After the success of her debut pop album "One of the Boys" and the four successful singles released from it, Katy Perry was sitting on top as a new pop phenomenon. Two years later she is back with a brand new album, "Teenage Dream", but do not expect Perry to stray far from what made her famous. The record is filled with poppy fluff with emotional ballads thrown into the mix. The release was preceded by two singles, the number one hit "California Gurls" and the title track, that made a huge splash during summer. A great start for the album!
The album begins with the summery title track, that is still climbing the charts even as I am typing this review. The song is filled with pure innocence from beginning to end and contains some of Perry's best vocals on the entire album. Anyone will be able to relate with the song which is why it has become another hit for her. The album comes to a very sudden stop with the track "Last Friday Night (TGIF)", which is sort of a disappointment since it's only the second on the tracklist. Perry does not even sound like she is trying on the song, which is not a good thing. It lacks any spark and sounds very weak, a track I would consider to be just a filler. When the number one hit "California Gurls" begins it breathes some life into the album, even though most are probably already sick of it. It is catchy and fun, plus features Snoop Dogg whose rap is amazing. The next two tracks that follow, "Firework" and "Peacock", are average songs at best, nothing new or special. The latter of the two does come off kind of annoying at the beginning, but does pick up to become a very adventurous and sexy song which I applaud Perry for adding to the official tracklist. The next track, "Circle The Drain", is another bright moment during the album, though there are not many. Perry's vocals may sound a tad bit altered and robotic, but the lyrics are fun and well written. It also contains the best lyrical moment on the whole album, "wanna be your lover, not your fucking mother". The album continues with a true ballad, "The One that Got Away". It is a beautifully written and crafted song, but lets remember that Perry did not write one song on the album. Ballads are still her weak point and it comes off fake. The best song on the album takes form in "E.T.". The extra-terrestrial inspired track is backed up with a powerful beat, which may be borrowed, but the song makes it its own. Perry's vocals are strong and the result is nothing short of perfection. Perry takes on a darker side with "Who Am I Living For?" which sounds like it would fit perfectly in an action movie soundtrack. This is the direction I would love to see Perry take her music. "Pearl" is a nice, sweet song, but it feels odd and out of place on this tracklist. As soon as the song finished, I already forgot what it was about and I know many others will too. The album closes on a less than positive note with the tracks "Hummingbird Heartbeat" and "Not Like the Movies". The first is bland, but Perry's vocal range is great. The second is a beautiful song that will bring some people to tears, but the producers are to blame for not making the track what it could have been. The album was not horrible, but it did not showcase anything new from the artist who burst onto the music scene with the pop culture changing song "I Kissed A Girl".
"Teenage Dream" is one of those albums that will satisfy Perry's die hard loving fans, but for anyone who was still balancing loving or hating her, this album will make them lean more to the hate side. The album has many fillers and disappointing moments, but does occasionally shine very, very bright. An artist always worries about their second major studio album, but it is sad to say that Perry accomplished more with her debut. The album contains songs that will make great singles, but most of it falls flat. For having good single material, but bad production and weak lyrics, "Teenage Dream" falls under the C category with a solid 76%.
Tracks to hear: "California Gurls", "Circle The Drain", and "E.T."
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