The Bottom Line
Katy Perry kicked off the promotion of "California Gurls" with the headline on her official site, "Summer starts now!" One listen to the song and it feels like she is not far off the mark. With Snoop Dogg's opening, "Greetings loved ones, let's take a journey," we are transported to a California of beaches, bikinis, and the sun so hot it "will melt your popsicle." The song is little more than light, frothy pop, but that may be exactly what you need today when dreaming about the summer and a few months from now baking happily in the sunshine.
Pros
- Can't miss pop melody
- Lyrical ode to fun in the sun
- Snoop Dogg's opening invitation to the song
Cons
- Pure pop fluff if to you that's a bad thing
Description
- Written by Katy Perry, Bonnie McKee, Calvin Broadus, Max Martin, and Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald
- Produced by Max Martin, Dr. Luke, and Benny Blanco
- Released May 2010 by Capitol Records
Guide Review - Katy Perry - "California Gurls" featuring Snoop Dogg
Those looking for the witty, edgy lyrical style that anchored Katy Perry's first major hit "I Kissed a Girl" are likely to be disappointed with "California Gurls." However, if you are looking for catchy pop to animate your summer fun, it doesn't get a whole lot better than this. With the triumvirate of Max Martin, Dr. Luke, and Benny Blanco in the production booth, it would be a shock if this record lacked a top notch pop melody.
Katy Perry has said in interviews that she was looking at "California Gurls" as the west coast answer to Jay-Z's "Empire State of Mind." There is not a shout out as lofty as, "Big lights will inspire you," but there will be more than a few listeners nodding along to the celebration here of California fun. It may all be shallow, but that's hard to think about when you are having such a good time. Snoop Dogg's guest rap adds an additional element to secure the largest audience possible for the song.
Katy Perry has tossed her hat in the ring here to battle for top pop hit of summer 2010. It's far too early to predict a final outcome, but expect "California Gurls" to be in there fighting. Although it is fluff, this is classy fluff. Katy Perry does things her way, and each time I listen to "California Gurls" it certainly sounds like a whole lot of fun. Look for the album Teenage Dream to hit stores in the dog days of August.
