By Olivia Turner | Arts & Life Editor
Katy Perry has never been known to seek approval from others.
Throughout her career, she’s been criticized for her often risqué music, various celebrity feuds and rude comments on American Idol, but through it all, she has remained one of the most iconic, revolutionary pop artists of the 21st century — up until now.
It’s no secret Perry’s latest album, “143,” which was released on Sept. 20, has not been well-received by the general public, pop music fans and even some of Perry’s most dedicated followers. It’s obvious this album was intended to give bad-girl vibes, but it was just plain bad. For those fans who have defended her through some of her rougher moments, “143” just might have been the last straw.
From her decision to work with Dr. Luke as a producer for the album, to her sudden claims that the music video was supposed to be satire, “WOMAN’S WORLD” is a rough start to Perry’s first album back in the game since “Smile” in 2020. While the tune is catchy, the lyrics seem to be mocking the context of the situation — that Perry hired Kesha’s accused rapist and assaulter to help her produce a song that sings of the power of femininity.
Boring rhymes, lame lyrics and shallow melodies which rely on the same two or three notes are all modern pop music traps Perry has fallen victim to in this release. Listeners aren’t getting that same daring, thrilling sensation she infused into some of her biggest hits like “Dark Horse” and “Roar.”
“143” doesn’t allow the wow factor of Perry’s voice — characterized by her crystal-clear vocal quality and her amazing range — to be projected as it should. Instead, fans are getting that beloved voice that has branded some of her best work, except without any bold notes or complex melodies. Considering how well-preserved Perry’s voice is despite all the songs, records and performances she’s done over the years, I see this as a missed opportunity. I wish Perry would have used her voice to its full potential like we all know she can — like she has done in songs such as “Unconditionally.”
As a Doechii fan, I was expecting a bit more from “I’M HIS, HE’S MINE.” I understand there’s a certain appeal to sampling recognizable songs such as was done here with Crystal Waters’ “Gyspy Woman (She’s Homeless),” but in an album already empty of originality, this just didn’t do it for me.
“ALL THE LOVE” was the one redeeming song for me on “143.” Here, we got a glimpse of the old Katy, with a more passionate meaning and storyline through lyrics like “I was frozen, I was hopeless / Now there’s poetry in every moment.” It didn’t feel shallow and uninventive like the rest of this album. This is the one track that truly “came back to me” in fond memory while reflecting on these songs.
I think the last track, “WONDER,” was meant to be a sentimental song about the retaining of childhood innocence into adulthood. The intro features a sound byte of Perry’s daughter Daisy singing — a very autotuned clip that honestly kind of creeped me out. This track seemed out of place on an album full of songs like “GIMME GIMME” and “ARTIFICIAL” which are mainly about, well… sex.
“143” was ultimately an anticipated flop of an album. While I do regret spending 33 minutes of my day listening to these particularly mid songs, there will always be a part of me — a younger, smaller, Justice-outfit-and-Sillybandz-wearing version of me — who adores Katy Perry for the wild, creative music she used to make.
