Katy Perry
Teenage Dream
Capitol Records
August 24

By Ashley Foy

A more fitting title than Teenage Dream for Katy Perry’s latest album would be hard to come by. In typical pop star fashion, Perry has stuck to what she clearly knows best which is selling her sex appeal and attracting the easiest targeted following: teenagers (girls want to imitate her and boys fantasize about her).

If you haven’t heard her first single, “California Gurls,” yet, then you must have been asleep the entire Summer. A catchy beat and provocative in-your-face lyrics attempting to give her pop music an edge managed without much effort to bring Perry back to the top of the pop charts.

“Teenage Dream,” the album’s title song, is her second single. Though it likely has no deep personal meaning to Perry the song connects to the American youth very easily playing on the sex sells and first love themes that are never ending in pop culture.

Perry certainly utilizes shock value tactics similar to pop stars such as Madonna and Lady Gaga in order to gain an audience but keeps them there with safe pop hits that keep her on a familiar level. “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F),” “Not Like the Movies” and “Circle the Drain” clearly fit Perry’s expected style of hits among the American youth and will likely ensure her future number one hits and a large following of devoted fans.

With a girl who became famous with a hit titled “I Kissed a Girl,” one cannot expect a whole lot of depth to Perry’s lyrics, such as “We’re so hot we’ll melt your popsicle” from “California Gurls” or “I want to see your peacock” from “Peacock.” But no intellectual awakening is to be expected from a pop star whose songs blast from teenagers’ cars and in clubs. Plan on having more cheap but guilty pleasure number one hits from Teenage Dream getting stuck in your head over the next few months.