One of the Boys
One of the Boys is the second studio album by American singer Katy Perry. It was released on June 17, 2008, by Capitol Records. She collaborated on the album with producers Greg Wells, Dr. Luke, Dave Stewart, Max Martin, and Ted Bruner among others, and wrote most of the songs in collaboration with other producers and writers. However, the title track, "Thinking of You", and "Mannequin" were all written by Perry alone. The EP Ur So Gay, containing the song of the same name, was released in 2007 to generate interest in the singer and the album.
For other uses, see One of the Boys (disambiguation).One of the Boys
June 17, 2008
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One of the Boys is Perry's first album under the stage name Katy Perry, following her debut Katy Hudson (2001), which was released under her real name on Red Hill Records. It received mixed reception from critics, with some deeming it as being filled with "potential hits" and others criticizing the material they perceived to be weak. Commercially, it debuted at number nine on the US Billboard 200, selling over 47,000 copies in its first week of sales, and also peaked within the top-ten charts in Austria, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Mexico, Norway, and Switzerland. One of the Boys earned Perry two Grammy Award nominations, and has sold 7 million copies worldwide, being her third highest-selling album to date. It has been certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
The album's lead single "I Kissed a Girl" became Perry's first Billboard Hot 100 number-one single; the second single "Hot n Cold" reached number three in the United States, while topping the charts in Germany, Canada, the Netherlands, and Austria, among others. The third single "Thinking of You" reached the top-thirty in the US, while the fourth and final single "Waking Up in Vegas" became a top-ten hit and her third top-ten hit overall. To further promote the album, Perry embarked on three concert tours: the 2008 Warped Tour, her first solo world tour, the Hello Katy Tour, and served as an opening act in No Doubt's 2009 Summer Tour.
Music and lyrics[edit]
Themes and influences[edit]
Although Perry's musical style and way of composing ironic and bawdy songs has been heavily compared to the style of singers Avril Lavigne and Lily Allen,[8] the singer was influenced by Queen and Freddie Mercury in particular.[9] All songs on the album were written by Perry, assisted by musicians Greg Wells, Max Martin, Dr. Luke, Cathy Dennis, Desmond Child, Andreas Carlsson, Sam Hollander, Dave Katz, S*A*M and Sluggo, Ted Bruner, Scott Cutler, Anne Preven, Dave Stewart, and Glen Ballard. The album includes several tracks that tell stories — a balance of sad songs and happier tunes. About these opposites, she said, "I think people can appreciate a songwriter who shows different sides..... I've put everything into [this album] and I feel like it's my baby."[10] Its primary sound is a pop rock,[11] soft rock,[12] pop-punk,[13] and power pop one.[14]
Commercial performance[edit]
One of the Boys debuted at number nine on the US Billboard 200, with 47,000 copies sold in the first-week released.[67] The album has sold 1,730,000 copies in the United States as of August 2020 and has been certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[68][69] The album has been on the chart for ninety- two weeks. In Canada, the album debuted at number ten, and peaked at number six, It has since been certified double platinum by Music Canada.[70]
In the United Kingdom, the album peaked at number eleven on the UK Albums Chart, and has sold 718,000 copies as of April 2020.[71] It has since been certified 2× Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry.[72] In Australia, it debuted at number eleven, and has been certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), denoting over 70,000 copies sold.[73] In New Zealand, the album debuted and peaked at number seventeen. It has since been certified Gold, shipping over 7,500 copies.[74] One of the Boys has sold 7 million copies worldwide as of August 2010.[75]
Notes