Katy Perry - Teenage Dream Review

Posted by Michael James on 08.30.2010

Katy Perry is poised to have the Number 1 album in the country. But is it purely disposable pop or something more?

Reviewing a Katy Perry album is an odd undertaking on several levels. The first is that I don’t know that there has been an artist less targeted at an early 30’s straight white male Internet music critic, since C&C Music Factory. The second is that Perry is actually two entirely distinct artists wrapped into one attractive package. Perry’s second full length album, Teenage Dream, is mostly disposable fembot ear candy conjured up by the evil songwriting/production geniuses Max Martin and Dr. Luke. However, at certain points Perry moves in a more interesting direction, as a jaded, heart-on-her sleeve rocker-ish chick. These tantalizing glimpses behind the pop star veneer make it unclear how to judge the album: is it a strictly commercial product, or an artistic exercise?



1. Teenage Dream
2. Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)
3. California Gurls (feat. Snoop Dogg)
4. Firework
5. Peacock
6. Circle the Drain
7. The One That Got Away
8. E.T.
9. Who Am I Living For?
10. Pearl
11. Hummingbird Heartbeat
12. Not Like the Movies

It is pretty easy to tell whether a particular song is going to be a pop or artistic track from the first note of Perry’s vocals, as she possesses two entirely different singing voices, as she moves from a high pitched, almost weightless tone on the sorority anthem in the making “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)” to a more powerful, deeper tone on the more serious tracks.

Both segments of the album have hits and misses. On the pop side of things, the aforementioned “Friday” is a catchy recounting of Perry’s PG-13 misadventures which lacks the calculated raunch of songs like Ke$ha’s “Tik Tok,” which explore similar themes. Likewise the smash “California Gurls” is destined for a lasting legacy as a summer necessity (especially in future years, after the radio has given the damn thing a rest). However, Snoop’s hip-hop cred takes a serious hit for the line “bikinis, zucchinis, martinis, no weenies.”

Standing heavily on the negative side of the pop scale is “Peacock,” an x-rated “Hollaback Girl,” which becomes the instant leader in the competition for the absolute worst song of 2010. While my crystal ball is still a little foggy, I expect it will still be there when revisiting the lowlights of the decade. Three cheers for female empowerment and taking ownership of your sexual desires, but 4-minutes of Perry trying to shame a dude into showing you his dick by beating a strained metaphor to death is truly awful.
Much more successful is the sweet young love reminiscence of “The One That Got Away,” where Perry, or at least her songwriters, do an admirable job of recapturing the emotions of teenage idealism with the simple hook “In another life/I would make you stay/so I don’t have to say/You’re the one that got away.”

While Perry has a decent success rate on her pop songs, the highlights of Teenage Dream are its more serious tracks. Most notable is “Circle the Drain,” where Perry eviscerates her ex, Gym Class Heroes’ Travie McCoy. Perry’s voice can at times be eerily reminiscent of Alanis Morrissette, and “Circle the Drain” could end up being this generation’s “You Oughta Know.” As Perry snarls “I want to be your lover/not your fucking mother,” she almost seems to be gloating over McCoy’s drug issues. Not the necessarily the most mature reaction, but it makes for a great listen…

Another standout track is the futuristic and brooding “Who Am I Living For?” where Perry showcases a vocal heft on the wailing chorus. With lyrics about “a phoenix inside of me” and “crowning battles,” Perry may also be reaching out to the aspiring Dungeon Master demographic. (Do kids still play the Dungeons & Dragons?)



With Perry’s occasional forays into a more serious sound, she elevates expectations. As a result, generic and cloying songs such as the self-help affirmations of “Firework” and “Pearl,” which would be crowning artistic achievements on a Britney Spears album, fall flat. But in the teen pop arena, Perry manages to make an album which is moderately listenable, which is a triumph in and of itself.

If you’re like me, most of your music ends up in an endless .mp3 “shuffle.” In order to preserve your valuable disk space, here’s what’s Ipod-worthy off Teenage Dream :

“Teenage Dream”; “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)”; “California Gurls”; “Circle the Drain”; “The One That Got Away”; “Who Am I Living For?”

The 411: Throughout Katy Perry's short career, only Lady Gaga has rivaled her ability to record irresistible pop gems. Teenage Dream is no different, as the first three songs either have been or are destined to be smashes. The album is mostly generic which can is fine in single song doses, but does not fair as well when listened to in bulk. However, there are a few tracks like "Circle the Drain" and "Who Am I Living For?" which provide a refreshing change of pace and make the album as a whole much more tolerable.

Final Score:  5.5   [ Not So Good ]