTube- "Katy Perry- Firework"