Katy Perry's new single, "California Gurls."
Out-of-the-park amazing. I'm betting this is going to be a huge hit this summer and I'm not surprised they released it 3 months before the record is supposed to drop in August.
Take a listen here and then - with a straight face - try and tell me it's not the catchiest 4 minutes of music you've heard all year.
Fair play to Snoop Dogg, as well. I'm fairly certain that R.E.M. had pure intentions when they featured the mighty KRS-One on "Radio Song" 20 years ago (making it okay for just about anyone to do it), but it's still rare for the "Yo-Yo-Yo! Cameo" to do anything other than seem out of place or overpowering. Usually the collaboration is at the record label's behest, and 9 times out of 10 it's to bolster an otherwise weak composition and/or curry favor with a youth culture that is so starved for good music it wouldn't know a good tune if it backhanded them. In this case, not only does Snoop and his contribution serve the song, it actually enhances it; because it wasn't necessary in the first place and it's a great section.
Because there's so many producers involved it's difficult to predict whether or not Teenage Dream will have a cohesive feel, but if this track's any indication of the vibe then I'm sold. "California Gurls" is just slathered in Grade-A influences from the late-70's/early-80's: Prince, early Madonna, Morris Day & The Time, Shalamar, Kool & The Gang, Earth Wind & Fire...the list is endless. Any musician worth his or her salt who was born before the Reagan administration will agree that the song sounds like it could have easily been cut at Paisley Park Studios with Rick James at the mixing desk.
The best part is that an entire generation of kids who weren't even born when "September" or "Raspberry Beret" were a staple of FM radio are going to fall in love with those songs without even knowing it. It's quite possibly the most productive example of musical subversion I've heard in a very long time.
Katy gets points for being one of the few standout artists who also happen to write great songs and she's obviously got impeccable taste in rap; she loses points for using more than a half-dozen producers on her new record. Possibly that lack of good judgment is also why she's not only guilty of dating Russell Brand, but accepting his marriage proposal. As we all know, writing great songs doesn't keep you from making lousy romantic choices. I'm just as guilty.
Regardless, the new single is brilliant. I have a feeling I'll have it on perpetual repeat until at least after Memorial Day.
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