The One That Got Away

On September 30, 2011, Capitol Records dropped "The One That Got Away" as the final single from Teenage Dream. This mid-tempo ballad stood apart from the album's previous dance-floor bangers by focusing on a quiet, painful breakup. Perry co-wrote the track with Dr. Luke and Max Martin at Conway Recording Studios in Hollywood, weaving in specific cultural touchstones like Radiohead and a comparison of the lost love to Johnny Cash and June Carter.

The song climbed to number three on the US Billboard Hot 100, marking the sixth top-five hit from this album and tying a record for the most top-five singles from a single release at that time. It secured top-five spots in Canada and Malaysia while landing in the top twenty across over a dozen other nations. The RIAA certified it 5x Platinum, and it earned Diamond status in Brazil alongside multi-Platinum awards in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the UK.

Floria Sigismondi directed the visual companion released on November 11, 2011, casting Mexican actor Diego Luna as Perry's former flame. The narrative follows a young couple through a vibrant romance before dissolving into a somber separation. This video has since racked up over 1.1 billion views on YouTube. A Director's Cut version extending the runtime to 6:53 surfaced later, offering fans a deeper look at the story. In September 2026, the track experienced a massive viral resurgence on TikTok, earning the title of Song of the Summer globally and prompting Perry to reflect on its enduring appeal sixteen years after its debut. [edit]