Perhaps not a total surprise based on its title alone, but Katy Perry‘s “California Gurls” is proving to be the pop song of Summer 2010. Propelled to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 by a bouncy, sunkissed melody that holds up well to repeat plays (and a brilliant bit from Snoop Dogg), the song has basked in the penthouse glow for six weeks running.

While a perfect thematic tie, “California Gurls” isn’t Perry’s biggest warm-weather hit. “I Kissed A Girl” spent seven weeks at #1 just two summers back. With a new Eminem track hanging out at #2 (the Rihanna-featuring “Love The Way You Lie” that has a markedly darker vibe), it looks like this “Gurls” run could be ending without the chance for Perry to match her personal best.

A takeoff on the classic kids game Candy Land, the video for “California Gurls” places Snoop Dogg in control of the board as Perry and her pals wander through this candy-coated paradise, clad in skimpy confection-inspired attire that would make Milton Bradley blush. The clip is a visual treat from start to finish, with Perry ultimately vanquishing some very naughty gummi bears with her whipped cream-loaded bikini top:

That spelling of “Gurls” in the title, by the way, is reportedly an homage to Big Star’s “September Gurls.” After singer Alex Chilton’s untimely passing in March, Perry’s manager, a Big Star fan, asked her to title her song the same way as a small tribute.

Perry’s album, Teenage Dream, is out August 24.

Purchase Katy Perry – “California Gurls” featuring Snoop Dogg via iTunes, Amazon MP3.