Katy Perry's debut album, One Of The Boys, demonstrated an innate ability for creating instant familiarity in pop music. On Teenage Dream Perry proves it wasn't a fluke.
Those who witnessed Perry in full flight on stage in Melbourne last month can attest to that fact as the singer belted out what sounded like a greatest hits set, still weeks out from the release of her second album.
And it's that talent which sees the release of Teenage Dream move Perry a step closer to the pop throne she's been propelling herself toward.
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Teenage Dream is her most promising step up yet, following the path many great pop albums do: swinging from exceptional to very, very bad. For every head-invading, chart-topping, pop anthem on Teenage Dream there are cringeworthy moments ready to counteract them.
But it's a proven formula in pop music. Madonna's Like A Prayer yielded the title track alongside "Act of Contrition". Britney Spears fronted up with "...Baby One More Time" and "Email My Heart" on her debut album. And Lady Gaga delivered "Poker Face" and "Eh Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)" all within a few tracks of each other on The Fame.
Lead singles "California Gurls" and "Teenage Dream" are two of the album's said anthems, but Perry hasn't played her hand too early by unleashing those first up.
VIDEO: watch Katy Perry's music video for "Teenage Dream"
Teenage Dream is an effortless throwback to Perry's younger years. Retelling the rollercoaster ride of teenage emotions -- from euphoria to melancholy and back again -- Teenage Dream offers a warning against growing up too fast and skipping over life's defining moments.
The "Hey Mickey" inspired "Peacock", full of thinly veiled innuendos as Perry chants "I wanna see your peacock, cock, cock", is Teenage Dream's surefire third single.
"Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" lets the Teenage Dream continue as Perry sings about maxing out credit cards, threesomes, skinny dipping and everything else we all get up to on an average Friday night.
Reminiscing about college days, "The One That Got Away" provides another album high, detailing a lost love and making out to Radiohead in a Mustang.
On occasion Perry's sugary overtones are too saccharin creating a paraody of herself she'd be best avoiding. "E.T." is Katy Perry gone too far while the faux-angst of "Circle The Drain" just doesn't sell itself.
But the lows on Teenage Dream are well and truly eclipsed by sundrenched anthems, seeing Katy Perry convincingly avoid the sophomore slump.
With enough hooks and potential singles to propel her through 2011, it's not a stretch to declare Teenage Dream this summer's soundtrack while we're still wallowing in winter. And you can't help but think that's exactly what Perry was aiming for.
Teenage Dream is in store now.
COMPETITION: win an exclusive Katy Perry prize pack
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