Can you believe it’s been nearly 15 years since Katy Perry first exploded onto the music scene with her smash hit “I Kissed A Girl“? Seems like just yesterday we were rocking out to that controversial summer jam. But today we’re revisiting another quintessential Katy track that dominated the 2010 airwaves – the anthemic “Teenage Dream.”
Yours truly has been spilling piping hot celebrity tea for over a decade, so I was working the gossip beat when this earworm first dropped. And while some dismissed it as vanilla songwriting-by-committee pop, “Teenage Dream” has proven to be a staple bop with some serious staying power.
Now pour yourself some tea honey because Auntie Gossip Gal is about to spill all the scalding hot deetz on how this baby came to be!
The “Teenage Dream” Lightbulb Moment
So Katy was in the studio with her music biz dream team – Dr. Luke, Max Martin, Benny Blanco. You know, the svengalis behind pretty much every hit from 2009-2015. Despite their hitmaker pedigree, the lyric-writing process was apparently painful as passing a kidney stone.
After multiple scrapped drafts, Katy and her collaborator Bonnie McKee just said “eff it, we’re getting wine drunk.” They came back the next day, Katy with some freshly-penned verses, Bonnie with the iconic “Teenage Dream” hook. And the rest is history, honey!*
I have to laugh at these music execs rejecting the song though. Benny Blanco was like “this doesn’t make sense” and Dr. Luke was basically saying “too many cooks in the kitchen, let’s just release it already!” Silly boys – leave it to the ladies to take this track to the next level!
Katy’s Coming Out Party
Flash forward to July 2010 when the single dropped. With Katy’s previous chart-topper “California Gurls” still steaming up the airwaves, the scene was set for another smash.
Honestly, girl could’ve recorded herself burping the alphabet and it probably would’ve gone Top 40. But “Teenage Dream” had legs!
The song debuted at #20 on the Hot 100, but quickly sprinted to #1 just seven weeks later. It even got dethroned briefly by that dreamboat Bruno Mars before retaking the top spot.
And that was just the beginning! The accompanying album (also named Teenage Dream of course) churned out four more #1 hits. Yass Queen! The record tying Ms. Perry with the King of Pop himself for most chart-toppers off one album.
Teenage Dreams Really Do Come True
It’s been nearly 15 years but “Teenage Dream” still stands out as a career-defining banger. Music critics consistently place it among the best songs of 2010 and the entire decade. It’s Katy’s magnum opus, her “Bohemian Rhapsody” if you will.
Even other pop darlings can’t get enough. Lorde once said hearing those bubbling synths gives her the same goosebumps as a Bowie or Fleetwood Mac track. Oof! Could you imagine your fave complimenting one of your songs like that? I’d simply pass away.
And let’s not forget Left Shark, the lovable klutzy dancer from Katy’s iconic Super Bowl show. With moves that didn’t quite match the choreography, this little dude stole all our hearts. What a national treasure!
Most importantly though, the song just effortlessly bottles up the dizzy rush of first love. As Katy herself put it, it’s the perfect combo of sweet and spicy. Is it cheesy? Absolutely. But it takes a star like Ms. Perry to sell wide-eyed teen romance without it feeling totally cringe.
For me, “Teenage Dream” will always be a nostalgic bop that whisks me back to simpler times. And despite being crafted by a literal hit factory, it still plucks at your heartstrings with such delightful immediacy.
That’s the magic of pop music, baby! Where art and commerce collide into something transcendent. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna blast Katy real quick and keep chasing my teenage dream! Smooches!
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