Katy Perry until recently at least wasn't my cup of tea! my brother being a huge fan of One Of The Boys (and believe me he played it at everry given chance!) struck me that she wanted to be too famous too early with I Kissed A Girl,Hot N' Cold,Waking Up In Vegas etc. seeming way too generic and flowery and sweet to listen to, let alone a commercial mess of production!
Nevertheless, California Gurls (which without a doubt has become something of a huge anthem this summer,and it's brilliant!) won me over with it's retro 90's style production, Cyndi Lauper campness and prince 80's electric guitar synths and an absolute cracking hook of a tune! she had indeed won me over from being a P!nk/Madonna/Prince/Bowie style hybrid of a wannabe, to Katy showing us that actually she is somewhat of a guilty pleasure to hear one the radio Ipod or CD player stereo speakers!
however, it's the title single Teenage Dream that definitively certified myself as a fan! like Katy's answer to Madonna's huge anthem Into The Groove this albums title track is a synth pop,rock masterpiece of a tune! and on of 2010's most expertly crafted sensational thumpy songs i have ever heard, each time a refreshing joy of a listen.
My brother was so delighted (and actually scarily ecstatic!) when this album arrived yesterday morning, which a % must have been from being 'high' from the Candyfloss Straberry Sugary smell that grasps your nostrils as soon as the jewell case is opened to play the disc, almost in a similar respect to Madonna's Like A Prayer booklet having the Church scent smell in a blissful sort of way and definitely a soft nice smell, Katy's however is something of a polar opposite which may either cause migranes or just have you addicted...let's say i prefer Madonna's scent from Like A Prayer's patchouli oil which is AMAZING! also the candyfloss reminds me of the funfairs of Summer and adds to the playful personality of the album itself.
In a year dominated by generic R&B,Electro sounds and Lady Gaga, Katy offers that antidote for good old skool pop tunes and one 80's style groove after the next (some better than others!).
Stand outs include ET,Firework,Pearl,Not Like In The Movies,What Am I Living For? and Last Friday Night.
A brilliant album that will be regarded as Katy's most defining record of pure retro style bliss and somewhat of a career high as we will see it selling out and topping the charts on a global scale, she is going to literally dominate 2010.
while not 100% perfect, it's a fantastic album that will be anually played every summer! 9/10