Katy Perry

Days before releasing her sixth album Smile—and before giving birth to her first child—the glowing global superstar opens up about the perseverance it took to get there. “The last two and a half years have been a psychological, spiritual, emotional journey,” she tells Zane Lowe. “I'm grateful for the pain because it pushed me towards the growth. Now I don’t feel like a thirsty, desperate pop star that's just trying to hit a number. I've got more dimension. I have a baby on the way. I have a fiancé. I love my nieces. I love my soon-to-be stepson. I love life.”