"Not Like the Movies" is a song by American singer

Katy Perry Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. Known for her influence on modern pop music and her Camp (style), campy style, she has been ...

from her third studio album, '' Teenage Dream'' (2010). She co-wrote the song with its producer

Greg Wells Greg Wells is a Canadian musician, record producer, songwriter and audio engineer. Wells has songs on over 130 million albums sold. He has worked with John Legend, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ariana Grande, Jazmine Sullivan, Kid Cudi, Adele, Rufus Wai ...

Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...

released it on August 3, 2010, as the album's first

promotional single A promotional recording, or promo, or plug copy, is an audio or video recording distributed free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available. Promos are normally sent directly to broadcasters, such as ...

. The song is a power ballad from the point of view of a teenage girl. Lyrically, the girl contemplates her first time and how "it wasn't right". She realizes through that experience that her "prince" is still "out there" waiting for her. It was written when Perry first started dating her then-husband,

Russell Brand Russell Edward Brand (born 4 June 1975) is an English comedian and actor known for his flamboyant, loquacious style and manner. Brand has received three British Comedy Awards: Best Newcomer (2006), Best Live Stand-Up (2008), and the award for ...

. Some music critics called "Not Like the Movies" a powerful and lovely song, as well a contemplative ballad, but noticed that the song's lyrics make only minimal reference to Brand. Commercially, the track peaked at number 53 on US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and at number 41 on the

Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music industry record chart in Canada for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. The Canadian Hot 100 was launched on the issue dated March 31, 2007, and is currently the standard record chart in Canada; a n ...

chart. Perry performed the song on her

California Dreams Tour The California Dreams Tour was the second concert tour by American singer Katy Perry, in support of her third studio album '' Teenage Dream''. The tour played 124 shows beginning February 20, 2011 in Lisbon, Portugal and concluding on January 22 ...

(2011). She also did a performance of the song along with " Teenage Dream" at the

53rd Annual Grammy Awards The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 13, 2011, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. They were broadcast on CBS with a rating of 26.6 million viewers. Barbra Streisand was honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year two nights prio ...

on February 13, 2011. The performance received positive reviews from music critics.

Conception

In an interview with

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about '' Teenage Dream'' in August 2010, Perry revealed that "Not Like the Movies" was the first song she wrote for the album after she finished her

Hello Katy Tour The Hello Katy Tour was the debut concert tour by American singer Katy Perry, in support of her second studio album ''One of the Boys'' (2008). It ran from January 23, 2009 to November 28, 2009. The tour visited North America, Europe, Asia, and ...

(2009). Production and additional writing on the songs were done by

, who previously worked with the singer on her second studio album, ''

One of the Boys ''One of the Boys'' is the second studio album by American singer Katy Perry. It was released on June 17, 2008, by Capitol Records. She collaborated with producers Greg Wells, Dr. Luke, Dave Stewart (musician and producer), Dave Stewart, Max Marti ...

'' (2008). Perry considers it to be like that of a two-part song because she had started working on "Not Like the Movies" before she met Brand, and completed it after they began dating. She stated it is a "really special" song to her because, at the first part of the track, it is a story that she needed to let out, which was claiming to know something that you do not actually know. Perry later expressed relief at being able to put all of her feelings into "Not Like the Movies".

Composition

"Not Like the Movies" is a power ballad that lasts for four minutes and one second. The song is composed in the

key Key or The Key may refer to: Common meanings * Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm * Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock * Key (map ...

A major A major (or the key of A) is a major scale based on A, with the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Its key signature has three sharps. Its relative minor is F-sharp minor and its parallel minor is A minor. The key of A major is the only k ...

and is set in

time signature The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note value ...

common time The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note value ...

, with a moderate

tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...

of 100

beats per minute Beat, beats or beating may refer to: Common uses * Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area ** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols ** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men * Battery ( ...

. Perry's vocal range spans over an

octave In music, an octave ( la, octavus: eighth) or perfect octave (sometimes called the diapason) is the interval between one musical pitch and another with double its frequency. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been refer ...

, from F₃ to E₅. The song has a basic sequence of A5–Fm7–Cm–E as its

chord progression In a musical composition, a chord progression or harmonic progression (informally chord changes, used as a plural) is a succession of chords. Chord progressions are the foundation of harmony in Western musical tradition from the common practice ...

. Lyrically, "Not Like the Movies" is a song about a love relationship where a woman does not feel in love and still waits for the man of her dreams, or "charming prince", as a Terra reviewer put it. Chris Ryan from

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interpreted the song as largely being about how being in love does not meet your expectations and never really captures "the cinematic magic of big-screen love stories." Steve Leftridge from ''

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...

'' considered the track to have a "ho-hum"

melody A melody (from Greek language, Greek μελῳδία, ''melōidía'', "singing, chanting"), also tune, voice or line, is a Linearity#Music, linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most liter ...

. Its melody was compared to

Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...

' "

Everytime "Everytime" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her fourth studio album, ''In the Zone'' (2003). It was released as the third single from ''In the Zone'' on May 10, 2004, by Jive Records. After her relationship with Justin Timberl ...

" (2003) and

Evanescence Evanescence is an American rock band founded in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1995 by singer and musician Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody. After recording independent EPs as a duo in the late 90's, and a demo CD, Evanescence released their debut s ...

's "

My Immortal "My Immortal" is a song by American rock band Evanescence from their debut studio album, ''Fallen'' (2003). It was released by Wind-up Records on December 8, 2003, as the third single from the album. An alternative version appears on the band's ...

" (2003). During the

chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song) or refrain, line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in which all verse ...

, Perry sings about holding out for a love that is "cinematic and dramatic/With the perfect ending" and later asks if she is a "stupid girl", according to Elysa Gardner from ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...

'' and an anonymous reviewer for Portrait Magazine. A reviewer for Portrait Magazine, considering it to be the slowest-paced song on ''Teenage Dream'', said it juxtaposed well with the other tracks. "It takes all the energy from the rest of the album, all the fast beating hearts and overwhelming feelings of love, and slows it all down to a song about looking for love instead," they wrote.

Reception

Chris Ryan of

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

said the song is "rather lovely", but noted that its lyrics refer "very little" to Perry's then-husband, Russell Brand. Elysa Gardner of ''USA Today'' called "Not Like the Movies" an "irresistible power ballad" and recommended readers to purchase the song. A staff writer for Portrait Magazine stated that "Not Like the Movies" was a great way to end ''Teenage Dream'' and that it showcases the singer's voice quite well, as she has "lyrics to work for instead of ones to just play around with." The reviewer concluded that it was a "really good song." Following its release as a

, "Not Like the Movies" managed to enter music charts based on legally paid digital download sales. For the week ending August 11, 2010, "Not Like the Movies" debuted at number 53 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, and stayed on the chart for only one week. It also managed to enter another ''Billboard'' component chart, the

Hot Digital Songs The Digital Songs or Digital Song Sales chart (previously named Hot Digital Songs) ranks the best-selling digital songs in the United States, as compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published by ''Billboard'' magazine. Although it originally start ...

, where the song found its peak at number 22, selling 57,000 digital downloads. On the

, the song's highest position was at number forty-one.

Live performances

Perry included the song on her

setlist A set list, or setlist, is typically a handwritten or printed document created as an ordered list of songs, jokes, stories and other elements an artist intends to present during a specific performance. A setlist can be made of nearly any materi ...

for her 2011 world

concert tour A concert tour (or simply tour) is a series of concerts by an artist or group of artists in different cities, countries or locations. Often concert tours are named to differentiate different tours by the same artist and to associate a specific to ...

entitled

. For performances of the song, she would sit on a flower-entwined bower swing that rises up to reveal a large white bridal train that flows out to complete the entire backdrop. At the same time, a bubble machine started-up and the bed-sheet hanging behind her showed footage of

cartoon A cartoon is a type of visual art that is typically drawn, frequently animated, in an unrealistic or semi-realistic style. The specific meaning has evolved over time, but the modern usage usually refers to either: an image or series of images ...

animals falling in love. In a review of one of her concerts Ed Masley from ''

The Arizona Republic ''The Arizona Republic'' is an American daily newspaper published in Phoenix. Circulated throughout Arizona, it is the state's largest newspaper. Since 2000, it has been owned by the Gannett newspaper chain. Copies are sold at $2 daily or at $3 ...

'' called her performance of "Not Like the Movies" was "sweet". The song was also performed live during the

. Dressed in a sparkly pale-pink, "princess-like" dress and wearing glittery make-up, Perry sat on a swing that continued to rise high above the stage as she sang the lyrics to "Not Like the Movies". MTV News reporter Mawuse Ziegbe called it a "heartfelt tribute". Claire Suddath of ''

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...

'' magazine said the "

Valentine's Day Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, throu ...

–themed performance coupled with Perry's wedding footage made-up for the swing that looked like a high school–yearbook photo backdrop". She gave it a Suddath "B+" rating. Jon Bream of ''

Star Tribune The ''Star Tribune'' is the largest newspaper in Minnesota. It originated as the ''Minneapolis Tribune'' in 1867 and the competing ''Minneapolis Daily Star'' in 1920. During the 1930s and 1940s, Minneapolis's competing newspapers were consolida ...

'' gave it a B grade.

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the ''Teenage Dream'' liner notes. * Katy Perry –

songwriting A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music gen ...

lead vocals The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of t ...

* Greg Wells – songwriting, producing,

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...

, programming * Lewis Tozour – recording * Serban Ghenea – mixing * John Hanes – mix engineer * Tim Roberts – assistant

Charts

Certifications

References

{{authority control 2010s ballads 2010 songs Katy Perry songs Songs written by Katy Perry Songs written by Greg Wells Song recordings produced by Greg Wells Breakup songs