t.A.T.u. proved it years ago; sex in music sells. Heck, even an allusion to sex sells. What’s more, when it’s an insinuation of a lesbian relationship, you can bet your bottom dollar that a song, artist or album will gain far more column inches than it’s worth for its subject matter alone.
Katy Perry cleverly tapped into that market with the ubiquitous hit of the summer, ‘I Kissed A Girl’; having already topped the charts in no less than 15 countries, the 23-year-old ensured that the release of her second album would be nicely set-up by its third single’s success. And sure, the electro-glam-pop stomp number may be the strongest track here, but with a team of pop supremos behind her (Max Martin, Cathy Denis, Greg Wells), this should really be a better album.
Like Perry herself, though, One Of The Boys is a contradiction-of-sorts. Her second album offers minimal creativity or originality – yet there are several likeable tracks, despite their turgid, juvenile and bordering-on-offensive lyrical content (the slinky, downbeat ‘Ur So Gay’ the prime suspect, its ridiculous chorus “Ur so gay, and you don’t even like boys” better suited to a spurned 12-year-old girl). ‘Mannequin’is equally embarrassing, although admittedly catchy – but nine of the twelve tracks are either bland imitations of P!nk, Alanis Morissette or Avril Lavigne. Fine if you like that sort of thing – but for those who like their pop music stamped with a seal of quality? Oh Britney, please hurry back.
Key Track: ‘I Kissed A Girl’