FOR most of her career, Katy Perry excelled in being a pop star. Despite her early roots in gospel music, she was successful at establishing herself in the pop genre, becoming its face back in the 2010s.
As an artiste, Perry stands as the only female to produce five number-one singles from one album alone. She is also the second female artiste with the most diamond-certified singles.
Hence, it has been surprising to see Perry’s fall from grace, experiencing numerous commercial failures since the release of her fifth album Witness.
Even with the release of her latest record 143, the songstress has failed to create much impact and success for herself, which draws the question - how did Perry get here?
Not as bad as they say
While it is easy to automatically believe critics (not excluding this one), 143 is not as hopeless as many depict it to be. Despite the lacklustre lead single, Women’s World, there are various redeeming tunes throughout the record.
Gimme Gimme, No More Tears for New Years, Crush and All the Love are some examples of tunes worth paying attention to. Longtime fans of Perry may appreciate the record as Perry’s light and fun artistry is reflected here.
Stagnant record
That said, KatyCats (Perry’s fandom) who long for evolution from the artiste may not find the record appealing. Listening to its entirety, it is evident that Perry is very much incorporating the same music formula she always has.
Though it is packaged as dance music, its essence (lyrics and production) does not stray very far from her previous releases.
They can very much pass off as one another. The only stark difference about this era is the release’s visual and marketing strategy, underlining perhaps that Perry has run out of inspiration.
Out of touch
Looking back at the past can also hurt as it will only result in redundancies. Perry’s take on feminism in Woman’s World, for instance, was received poorly among fans and the general public. Hardcore fans may blame it entirely on the Dr. Luke controversy (143 album producer accused of sexual assault by another artiste). But one with an objective lens can see that Perry’s take was superficial and out of touch.
While it worked for her in the 2010s with Firework and Roar, the singer’s point of view only proved that she has not been keeping up with the times. This also applies to her music. The lyrics and production in 143 are not only generic, but it is also not in touch with the appetite of today’s pop audience.
Perry may want to refer to the current stars such as Tate McRae, Sabrina Carpenter and Charlie XCX for inspiration, all of whom are dominating the pop genre.
Future is the way to go
This may be the best step forward for Perry. It may be time for Perry to stop reminiscing and focus on what is ahead.
Her Teenage Dream and Prism days were certainly impressive but the songstress still has a lot more in her.
The redeeming bits and pieces of 143 are a testament to this. All Perry needs to do is look inside and harness that creative source. After all, it has always been inside of her and it is time she let it through.
