Katy Perry hits with I Kissed a Girl

Sure to be hailed as one of the breakthrough recordings of the year is I Kissed a Girl by the former gospel singer Katy Perry. The tune is not only perky and sassy. It is also terribly daring. Just think, this girl, whom nobody has heard of before, put into words what even Madonna couldn’t. Remember, the Material Girl did once publicly kiss a girl, I think it was Britney Spears at the MTV Awards some years ago. But she never wrote a song about it.

Well, this Katy Perry did. And take a look at the result. Released as a single last June, I Kissed a Girl made it to No. 1 in the Billboard Hot 100, the Pop 100, the Hot Digital Songs and the Hot Dance Airplay. It was also chosen by Time Magazine as the song by which the summer of 2008 will be remembered over other hits by such big names as Kid Rock and Coldplay. And most of all, I Kissed a Girl made a star out of Katy Perry.

Although Brit Lily Allen is the first name that comes to mind while listening to Perry’s first album, titled One of the Boys, Perry is actually American. She is 24 years old and comes from a family of pastors in California. She writes her own songs and it is her flair for what is insane or absurd and witty way with words that make her songs interesting.

Aside from kissing girls, she also goes wondering about who or what or where she is, Fingerprints and Waking Up in Vegas and talking about the questionable behavior of ex-boyfriends, Ur So Gay and the new single Hot N Cold in the songs in the CD. And take note, it is not only with songwriting that Perry excels. She also has this expressive, full-bodied voice that works very well with soulful ballads, Thinking of You and I’m Still Breathing.

Best of all, Perry was fortunate enough to have Glenn Ballard for her producer. This was the same guy who steered Alanis Morrisette’s lovelorn junkie confessions to the top of the charts many years ago. He does another great job with Perry and this time around he proves to us that when set to catchy music, neurosis can be also fun.

Other cuts in the album, which I must add has this extremely playable quality from beginning to end are One of the Boys, Mannequin, If You Can Afford Me, Lost and Self-inflicted.

MTV European Music Awards

Meanwhile the countdown is now on for one of the hottest awards shows of the year, which the newly minted star Katy Perry is hosting. This is the 15th year of the MTV European Music Awards. And the great news is MTV Philippines will telecast the 2008 edition live via satellite from Liverpool, United Kingdom’s Echo Arena, the European Capital of Culture on Nov. 7 at 9 a.m.

Catch Beyoncé Knowles, Duffy, Kid Rock, The Killers and Pink and find out first who will be the winners. Don’t feel bad if you miss the live feed. A primetime telecast is set for 7 p.m. and there will be replays on Nov. 8, 9 p.m.; Nov. 10, 8 p.m.; Nov. 15, 1 p.m.; Nov. 19, 2 p.m.; Nov. 23, 8 p.m.; Nov. 25, 12 p.m.; and Nov. 29, 5 p.m.

Billboard’s Hot 100

Back to Perry. Her new single is ranked number six in this week’s Hot 100 listing from Billboard. On top is still T.I. who now occupies numbers one and two. Whatever You Like by T.I.; Live Your Life by T.I. featuring Rihanna; If I Were a Boy by Beyoncé; So What by Pink; Womanizer by Britney Spears; Hot N Cold by Katy Perry; Let It Rock by Kevin Rudolf featuring Lil Wayne; Miss Independent by Ne-Yo; Disturbia by Rihanna; and I’m Yours by Jason Mraz.

The leading 10 titles in the Top 200 albums tabulation are: Black Ice by AC/DC; High School Musical 3: Senior Year Soundtrack by Various Artists; Paper Trail by T.I.; Lucky Old Sun by Kenny Chesney; Death Magnetic by Metallica; Rock N Roll Jesus by Kid Rock; The Sound by Mary Mary; Year of the Gentleman by Ne-Yo; Jennifer Hudson by Jennifer Hudson; and Tha Carter III by Lil Wayne.