Product Description

"I can't run from where I came from, nobody can," says Katy Perry. When it came time to make her exhilarating second album "Teenage Dream," Katy found herself increasingly drawn back home to Santa Barbara, Calif. Back to where they knew her before she became a superstar. Before she kissed a girl and liked it. And, certainly, before she sold 5 million copies of her Capitol Records blockbuster, "One of the Boys." "I love the vibe that Santa Barbara gives off and I wanted to really tap into the purity of my childhood and that feeling," says the two-time Grammy nominated singer. "It was really fun to get away and walk into the studio with no make-up on."

"Teenage Dream," will move you, both emotionally and physically. "When I was touring, I wanted people to dance more," Katy says. "So I wrote an album that made people move, yet didn't sacrifice the story substance that I had on the last record." The album, whose producers include Max Martin, Tricky Stewart, Stargate, Dr. Luke and Greg Wells, is a glorious evolution from "One of The Boys," It showcases an artist who dares us to join her as she experiences every facet of life.

"I'm giving everyone the full spectrum on this record," Katy says. "You're getting the sugary sweet, but you're also getting the `Oh my goodness, she had to sit down for a minute and let some things off her chest'." Fun first single, "California Gurls," declared by Entertainment Weekly as "unforgettable," is the undeniable summer anthem of 2010. Featuring Snoop Dogg, "Gurls" is a sizzling salute to sun-kissed days spent in Daisy Dukes and a bikini top. Other album highlights include the heartbreakingly wistful "The One that Got Away," the naughty, playful strut of "Peacock," the uplifting "Firework," the pulsing, stinging "Circle the Drain," and the spiritual quest of "Who Am I Living For."

And then, of course, there's the passionate, thumping title track. "I called the album `Teenage Dream' because I feel like I will always want to be that pin-up poster," Katy says. "I definitely want to be in everybody's dreams at all times until I get to Liz Taylor's age when I'm not in your dreams anymore, and I'm just a diva!"

It's irreverent statements like this that have branded Katy a true American original. She's the extremely talented girl next door with slyly captivating charm. After Katy topped Maxim's Hot 100 this Spring, Maxim editor-in-chief Joe Levy mused of her appeal: "It's that feeling you get when you suddenly realize that the smartest, funniest, coolest girl you know also happens to the best looking and a pretty good skateboarder, too. All of sudden, your crush goes supernova, and this is Katy's supernova moment."

She's the face most likely to adorn the bedroom walls of young girls who adore Katy not only for her musical brio, but for her playful yet sophisticated fashion sense (Who else could wear a blinking dress that lights up to the Metropolitan Museum Costume Institute's Gala?) "I don't ever really want to come off as trashy," she says. `But I want people to know I'm definitely having fun."

Of that, there's no doubt. Seldom has an artist catapulted onto the world scene and captured not only people's ears, but their hearts as well. Since the 2008 release of "One of the Boys," Katy has taken a jet-fueled rocket pack to the top, wowing fans with her often whimsical, irresistible pop songs. Katy topped charts in more than 25 countries with cultural phenomenon "I Kissed a Girl," "Hot N Cold," "Thinking Of You" and "Waking Up in Vegas," and has sold more than 22 million digital tracks and mobile products worldwide. Katy erases any barrier between pop star and audience by writing all her own material. "You're getting a pure connection to the artist," Katy says. "You're not getting some idea of what that artist should be, you're getting a direct voice."

Nowhere is Katy's voice and vision clearer than in concert. She is a relentless road warrior, albeit one who comes complete with gigantic, blow up plastic strawberries to toss into the audience. As a newcomer, she stormed the Warped Tour stage for 47 dates in 2008, immediately winning over hardened rock fans with her ceaselessly energetic live show. Since then, she has steadily built audiences across the planet by touching down in more than two dozen countries and filling increasingly larger venues each time she returned to a city. 2009's headlining "One of the Boys" tour was a phenomenal success, selling out around the world.

She's also a popular television draw, appearing on countless talk shows, presenting and performing on the Grammys living out her lifelong dream of being lowered from the ceiling in a 600 lb. banana, serving as a guest judge on "American Idol," a celebrity contestant on "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and hosting MTV's Europe Music Awards twice. More often than not she's adding to her trophy case at each stop, winning Best New Act at the Europe Music Awards, Best Pop Video at the MTV Japan Awards and International Female Solo Artist at the Brit Awards.

As much as her life seems to play itself out in the press--she's appeared on the cover of more than 15 magazines--she reminds us the real Katy is in every note and every word of her music. "If you ever want an answer about how I felt about something or what I was going through or what I believe or my convictions or my love," she says, "You just have to listen to the lyrics." We can't wait to hear every word she has to say.

Track Listing

1. Teenage Dream - Katy Perry
2. Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) - Katy Perry
3. California Gurls (feat. Snoop Dogg) - Katy Perry
4. Firework - Katy Perry
5. Peacock - Katy Perry
6. Circle The Drain - Katy Perry
7. The One That Got Away - Katy Perry
8. E.T. - Katy Perry
9. Who Am I Living For? - Katy Perry
10. Pearl - Katy Perry
11. Hummingbird Heartbeat - Katy Perry
12. Not Like The Movies - Katy Perry
13. California Gurls (feat. Snoop Dogg) (Passion Pit Main Mix)- Katy Perry
14. Teenage Dream (Kaskade Club Remix) - Katy Perry

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #93 in Music
• Released on: 2010-08-24
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Explicit Lyrics
• Dimensions: .17 pounds

Customer Reviews

Most helpful customer reviews

77 of 89 people found the following review helpful.
Girl Just Wants To Have Fun
By Jay Murphy
I doubt if Katy's main objective with this release is to stimulate our cerebral muscles but she might want to stimulate you in other ways. She's very naughty here (a shout out to new hubby Russell Brand perhaps?), veering into territory more frequently inhabited by the likes of Ke$ha, Britney, Rihanna and Shakira with such trashy anthems as "Teenage Dream", "Peacock" (hey, Toni Basil!), and another of my particular favorites "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" in which the narrator drinks too much, breaks some laws, has a three-way and indulges in other hedonistic activities. I make no apologies- this song makes me feel young again.

Other highlights include the divine bubblegum dance pop hit "California Gurls" in which Snoop Dogg's little bits are a welcome addition. "Firework" really surprised me. I first heard it on the radio and thought it sounded like Katy but at the same time there was something different about it. Probably my favorite song on a very consistent album, the music is all joyous strings with Katy belting out this beautiful anthem of empowerment like it's the last song she'll ever sing. I love the way she goes right from the sublime to the ridiculous in the following "Peacock", a funky and hilarious ode to a man's `architecture' and back again to the heartache of "Circle The Drain", a song about drug addiction. I can't help but wonder how much of this CD's material is based on reality and how much is fiction which adds to its allure for me. "Hummingbird Heartbeat" is my final favorite, a kind of sister song to "Teenage Dream". This record is fun, humorous and at times even touching. It even smells good! Like the sweets adorning our Ms. Perry in the album artwork, this is a pure confection of guilty pleasure.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful.
Identity Crisis
By Rixatrix
I wasn't really sure how to rate this album because it really feels like two different albums in one. Half of the tracks I can't stand, and the other half I love and play on repeat. Here's my breakdown:

1. "Teenage Dream" - 7/10
It's a hit for a reason - it's very catchy but misses the mark with me for value.

2. "Last Friday Night" - 6/10
The song sounds okay, but the lyrics make this one worth skipping.

3. "California Gurls" - 7/10
Once again, catchy but no real value to me.

4. "Firework" - 10/10
Great song. This is probably what made me buy the album! Not only is this tune unforgettable in sound, but the lyrics are inspirational, about realizing there is something amazing in you even when you are down for the count.

5. "Peacock" - 1/10
SKIP - about a man's manhood.... ugh

6. "Circle the Drain" - 10/10
Here was another of my favorites. This one, while being catchy like most of Perry's album, deals with drug addiction, but from the point of view of a partner who doesn't want to see her S.O. go down deeper and deeper. This message is a tough sell - "I'm leaving because I don't want to deal with your addiction" - when most people want to hear a message of help and support, but this is a song about looking out for your own best interests, more like "Who am I living for?" (#9).

7. "The One That Got Away" - 10/10
Very touching song. Most of us, I think, have been there, and it's hard not to like this one.

8. "E.T." - 10/10
This track is so cleverly written and composed, it's hard not to take to it. The metaphor is unique (
kind of reminds me of Britney Spears' "Toxic" though) and this album version doesn't feel nearly as cheap and campy as the remix with the ridiculous rap lyrics.

9. "Who Am I Living For?" - 10/10
"I can see the writing on the wall/I can't ignore this war/At the end of it all/Who am I living for?" This song can be taken a lot of ways - I see it as an antiwar song from the point of view of a soldier, but I also interpret it as the anthem for anyone fighting for what they believe in but being faced with other people's overbearing views. To me, it says, "You want me to do it your way, but this is my life, and I have to do what I believe in." I group this with "Firework" and "Circle the Drain" for sure.

10. "Pearl" - 10/10
A great song with a strong message. If you know a woman who was fierce and strong before her current relationship, but her current partner dims her or subjects her, then this song will make you tear up.

11. "Hummingbird Heartbeat" - 5/10
I'm no prude, but I found this song embarrassing. I didn't like the metaphor, and I could hardly listen to it. I would group this with "Peacock."

12. "Not Like the Movies" - 9/10
A good song about not settling and holding out for "the one" and not simply "the one who wants you."

13. "California Gurls" Remix
I didn't care for the original, so not real comment about this one.

14. "Teenage Dream" Remix
See #13.

So, overall, it was hard to rate this album given that it's half juvenile, snickering, I-made-a-sex-reference tracks or superficial, meaningless lyrics and the other half strong messages of value. I think most of Perry's fans will be buying this for the radio "hits" that I happened not to like much, and that's a shame because there are quite a few gems in here: "Firework," "Circle the Drain," "The One That Got Away," "E.T.," "Pearl," "Not Like the Movies," and "Who Am I Living For?"

Hope this review helps.

54 of 67 people found the following review helpful.
A Fun Album But Not for Your Kids
By Gary P. Middendorf
Katy puts out a fun upbeat pop album. But unless you want to explain to your kids or young teens about wanting to see a guys "peacock" and threesomes, I'd leave it out of your kids library.