Katy Perry
Teenage Dream
Capitol
By David Chiu
Although “California Gurls” and the title track have been the biggest hits off of Katy Perry’s recent album so far, Teenage Dream shows some aspects of maturity and depth that belie the sunny, catchy vibe of those aforementioned songs. There are a couple of tracks (the second half of the record) where you can detect an arguably artistic side of Perry that goes beyond her more popular larger-than-life image: the angsty, Journey-like rocker “Circle in the Drain”; the uplifting “Pearl”; and the lovely, reflective ballad “Not Like the Movies.” In certain moments does Perry takes a page out of Rihanna’s playbook (the suggestive “Peacock” and the dramatic “Who Am I Living For” are the examples), but for the most part, she stands on her own with songs like “California Gurls” and “Firework.” Don’t get me wrong—it’s still pop music, but Teenage Dream is also not what you expect, and it offers flickers of promising things as Perry’s career progresses.
NewBeats 