Written by Susie Salva
Pop tart California dream queen Katy Perry’s sophomore release, “Teenage Dream,” on Capitol Records has infectious grooves and contagious beats. As a follow-up to her 2008’s smash CD “One of the Boys”, she has re-teamed with hitmakers Dr.Luke and Max Martin. After scoring four smash singles off her five-million selling 2008 debut album “One of the Boys”, two-time Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter Katy Perry returns to set the airwave ablaze with this superstar’s sizzling summer anthem “California Gurls,” featuring Snoop Dog.
“California Gurls” is the 25-year-old singers third No.1 on the Top 40 and since its release in May, it has sold more than 3 million downloads and reigned for six weeks on the Hot 100. Perry also found new collaborators in Stargate and Christopher “Tricky” Stewart. They produced “What Am I Living For,” “Hummingbird Heartbeat,” and “Circle the Drain.”
“California Gurls,” is an irresistible, hook-filled call to throw on Daisy Dukes and a bikini top. Perry’s witty, sassy sound is ever present on “Teenage Dream” with more than fifty-percent of the tracks on affairs of the heart. This Santa Barbara beach babe (whose parents were preachers) knows exactly how to get her catchy tunes on the tip of everyone lips.
“Teenage Dream,” the lead and title track deals with the intense feelings that are ever present during the love felt during those formidable years. It is also repeated at the end of the disc in a re-mix version of the tune. The idea is to be together forever which all teenage love hinges upon.
“Last Friday Night” plays homage to partying and party girls in general. With its girl-power cheerleader chants, also ever present on “Peacock,” which has blatant sexual overtones maybe a little too sexual for pop music this song is reminiscent of Gwen Sefani’s “Hollaback Girl.” You can actually imagine the pom-poms shaking in the air with this phallus-obsessed track.
“Circle The Drain” reveals the lyrics that she is not going to be your mother and not going to stick around has heartfelt sentiment. “The One That Got Away” is reminiscent of that teenage love once again when you believe that it is just us against the world and how you fantasize about how perfect things are in the relationship but then the love is the one that got away. “E.T.” has a peppy beat that is hypnotic and deals with a lover that is an alien and supernatural. Not sure if that was innuendo?
“Hummingbird Heartbeat” is refreshing with unbending energy with a straight-ahead rock sound and definitely sexual-innuendo. Finishing off the disc is “Not Like the Movies” where everything is suppose to wrap up with the fairy-tale ending. Obviously, not everything ends up like the movies.
Perry is clever enough know how to compile some of the catchiest material on the planet. Pairing up sexual overtones with contagious grooves transpires throughout the twelve songs on the disc. Perry’s success has led her to become one of the most talked about new artists of the past two years. This album proves that she has the gumption and know how to be a force to be reckoned with in the near future. For all things Katy Perry please go to: www.katyperry.com
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Great article! Nice job Susie!