by Susie Salva

Santa Barbara, CA native and music’s newest “It Girl”, Katy Perry, 23, releases her new debut album, “One of the Boys” on Capitol Records on June 17th. Perry, a witty, pop-rock gem showcases her sharp, candid lyrics, big voice, and feisty, girl-power swagger as well as appealing vulnerability. “One of the Boys” is the full-length follow up to her debut digital EP, “Ur So Gay”, which is a hilarious kiss-off to an ex and available on iTunes since last November. “Ur So Gay” earned Katy a legion of devoted fans including the Queen of Pop herself, Madonna, who recently gave Katy a shout-out on two morning radio shows calling “Ur So Gay” her “favorite song.”

Katy Perry’s “I Kissed A Girl” is the most buzzed hit of the summer season. The song is the #1 Pop song on iTunes, #2 Best-selling iTunes track overall and the most-requested song at Top 40, Hot AC and Modern Rock stations nationwide. “I Kissed A Girl”, while it sounds gender-bending is, “about the magical beauty of a woman”, explains Perry. This L.A. based singer-songwriter’s sassy confidence and feisty confessional songs are gaining rave praises. It’s that sort of cheeky comment that encapsulates Perry’s irrepressible sense of humor and shines through on other songs such as “Waking Up in Vegas”, which is about doing just that. The disc also features several honest, searching ballads, like, “Lost” (about trying to find yourself after losing your way) and the regretful, emotional, “Thinking of You”, both of which display a more vulnerable side to this talented, multi-dimensional artist.

Recently, MySpace launched an exclusive album premiere of “One of the Boys” and within one week, close to half a million had logged on for a listen to the album. Obviously, there have been comparisons made about Perry and that is natural especially since she has worked with legendary producer and songwriter Glen Ballard, (produced Alanis Morissette, No Doubt). Perry has also been keeping busy performing low-key acoustic shows at Hollywood’s renowned Hotel Café.

Three days after “One of the Boys” is released, Perry will kick-off this summer’s Vans Warped Tour, appearing on the Hurley.com stage for the tour’s entire coast-to-coast run from June 20th to August 17th. If you were fortunate, you may have caught this raven-haired dynamo on the daytime drama “The Young and the Restless”, which aired on June 12th. Perry will also perform, “I Kissed A Girl” on Spike TV Guy’s Choice Awards, which airs on June 22nd.

“I want to bring it all back to the music,” explains Perry about the Hollywood fame experience. “Pop stars are hard to relate to because they are so scared of being vulnerable or real and afraid that people will exploit their flaws. I on the other hand, celebrate my flaws and actually welcome them. Flaws give us character and at the end of the day, I want people to see me as that girl they can relate to, talk to, and have a good laugh with.

For more on Katy Perry’s music go to her official website www.katyperry.com or www.myspace.com/katyperry.

Photo credit: Michael Elins