The One That Got Away

Katy Perry released "The One That Got Away" as the sixth and final single from her third studio album Teenage Dream on September 30, 2011, through Capitol Records. Co-written with Dr. Luke and Max Martin, the mid-tempo pop ballad marked a deliberate shift from the album's string of upbeat, dance-oriented hits. Recorded at Conway Recording Studios in Hollywood, the track finds Perry looking back on a youthful romance with palpable regret, name-dropping Radiohead and comparing the relationship to Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash.

The song peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the album's sixth top-five single. It also reached the top five in Canada and Malaysia, and charted within the top 20 in a dozen other countries. The Recording Industry Association of America awarded it 5x Platinum certification, and it earned multi-Platinum status in Australia, Brazil, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. On the Billboard Global 200, it debuted at number 31, at the time Perry's highest entry on that chart.

Floria Sigismondi directed the music video, released November 11, 2011, starring Mexican actor Diego Luna as Perry's love interest. The video traces the arc of a young couple from a lively romance to a quiet, painful separation. It has accumulated over 1.1 billion views on YouTube. A Director's Cut, running 6:53, appeared on April 21, 2026. Critics praised the song as a more introspective side of Perry's artistry, and it remains a fan favorite often cited among her most emotionally resonant work. [edit]