I'm not entirely sure why I bought Katy Perry's debut album One of the Boys. I think it was on special offer for £3 and I needed to spend a bit more to get some bonus Clubcard points. Anyway. The album was released in 2008 and did pretty well on the back of successful single I Kissed A Girl, which appears second on this album.

The record as a whole revolves around bubblegum pop-rock, with fast beats and memorable choruses. Katy clearly has attitude which comes across in songs like If You Can Afford Me ("I don't put out for charity") and her debut single. Waking Up In Vegas sounds like the aftermath of a fun night out, while One of the Boys is about growing up and not wanting to be a tomboy any more - something her teenage fans will probably be able to relate to. Katy isn't the best singer ever, but the album does a good job of masking this, and she certainly has a distinctive and expressive voice through which her strong personality shines.

Katy shows her vulnerable side in Thinking of You, a slower track that sounds like it came from an early Avril Lavigne album. Hot N Cold is a lot of fun, probably my favourite song on the album as it is uptempo and catchy without the annoyance factor of I Kissed A Girl. Lost and I'm Still Breathing are slower, more thoughtful tracks. The album closes with a 'rock mix' of I Kissed A Girl, which doesn't sound that much different to the original.

Track Listing
1. One of the Boys
2. I Kissed a Girl
3. Waking Up in Vegas
4. Thinking of You
5. Mannequin
6. Ur So Gay
7. Hot N Cold
8. If You Can Afford Me
9. Lost
10. Self Inflicted
11. I'm Still Breathing
12. Fingerprints
13. I Kissed a Girl (Rock Mix)

Overall, this album isn't bad but I would say it's definitely one for the younger music fan. Tweens probably love it but I don't think it has the same appeal for adults the way that Kelly Clarkson's or Christina Aguilera's music does. The overall vibe is quite childish, and songs like Ur So Gay and Mannequin seem more like playground taunts than anything else. For all her supposed controversy over girl-kissing and getting drunk, Katy (the daughter of two pastors) actually comes across as fairly harmless and wholesome. Still, she seems like fun and there are some decent songs on here, though I actually prefer her more recent releases, such as Firework.