One of the Boys (CD) by Katy Perry

One of the Boys
Katy Perry
ASIN: B0017ZB8M6
12 tracks, running time 43:52
Capitol, 2008

Genre: Pop

Listeners Annotation
In her pop/rock album full of radio hits, Katy Perry explores love, relationships, and modern femininity.

Summary
In her debut album, Katy Perry explores love, relationships, and modern femininity. In her title track, Perry documents her transformation from pre-teen tomboy to a teenager becoming aware of the power of her own sexuality: "I wanna be a flower, not a dirty weed / And I wanna smell like roses, not a baseball team / 'Cause one day I swear you're gonna wanna make out with me." In "Ur So Gay," Perry laments her metrosexual boyfriend who'd rather admire himself and go on MySpace than pay attention to her. Perry dismisses him: "Ur so gay, but you don't even like boys." In "I Kissed a Girl," Perry experiments with bisexuality: "I kissed a girl just to try it / I hope my boyfriend don't mind it." "Waking Up in Vegas" discusses the highs and lows of a weekend in Las Vegas, while in "Hot N Cold" Perry complains about a boy who keeps on sending her mixed messages: "You PMS like a bitch / I should know / And you overthink / Also speak cryptically.

Critical Evaluation
Teens will probably relate to and love the pop culture references Perry throws out -- H&M, MySpace, Aveda beauty products, Seventeen magazine -- and relate to her struggles with self-identity and relationships. Perry has a strong voice, and many of her pop/rock songs have catchy hooks.  There's almost a strong pop punk feel to some of them. Perry wrote or co-wrote all of the songs herself, and the album has a strong, definite identity.

This makes her slightly different and more appealing than other teen singers, who do not write their own music. Katy Perry also has a very fun retro fashion sensibility that teenage girls may enjoy. However, the songs, while fun and catchy, do seem a bit disposable; there's not a whole lot of weight there.

About the artist
23-year-old Katy Perry first released a record of Gospel music at the age of 15. Over the course of the next eight years, she distanced herself from her Evangelical Christian musical background and moved to pop music that explores decidedly secular issues, including sexuality. She is well-known for her retro fashion and her pin-up girl looks.  She lists artists like Alanis Morissette and Cyndi Lauper as her influences, and one can very much hear how they shaped her brand of female-centric pop.

Curriculum Ties
n/a

Booktalking Ideas
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Listening Level/Challenge Issues
Though younger teens may be familiar and enjoy Perry's songs on the radio, the album's themes of sexuality may make it a little more appropriate for high schoolers. While the album only has mild language and is not marked as having Explicit Language (one mention to "jerking off" is bleeped out on the album, though an explicit version of the single is available through iTunes), songs like "I Kissed A Girl" may cause some parents concern.  Also, some parents may take offense at Perry's derogatory use of the worlds "gay" and "bitch" in "Ur So Gay" and "Hot N Cold."

Should the album be challenged, the library should be able to to explain its collection policy for music. The album received a positive review from Billboard and also reached as high as number 3 on their Rock chart.

Selection Criteria
I was only vaguely familiar with Perry, having heard a few of her songs on the "Top 20" radio station, so I decided to check out this album as an example of current pop music.