Perry 'wrote hit as response to Jay-Z'

Katy Perry has said that she wrote her latest hit 'California Gurls' as a response to Jay-Z and Alicia Keys's glorification of New York.

The singer told MTV News that after she heard Jay-Z and Keys's track 'Empire State Of Mind', she felt that California needed a similar tribute.

"When I came up with the idea of 'California Gurls', it was because I was a little bit jealous of all the love that was given to the East Coast, and I thought for sure Tupac was rolling in his grave, and the Beach Boys, Brian Wilson was totally upset."

Perry added that she wanted to create a song that captured the idealised image of the Golden State's famously beautiful women.

"[California girls] are different. That's why there needed to be a song about them," said the 'I Kissed A Girl' popstar. ''I felt like there's something in the water. Like, you know the boys always dream about maybe dating a California girl, just because we've got the sun shining through 365 days a year.''

Providing a female take on California's iconic imagery was also important to the star.

"I thought it would be perfect timing for a California anthem, and especially one from a female perspective, because there's never really ever been a female perspective about California."

Perry's latest album Teenage Dream will be released on August 24.