Travis McCoy
Photo: MTV News

Travis McCoy and Katy Perry seemed like a couple made in tongue-in-cheek music heaven, and the sarcastic, witty Gym Class Heroes frontman and the sassy pop star did look cute together. But, even as rumors of their engagement began to bubble up on gossip blogs, the pair split in late 2008.

Now, with the year wrapping up, McCoy is back in the studio, working music for the next Gym Class Heroes album as well as a solo project. And he can't help but write a song or two inspired by his former flame.

"I think I've always used my relationships as a tool to write songs, you know what I mean?" he told MTV News at a charity event for MTV's Staying Alive Foundation, where he debuted his new song, "One at a Time." " 'Cupid's Chokehold' was written about probably one of the best relationships I've ever been in in my life.

"I can't sit here and lie and say that what went down between her and I won't be a present on the record," he said. "But we'll have to wait and see."

If you're expecting any salacious details about Perry, who's now dating Russell Brand, to appear in the music, think again. McCoy said he's too much of a gentleman to be nasty to her. "We as musicians, art imitates life — we'll see what happens," he said. "I'm a nice guy, though. I'm a nice guy."

• Travis McCoy
• Gym Class Heroes
• Katy Perry

Travis McCoy
Photo: MTV News

Travis McCoy premiered a new solo track titled "One at a Time" Wednesday night at a charity event in on New York City's Lower East Side. The single is meant to reflect Travis' time spent touring the globe with MTV's Staying Alive Foundation — a nonprofit organization that aims to support young people working to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS in their communities.

As the Gym Class Heroes frontman traveled to South Africa, India and the Philippines, meeting young HIV/AIDS activists along the way, he was encouraged to put his experience to music.

"That was kind of the catch of the trip," Travis told MTV News. "I had to write a song that encompassed everything I saw and felt on the trip ... and also gives the listener an idea of what they can do."

"One at a Time" showcases a more serious and contemplative side of McCoy that we don't often get to see. When asked about a specific message in the new track, Travis started reciting some of the lines: "I feel like my generation complains about things we don't have/ But if you think about it, we ain't got it so bad / Trust me, I know bad, and I've met worse / And it'd be so sad to sit and let it get worse."

McCoy's experiences abroad are also being turned into a documentary, "Travis McCoy's Unbeaten Track," which will air on MTV networks around the world on World AIDS Day, December 1. Talking to the singer, it's clear that he is proud of the film, and he hopes that viewers will tune in and gain something from seeing the work of the many young people he met.

"If there was one thing I would want people to take away from my experiences with this documentary, just educate yourself and be aware," he said. "You know, awareness is the key to knowing what's going on, for one, and also finding out what you can do to help the situation."

You can find out more about Travis' trip at TheUnbeatenTrack.com, and the charity single will be available as a digital download on iTunes starting on December 1. All proceeds from the sale of the single will go to the projects supported by the Staying Alive Foundation.

• Travis McCoy

Katy Perry at the 2009 Critics' Choice Awards in L.A. Thursday
Photo: MTV News

In the weeks following her split with boyfriend Travis McCoy, Katy Perry has remained silent about the subject, a move which is entirely understandable, if not particularly, you know, Perry-like.

So, when MTV News caught up with her on the Critics' Choice Awards in Los Angeles, we took the opportunity to ask her about her newly single status. And, somewhat surprisingly, she answered. Sort of.

"Well, it's a new year, and I'm very focused," she said when asked about the Gym Class Heroes frontman. "I have a tour coming up on January 23 called the Hello Katy Tour, and I'm putting all my energy and efforts into that."

So there you go. Perry isn't worried about dating, just touring. And given her rather hectic schedule, perhaps that's a good thing. Aside from the tour, there's her appearance at next month's Grammy Awards, plus, you know, the very booming business of being Katy Perry.

"I really don't know how you follow [2008] up. I'm kind of just putting one step in front of the other and I never expected any of it to happen, so I don't expect it to always happen perfect every time, you know?" she laughed. "I'm constantly knocking on wood and freaking out saying, 'Really? They want me to do that?!? OK! Really? Presenting at the Critics' Choice Awards? Great!' Or at the Grammys, which, by golly, is going to be a fun, fun night."

And just what can we expect from her come Grammy night?

"Fruit," she said, before being ushered down the carpet.

Girl of few words, that Katy Perry.

• Katy Perry
• Gym Class Heroes
• Travis McCoy

Sway and Gym Class Heroes' Travis McCoy
Photo: MTV News

Like most of the world, Travis McCoy watched Katy Perry's Los Premios run-in with a Quinceañera cake on the Internet.

Unlike most of the world, he had some insight into the situation. You know, because he's dating Perry and all. And according to him, what appeared to be one gigantic, frosting-fueled mistake was actually a very calculated way of capping off her already over-the-top performance. Or something like that.

"She hit me right after the performance, 'Baby, you gotta see the performance! You gotta see the performance!' and I watched it. And I was like, 'Baby, did you fall?' and she's like, 'I did it on purpose,' " McCoy told MTV News backstage at the Love Sessions, a voter-registration party in Los Angeles. "I watched it a couple more times and ... it was on purpose. She did it on purpose. It was all planned. I think she murdered it, man. The whole Quinceañera thing. She's a step above, a step ahead, you know? And I've always backed her, you know? It is what it is."

Of course, it's not just Perry's cake-filled shenanigans that McCoy has been addressing lately. There are also the whispers that the two are planning some sort of collaboration, and while McCoy admits that might be the case, it most certainly won't be of the singing variety.

"This is Travvie and Katy, not Sonny and Cher, you know? I've been producing some stuff lately, and she's the only person I play it for. So maybe I'll produce some stuff for her, but we won't be doing any duets anytime soon," he laughed. "She's definitely got an ear, though, so I'll make some beats and I'll e-mail them to her and get her vibe. She'll hit be back, 'I love this one,' or, 'This one could use this or that.'

"When she was recording her record she'd send me songs, and when we were making our record I'd send her songs," he continued. "So she sent me a demo of 'I Kissed a Girl,' and we were on tour, and I was playing it during our changeover, just watching the kids react. So she came out to one of our shows, and the song came out and she flipped out, like, 'What are you doing playing that?' and I took her to the side of the stage so she could watch the crowd react. And now, well, she's huge."

But a Perry collabo isn't the only thing in the cards for McCoy and his Gym Class Heroes. They're currently on tour with the Roots, and McCoy hopes to get something on tape with them before their jaunt wraps in early November.

"They've been a huge inspiration to us since we were kids — Illadelph Halflife and Do You Want More?!!??! and all the records since then. ... They're legendary masters, and I think a little bit of the Roots is rubbing off on Gym Class," McCoy said. "We're almost halfway through the tour, so I'm sure us and the Roots are gonna collaborate before the show's up. I mean, we've gotta."

• Gym Class Heroes
• Travis McCoy
• Katy Perry