For her most recent record, Perry notched five number-one pop singles from one album -- including "California Gurls" and "Teenage Dream" -- after "Last Friday Night" hit the top spot on the Billboard Pop Songs chart last week, dethroning Lady Gaga and Justin Timberlake, who held the record before Katy, with four singles. But that's not even the exciting part. Now Katy Perry has her sights on a record held by another pop star: Michael Jackson.
If Perry's "Last Friday Night" can climb just one spot to number one on the Billboard Hot 100, the official singles chart, Teenage Dream will be the first album since MJ's Bad to boast five number-one single. Though LMFAO stopped her last week with their own version of a summer blackout song, "Party Rock Anthem," "Last Friday Night" saw an increase in radio spins this week, and her role as the voice of Smurfette in "Smurfs" will help, too. But it's the remix of the track, which features Missy Elliott and was released yesterday, that could have Perry claiming the top spot and smurfin' all over LMFAO by the end of the week.
The add-a-rapper formula worked for Perry when she threw Kanye West on "E.T.," so why wouldn't it work again with Missy? Oh, yeah, that's right -- because Elliott's rap is less than supa-dupa fly. It's like a Spark Notes version of the original first verse of "Last Friday Night." Worse, the remix eliminates Kenny G's saxophone from the middle eight altogether -- and that was what made the "Last Friday Night" flashbacks so cheesily memorable in the first place.
Movers and Shakers: "Super Bass," by Nicki Minaj, is another track to watch this week, as it moves up 4-3 on the Billboard Top 100 to trail behind Perry. God bless Nicki Minaj; girl is the only female rapper around anymore that we enjoy watching rhyme in a mermaid swimsuit. Pitbull's collaboration with Ne-Yo, Afrojack & Nayer, "Give Me Everything," begins its descent from the top five (hooray!), Adele's "Rolling in the Deep" falls one spot to number six (boo!), and "The Edge of Glory," by Lady Gaga, is also edging its way out of the top ten (gaga ooh la la!).
Up Next: Expect Beyoncé's "Best Thing I Never Had" to inch closer to the top ten (from number 16), as the video, which B directed herself, is the closest thing we'll get to her own wedding-day footage. Likewise, "Motivation," by Kelly Rowland, at number 17, may see a climb in the charts released this Friday; if so, she'll have a recent nip slip to thank for it. The one to watch out for, though, is the Watch the Throne collaboration "Otis," from Jay-Z and Kanye West, which sits at number 12 now but will surely be in the top ten by Friday... but not if indie record stores have anything to say about it.
Brand-Spanking-New Albums: Eric Church surprised fans and chart enthusiasts alike with his new album Chief , claiming the top spot of the Billboard 200 this week. We say "surprised" because, well, the first single from the album -- and Church's only song on the Hot 100 chart -- is "Homeboy," at number 56.
It's All About the Hotness: On the Heatseekers Albums chart, Litchfield's New Beginnings jumps 31 spots to number six. But before you go and buy the album from iTunes, check out the Jonas Brothers and Boys Like Girls first. Better yet, support some local music and go for Breathe Carolina's Hell Is What You Make It instead.
