Primarily a pop record,[1] Teenage Dream also contains elements of disco, electronic, rock, funk, house, Hi-NRG, and hip hop, that revolve around young love, partying, self-empowerment, and personal growth.

Perry co-wrote the album, and worked with a number of producers such as Max Martin, Dr. Luke, Benny Blanco, Stargate and Greg Wells.

and “Teenage Dream” certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), Perry became the first artist to have four Diamond-certified singles from same album in the country, the others being "Firework" and "California Gurls”.

Following the success of her breakthrough album One of the Boys (2008), Perry did not want her next record to alienate her fanbase, opting to "definitely keep it pop" and not shift her style, believing it would show "whether I'm meant to do this, or I got lucky".

In a 2009 interview with Rolling Stone, she revealed that the album would focus on the "whirlwind" last year of her life, dealing with her newfound fame, friendships, relationships, further stating that "I'm not just gonna talk about the beat and just dancing, I like to get into the meaning".

[9][12] Work on the album involved collaborating with numerous artists and producers including Dr. Luke, Greg Wells, Guy Sigsworth, Max Martin,[9][13] Ryan Tedder,[14] Rivers Cuomo,[13] Kuk Harrell,[15] Greg Kurstin, Benny Blanco, Darkchild, Cathy Dennis, Esther Dean, and Tricky Stewart, who told Rap-Up in December 2009 that the sound of the album would be pop and rock, like One of the Boys, though calling it a "different gear" for himself.

[47] Rob Sheffield from Rolling Stone thought of "Peacock" as a sequel to Gwen Stefani's 2005 single "Hollaback Girl" by noticing the two songs shared a drum hook.

[75] She explained the reason on choosing a painting for the cover: "Maybe CDs will be extinct next time I put out the album...so I wanted to go out with a bang for people to remember this.

[76] A limited number of copies carried a cotton candy scent, described by MTV News' Kyle Anderson as "not unlike that artificial bubblegum smell you sometimes get".

[77] Promotion for the album began with a live performance of "California Gurls" on May 20, 2010, at the CW networks' annual "upfronts" presentation in New York.

[86] The next month, she opened the 2010 Teen Choice Awards with a rendition of "Teenage Dream" with cheerleaders, jocks, and dancers surrounding her on stage.

[82] In September, Perry made a rendition of "California Gurls" on X Factor Italia,[91] and appeared on Alan Carr: Chatty Man in the United Kingdom.

[96] Days later, the singer made a special concert at New York's Roseland Ballroom to launch the Windows Phone 7, where she performed several songs from Teenage Dream.

[113] The song received positive reviews from music critics, with Jocelyn Vena of MTV said it "picks up right where 'California Gurls' leaves off", describing it as having "a strong beat".

The song also received commercial success, peaking at number one in Canada, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and the US, topping the Billboard Hot 100 chart for two consecutive weeks.

It guest stars Darren Criss, Rebecca Black, Kevin McHale, Kenny G, Hanson, Corey Feldman and Debbie Gibson.

[131] Giving the album 4 out of 5 stars, Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic wrote that "There's no question Perry is smart enough to know every rule in pop but she's not inspired enough to ignore them, almost seeming nervous to break away from the de rigueur lite club beats that easily transition from day to night or the chilly, stainless-steel ballads designed to lose none of their luster on repeat plays."

[132] Mikael Wood of Spin gave a mixed review, noting that the album "won't disappoint parents looking for reasons to worry about their kids".

[49] Rob Sheffield from Rolling Stone described the album as "heavy on Eighties beats, light on melody, taking a long dip into the Daft Punk filter-disco house sound.

[27] Matthew Cole of Slant Magazine called it "over-produced bad-girl debauchery", claiming that Perry has "found a way to lower the bar".

[34] The Los Angeles Times gave it three stars, saying, "On "Teenage Dream," the songs alternate between weekend-bender celebrations of hedonism and self-help-style affirmations encouraging listeners to get an emotional makeover.

Leah Greenblatt, writing for Entertainment Weekly, stated, "beneath the fruity outfits and fart jokes, Perry is clearly serious about the business of hit songcraft; that doesn't make Dream nearly cohesive as an album, but it does provide, intermittently, exactly the kind of high-fructose rush she's aiming for.

[138] Writing for The Republican, Kevin O'Hare gave the album 3.5 stars out of five, praising its titular track and "California Gurls" for being "infectious" and "joyous [blasts] of nostalgia."

"[139] Best-of lists After its release, Teenage Dream debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, with a total of 192,000 copies sold in its first week.

[166] As of June 19, 2012, Teenage Dream is the 12th best-selling album of all-time in the country, resulting her as the fifth female to make it on the list (behind Adele, Norah Jones, Shania Twain, and Bic Runga).

Perry was able to replicate this success in the United Kingdom, breaking the Official Charts Company's record for the most Top 10 singles from one studio album by a female solo artist.

This album is a crowning achievement, not just of her career but of its style: EDM and disco and pop, bold and belting, entirely processed yet instantly recognizable, robust yet chintzy.

Additionally, with seven chart-toppers from "Waking Up in Vegas", Perry broke the record for the longest streak of number ones on the Mainstream Top 40 set by Lady Gaga's first six singles.

[194] In a retrospective review of the Teenage Dream, Pitchfork called the album "a crowning achievement, not just of her career but of its style: EDM and disco and pop, bold and belting, entirely processed yet instantly recognizable, robust yet chintzy.

[195] In 2015, VH1 called Teenage Dream "the most important pop album of the last 10 years" and added "it surged a blend of silliness into the dance genre that had been dominated by Lady Gaga's Fame Monster edge".