Katy Perry has somehow managed to make mainstream pop look even worse. Despite the fact that many of the songs off her Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection album have been on the Billboard Top 100 and are constantly playing on the radio, most are mediocre, leading me to question their popularity.
After hearing the first track, “Teenage Dream,” I can already tell the direction in which the album is heading. With repetitive, somewhat nonsensical lyrics, the track has little meaning or value. Nor is it skillfully made; its loud beats and guitar riffs are simple and distracting. Next up is “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.),” which is about an insane party. Because of its storyline, the song seems juvenile—it’d be a better fit for a teenager to sing, not someone who is in their late 20s.
The rest of the album is composed of tracks with crude lyrics that only serve to expose Katy’s poor singing abilities. In “Circle The Drain” and “Firework,” it seems like she can’t reach the high notes. Although she’s far from tone deaf, her vocal range appears to be quite limited.
Another flaw I found with Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection was Katy Perry’s choice of collaboration. Her song “California Gurls” features Snoop Dogg, while Kanye West appears on “ET.” On “California Gurls,” the rap seems out of place and takes away from the track. “E.T.,” on the other hand, seems perfectly suited to Kanye West. However, Katy Perry’s vocals seem awkward and too high-pitched.
Katy Perry’s Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection was a disappointing CD, full of repetitive verses and distracting instrumentals. It is most likely popular because it is catchy and upbeat; however, its lack of substance makes it difficult to enjoy.
