Kylie's 11 album, out July

[DRW50]

What exactly is Katy Perry's appeal?

[EricMontreal22]

However, she has (even with mixed success) become a bit more of an album artist than a singles artist--a great distinction in the UK where single and album sales vary so wildly (Goldfrapp had a top ten album, but their lead single didn't even break the top 40). I think it'll be a success (and yes, ylph and others prob think I'm doing damage control ). I also think Lovers (which isn't on sale as a physical single till another week) will chart within the top 3.

I've always prefered the UK charts, but it is odd that now that the US is getting a bit less R&B based and more dance based, the UK is going in the other direction...

[Soapsuds]

California Girls?.....I love that song and downloaded it on Itunes! It's the #1 song on Billboard right now.

[EricMontreal22]

I do not get her at all. There's a great review on allmusic of her first album, which calls her the sonic equivalent of The Hills--her stuff is cynical and even mean spirited yet she pretends it's all "fun". I really find her desperate and unappealing (besides California Gurls is just another example of producer Dr Luke remaking a song he did half a year earlier--Tik Tok in this case). http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:gnfpxzujldfe~T1

My fave bits: Listening to Katy Perry's litany of belched alphabets, fruity boyfriends, Vegas hangovers, and lesbian lip-locks on her debut, One of the Boys, it's easy to assume she'll do anything for attention, and a close read of her history proves that suspicion true. Prior to her transformation into a teen tart, Perry was a Christian singer operating under the name Katy Hudson.

Given this long line of botched starts, maybe it makes sense that the 24-year-old trollop is singing with the desperation of a fading burlesque star twice her age, yet Perry's shameless pandering on One of the Boys is startling, particularly as it comes in the form of some ungodly hybrid of Alanis Morissette's caterwauling and the cold calculation of Britney Spears in her prime.

All the pros give One of the Boys a cross-platform appeal, but there's little question that its revolting personality is all down to Katy Perry, who distills every reprehensible thing about the age of The Hills into one pop album. She disses her boyfriend with gay-baiting; she makes out with a girl and she's doesn't even like girls; she brags to a suitor that he can't afford her, parties till she's face-down in the porcelain, drops brands as if they were weapons, curses casually, and trades under-the-table favors. In short, she's styled herself as a Montag monster. Perry is not untalented — she writes like an ungarbled Alanis and has an eye for details, as when she tells her emo meterosexual boyfriend to hang himself with his H&M scarf on "Ur So Gay" — but that only accentuates how her vile wild-child persona is an artifice designed to get her the stardom she craves. Maybe if the music were as trashy as the style, she could get away with it, as it would have a junky thrill, but that's where all the high-thread-count producers actually work against One of the Boys.

Do you sing Tik Tok while listening to it?

[Soapsuds]

[EricMontreal22]

Platinum (and X is about to be double platinum) aren't too weak, IMHO, though she makes most of her money on her tours ( a bit like Madonna nowadays). Aphrodite already has way better wor of mouth than X, I suspect it'll sell better as well (even with the drop in CD sales).

Try it, it's kinda fun:P

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I don't think the physical sales will be enough to help a top 3 placing. The competition from Katy Perry and Gaga is immense, Perry in particular is dominating UK (and US) I-Tunes at the moment, and Gaga is arguably at her peak as a singles artist in the UK at the moment. There's also new competition next week and competition from the singles that blocked her from the top 3 this week.

What do you classify as an albums artist? I've always though they were artists that had massive or significant album sales, but limited or moderate singles success. Kylie's album sales haven't been that strong or consistent in recent years.

I've always preferred the UK singles chart too, but even that's becoming nothing to brag about anymore. I like that the UK singles chart are 100% sales driven too, instead of incorporating airplay, which any record company and buy.

[EricMontreal22]

Agreed 100% re your thoughts on the charts.

An albums artist to me is someone like Robbie Williams (well up till his recent floppage)--the studio knows they'll sell a consistant number of records and it's not directly related to single sales. (Again this is in UK terms...)

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Ouch, All The Lovers has done even worse in her native Australia, debuting at #14, which is sure to be its peak. Songs don't usually, if at all, rise on the Aussie singles chart.

http://www.ariacharts.com.au/pages/charts_display_singles.asp?chart=1U50

[EricMontreal22]

Her singles have never charted as well in Oz as in the UK (oddly her albums often sell better though)

[Chris B]

As long as the albums sell well and her tours remain sell-outs she's fine in her homeland. It's not like the sales numbers are huge there anyway, lol. If I had to pick I'd rather a hit album than a #1 single in Australia.

[EricMontreal22]

More and more I suspect her profits will come from her hugely successful touring (much like Madonna).

[DRW50]

Eric, I was watching some of an old Chart Show from 1/91, and they had a Rick Astley video (Cry for Help) and they mention that Elton John played piano on a few tracks. They said Elton refused to work with him while he was signed to Stock, Aitken, and Waterman.

Had you ever heard that before? Do you know what issues Elton had with them?

[EricMontreal22]

Never, I think that album actually did decent though (the following didn't)

Kylie's album has leaked BTW.

[Chris B]

From what I'm hearing it's pretty amazing. Will post more about it after I listen in full a couple times. Better Than Today, Get Out Of My Way, Aphodite and Everything is Beautiful are early standouts.