TGJ Replay: Celebrating 10 Years of Katy Perry’s Master Class in Pop Perfection #TeenageDream

Published: Monday 24th Aug 2020 by Rashad

Welcome, once again, to TGJ Replay.

Designed much like our ‘Retro Rewind’ and ‘From the Vault’ features, ‘Replay’ is That Grape Juice‘s most in-depth retrospective segment – a written quest to re-spin the gems and jams of yesterday.

Unlike its ‘Rewind’ and ‘Vault’ predecessors, ‘Replay’ looks to dust off and showcase entire albums (and eras) from a library of Pop and Urban music hits.

As today marks the 10th anniversary of Katy Perry‘s major label sophomore album, ‘Teenage Dream,’ it’s only fitting we shine a spotlight on the sensational LP.

Join us inside:

Katy Perry’s major label debut album, 2008’s ‘One of the Boys,’ made her one of the girls leading the aggressive EDM-infused Pop movement of the late 2000s, early 2010s.  In addition to cranking out four Hot 100 top 40 hits (including the #1 smash ‘I Kissed a Girl’ as well as two other top 10 hits), ‘Boys’ brought on serious pressure for the relative newcomer to deliver with her junior LP.

To aid the endeavor, Perry not only reassembled some of the boys who took ‘Boys’ to top 10 glory on the Billboard 200 (Greg Wells, Dr. Luke, Max Martin, and Benny Blanco) but also called for contributions from some of the music’s leading hitmakers: Tricky Stewart and Stargate. Together, they crafted ‘Teenage Dream’ – a 12-track affair executive produced by Luke.

It birthed 7 singles: “California Gurls,” “Teenage Dream,” “Firework,” “E.T.,” “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.),” “The One That Got Away,” and “Hummingbird Heartbeat.”

“California Gurls” 

Hot 100 Peak: #1

RIAA: 8x Platinum

“Teenage Dream” 

Hot 100 Peak: #1

RIAA: 8x Platinum

“Firework” 

Hot 100 Peak: #1

RIAA: 12x Platinum

“E.T.” 

Hot 100 Peak: #1

RIAA: 8x Platinum

“Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)”

Hot 100 Peak: #1

RIAA: 6x Platinum

“The One That Got Away”

Hot 100 Peak: #3

RIAA: 6x Platinum

“Hummingbird Heartbeat”

Hot 100 Peak: n/a

RIAA: n/a

A hit factory and master class in Pop, music historians could easily write a dissertation about the diva’s third era (especially if stats from its re-release – ‘Complete Confection’ – are factored into the equation).

In a world then-dominated by Lady Gaga for reinvigorating dance music and offering what many thought were peerless advances in the medium of music video, ‘Dream’ shot Perry into the stratosphere as an unexpected but worthy challenger to the eccentric singer’s throne as female Pop leader.

Standing as the most certified era of any artist in history, ‘Teenage Dream’ is a dream indeed as it cranked out 5 consecutive #1 hits (a feat known only by Michael Jackson‘s 1987 LP ‘Bad’), saw six of its seven singles certified 6x Platinum or higher, and sits in history as one of only three albums to produce six or more Hot 100 top 10 hits. RIAA certification of the album sits at 8x Platinum as of time reported. Regarding the industry front, ‘Dream’ and its singles earned Perry seven Grammy Award nominations including Album of the Year and Record of the Year – despite garnering no wins.

At its prime, some critics slammed ‘Dream’s content for waxing more quirky than qualitative.  Yet, on this side of history, we recognize the effort in its totality as what it truly was: a holistic blueprint for modern Pop perfection.

As we press play on our jam ‘California Gurls,’ look below to tell us:

Your thoughts?

Comments 12

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  1. Clarks0o0ñ August 24, 2020

    She deserved atleast one Grammy for this song.

    Best pop solo vocal performance- for teenage dream

    Best music video short form for E.T or California girls

    Best pop collaboration for E.T or California gurls

      • Doja Cat Say So August 24, 2020

        Clarkson is saying the truth tho. Why u mad hoè?

      • Oh plz August 24, 2020

        The only one mad here is you, Doja Clarkson. Ok fine…maybe I can get this other troll account of yours to answer the question: where is that blog you’re supposed to be curating?? 🤡

  2. Spread legs 🦵 like C@r@na August 24, 2020

    Wet dream! 💦💦💦 Katy was a legend!

  3. #WAP August 24, 2020

    Congratulations to Dr Luke and NOT Katy Perry. Luke is responsible for this album and its success. Katy is a product of his genius, which is clear now that he is no longer involved in her career and she’s tanking. So congrats Dr Luke and Bonnie McKee

    • Doja Cat Say So August 24, 2020

      Hater spotted
      Your fave normanly is a flop

  4. Industry chose August 24, 2020

    Meanwhile normanis still booked and relevant with no album out and camila Norman is quirky maid still the ugly racist flopping hard af with a canceled tour loool

  5. BIGGESTAALIYAHFAN August 24, 2020

    I’m going to disregard all of the negative comments because I don’t understand how people can live in hate and negativity.

    This really was an amazing album and era for her. She broke records and had hit after hit and dominated. My favorite song of this era had to be E.T and video had to be Last Friday Night. Well done Katy and to everyone involved.

    • Carlitos August 24, 2020

      Well said

  6. Doja Cat Say So August 24, 2020

    Firework and Teenage Dream Are my fave and great songS!

  7. Rashad August 24, 2020

    Teenage Dream (the song) is pop perfection and one of the best songs of the 2010s. My second fav single was actually “The One that Got Away” and to me belongs with the long list of songs that should have gone to #1 but peaked just shy of the summit.

    Also loved Part of Me from the deluxe version and Firework. But unpopular opinion I actually hated ET and Wide Awake. They’re both kind of weird songs that didn’t deserve to go to #1 compared to some other much stronger songs.

    This actually makes me feel bad for Katy. She isn’t as creative as Gaga and Madonna, edgey as Riri and lacks the vocals of Ariana or X-Tina but she did deliver solid pop and like X-Tina she’s too young to be written off and placed in the legacy artist column.

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