Katy Perry Calls Boyfriend John Mayer A "Genius," Reveals She Had Suicidal Thoughts After Russell Brand Split

Billboard/Ryan McGinley

Katy Perry covers the new issue of Billboard Magazine, and the 28-year-old singer talks about her current beau John Mayer and how some of the songs on her upcoming album Prism were inspired by her painful split from ex-hubby Russell Brand.

On Mr. Mayer:

“He literally is a genius, as is evident from his songwriting. I always tell him, ‘Darling, you know I’m going to have to give your mind to science after you’ve passed, because we’re going to have to understand how all these sparks work.’ We’ll be in bed, and he’ll be doing the crossword puzzle. Every night, he tries to finish it in under 10 minutes. When he puts his mind to something, he really gets it done very well. I always ask for his help.”

When asked about the interview she did with Barbara Walters right before she announced that she was divorcing Brand:

“I shouldn’t have done the interview: I was playing Madison Square Garden that same night, and I knew that the end of my marriage was coming. I was just exhausted and stressed. I’d prepped everyone that I was running late, but Barbara showed up at the original time anyway. When I got there, I apologized immediately, but then she said to me, ‘You know, I’ve only ever waited for one other person this long, and you know who that person was? Judy Garland. You know how she turned out, right?’ I was like, ‘Oh, snap! Yes, b*tch!’ I think it’s the coolest thing that Barbara Walters shaded me. I just couldn’t tell her as we were sitting down for a mega-interview, ‘Hey, my marriage is falling apart. Give me a break.’”

As far as songs on her EP, which will be released on October 18, there are some upbeat numbers, but there are also a few melancholy melodies about Brand. In "Ghost" she sings, "You sent a text/It's like the wind changed your mind" and in "By the Grace of God," the track begins with Perry lying on the bathroom floor fighting suicidal thoughts. "That song is evident of how tough it really was at a certain point. I asked myself, 'Do I want to endure? Should I continue living?'" Perry says. "All the songs are real-life moments. I can only write autobiographically. I put all the evidence in the music. I tell my fans if they want to know the real truth about stuff, just listen to the songs."

We love "Roar" -- we can't wait to hear the rest!