For an album that was touted as the cementing of Katy Perry’s abilities as a credible singer/songwriter, Teenage Dream sure missed the mark. It’s bubblegum pop at its most extreme (read: cotton candy-scented liner notes!), and most of the lyrics are about as trite and non-poetic as those on a Britney album.

To be fair, the title song, “Teenage Dream,” is catchy in spite of its predictable structure and campy lyrics. Also known as her love song to fiancée Russell Brand, the track features a warm vocal performance and a much-needed departure from the electro pop sound of the album’s other hit single, “California Gurls.”

The other songs on the album are either forgettable (see: “T.G.I.F.” or “Pearl”), or quite memorable—but not for the reasons you might think. With songs like “Peacock”—whose subtle opening lyrics are “I want to see your peacock-cock-cock/your peacock-cock”—Perry essentially turns away the audience she seems to be beckoning with the cotton candy.

Songs like “Circle the Drain” at least prove Perry’s impressive belting abilities—not to mention her pseudo-feminist sensibilities. Sung in an almost Kelly-Clarkson-esque scream, the refrain “I want to be your lover/ Not your fucking mother” is a good compliment to the sugar-coated lyrics of “Teenage Dream.”

With some highly-infectious choruses and a respectable vocal range, Perry deserves her title as one of the biggest names in pop music today. But Teenage Dream is generic and vanilla at best, and it leaves you wishing you had just downloaded the single.