IF YOU find the songs in Katy Perry?s third studio album, ?Teenage Dream??which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard 200 recently?familiar, it?s because they?re inspired by the provocative playfulness of the music of the ?80s (Madonna) and the theme-propelled melodic riffs of the ?90s (The Cardigans, Alanis Morissette).
The giggly, eye-rolling indiscretions the singer describes in ?Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)? provide a saccharine rush that comes from her lyrical candor. The grooves she churns out are without a doubt radio-friendly, but Perry manages to unleash her lyrical provocation without sounding churlish and acerbic.
As the No. 1 hit single, ?California Gurls? (her collaboration with Snoop Dogg), demonstrates, she puts the fun in pop. Her mainstream appeal stems mainly from music that?s more about sustainable beats than the cohesiveness of her album?s thematic concept.
She renders the title track, ?Teenage Dream,? another No. 1 tune, with a persistent vocal and rhythmic wallop that keeps you grooving, even as the song winds down to its final bar. And, in the winkingly naughty ?Peacock,? she challenges the object of her affection (or derision) with lyrics that will make you snicker?or blush!
Sarcasm
But, there?s more to the singer than her sarcasm, loopy sense of humor and catchy arrangements. In ?Firework,? for instance, she displays strong, reliable pipes that allow her to seamlessly shift from chest notes to head tones.
Her vocal dexterity is even more evident in the lovingly sung ballad, ?Not Like The Movies,? one of the collection?s best tracks, which displays her voice at its purest and most pristine. For more evocative singing, listen to ?Pearl? and ?Circle The Drain,? about a self-destructive former boyfriend.
Perry?s musical experiments don?t always succeed (?E.T.,? ?Who Am I Living For??), but at least, she and her sound are never boring!
Aside from Perry?s ?California Gurls,? other Top 100 entries that rate high on our dance-music list include Maroon 5?s ?Give Me A Little More,? Linkin Park?s ?The Catalyst,? Bruno Mars? ?Just The Way You Are,? Hanson?s ?Thinking ?Bout Something,? ?Magic? by B.O.B. and Rivers Cuomo, Travie McCoy?s ?We?ll Be Alright,? ?Ain?t No Doubt About It? by The Game, Pharell and Justin Timberlake, and ?Heartbeat,? the anticipated collaboration of Fil-Spanish Enrique Iglesias and Fil-Am Nicole Scherzinger.
If you like ballads and acoustic tunes, here are our top picks: ?Move On? by Bruno Mars, ?Introducing Me? by Nick Jonas, Monica?s ?Love All Over Me,? Colbie Caillat?s ?I Never Told You,? Usher?s ?There Goes My Baby,? ?You Lose? by Christina Aguilera, ?World Behind My Wall? by Tokio Hotel, ?Rhythm of Love? by Plain White T?s, and The Script?s ?For The First Time.?
Musicality
Recently, media person cum theater actress, Lara de Jesus (?Sacrilege?), shared with us some of her favorite albums?including ?Passage of Time,? the fourth solo recording of Liz Callaway (?Merrily We Roll Along,? ?Baby?) that displays the Broadway actress? outstanding musicality and depth as a performer. The album is a treasure trove of exquisitely rendered and beautifully arranged show tunes and standards.
Must-hear cuts: ?Nothing to Lose (But Your Heart),? The Beatles? ?Eleanor Rigby,? ?Being Alive? (from ?Company?), and her medleys of ?Make Someone Happy?/?Something Wonderful? and ?The Perfect Year?/?Memory,? as well as her exceptional duet with her sister, jazz singer Ann Hampton Callaway.
