I’ve only heard her hits so I wouldn’t know.
A sign of getting old: I’ve never heard of this person, and I usually, at least, encounter pop-culture names reliably (through my activities on the internets, if nothing else).
I saw a picture of her in a bikini in Rolling Stone magazine. She certainly has some talent!
Yeah, shortly after posting I realized I should have specified “musical talent”.
I couldn’t care less about her musical talent. 
I’ve only heard her “Don’t Stop” song. It’s pretty fun pop dance music.
She does an okay job at what she does, but it kind of annoys me that everyone thinks her style is original. Let me introduce Uffie, who’s been around doing the same thing since 2006. (Lyrics NSFW.)
That’s true. Not that Uffie hasn’t borrowed a bit
I’m only annoyed that her one hit wonder kept Gaga off the #1 spot.
GRrr.
Her wiki article is pretty interesting. Seems like she’s been in and around the business for a long time. It looks like she does the actual writing of her songs unlike a lot of other pop artists.
Her body really isn’t that nice, considering it looks 40 and she’s only 23.
Seriously? I would kill to look that good in a swimsuit. What’s wrong with her?
I think she looks flabby and very un-toned. Could just be the way she’s hiking the suit up by the crotch, but looks weird to me.
I give her props just for this little episode, from the Wiki article:
strippers gotta dance to something
I heard her interviewed on NPR. She came across as very smart, very savvy and calculated in crafting and marketing her image. I don’t really know her music and her image is clearly not targeting my demographic, but she came across as someone who was successfully executing her plan in a very tough business. So yeah, there is talent there…
…I know, not exactly what the OP is looking for, but there ya go. I understand the basic point is “wow, her music stinks” and that’s fine - YMMV and all - but yeah, there is a form of talent there…
…as a musician who has relationships with a lot of pro’s, it can be hard to look at some popular act and just dismiss them out of hand, because the craft with which they create their music or the way they manage their image to drive success is something I can really appreciate, even if I don’t like their music…there was a thread a few days ago about how bad Train sucked. Yeah, their music really isn’t to my taste, but to deny their ability to create and execute successful pop songs is blind to the success they have achieved…
ETA: one NPR link. And another. I think the second one is the one I heard…
OK, I was taking a potshot, but there was actually a semi-serious side to the question too. I know that sometimes there is more to an artist than you might think from just their hits… as you say, they may simply be especially good at crafting those hits to appeal to the lowest common denominator.
Why can’t her single hit (and backup vocal on Flo Rider’s Right Round) be appreciated for what it is? Light pop dance music suitable for listening to while dancing at a night club, lounging by the pool on spring break or driving in a car full of chicks looking to party? I don’t think anyone ever claimed she was the next Joni Mitchell.
Also I read that she’s like over 6’ tall, which is pretty freaking tall for a girl. So maybe that’s why she has a sort of Alice the Goon look about her.
I kinda like her songs, in a guilty pleasure kind of way.
So sue me. I also liked disco when I was a teenager in the 70s.