At some point in your life, you have definitely heard at least a snippet of a Katy Perry song, whether it was while listening to the radio, streaming on your phone or at a rally of some kind. The singer has built a name for herself through pop songs ranging from infectious anthems like “Firework,” to classic hits that strike the mind with bold visuals such as “California Gurls” or “I Kissed A Girl.” The cavity-inducing sweetness of Perry’s pop songs began to decline, however. 2017’s “Witness” besides its lead single “Chained To The Rhythm” left much to be desired in a politically charged time, and you would be forgiven for not even remembering 2020’s “Smile.”
Fast forward to 2024, and the string of singles that marked the unveiling of Perry’s latest record, “143,” is emblematic of that decline. While the self-love and girlboss mentality have never slipped away like in the cult classics that make up her previous catalogs, seeing those messages in today’s culture feels more alienating than it is relatable.
The lead single “WOMAN’S WORLD” is an example of this cultural tone deafness. The entire song spends more than two minutes laying out a blueprint of reality formed by every gender role in the book, from mothers to sisters to superhumans. But somehow, the song’s structure and lyrics are repetitive and lacking nuance. Some critics even go as far to describe the song’s lyricism as having the quality of ChatGPT poetry, and even casual listeners may as well feel the same.
There isn’t much to write home about when it comes to the rest of the album, either. “I’M HIS, HE’S MINE” is as close as Perry gets to passable pop, with rising rapper Doechii being the song’s saving grace. But even with that said, Perry’s supposed tribute to Crystal Waters’ “Gypsy Woman” is questionable at best, with a sample of the original hampered by its hip-hop twist. “LIFETIMES,” inspired by Italo house music, is personally dedicated to Perry’s daughter with British actor Orlando Bloom, Daisy. However, this song also suffers just as much as the others on the album due to its repetition and a rather formulaic structure. Furthermore, the accompanying music video has triggered an investigation into whether its production caused environmental damage to a protected natural landmark in the Spanish Balearic Islands—all that to not even make the charts.
As for the rest of the album, listeners are more than free to judge. However, given that the commentary of the album is as repetitive as its lyricism, the overall view of the album is a foregone conclusion. Numerous questionable choices were made with the album’s creation, such as bringing on a reviled producer embroiled in sexual and civil harassment proceedings, and having lackluster penmanship that briefly appeared before disappearing again. Even with the release of a deluxe version of the album, “143: I Love You IRL,” the album is padded with live performances of previous Perry classics, which brought much fanfare at the MTV Video Music Awards this past September. Her Rock in Rio performance had the entire crowd singing in rapturous fanfare to “WOMAN’S WORLD,” which frankly elicits more confusion than understanding.
All that can be said is this; pop music shape shifts with each artist that enters the fray. Perry seems to want to revive her past glory, but doing so requires not just better execution, but also a better sense of awareness.