PERRY. Aware of the commercial appeal of her pop tunes and loopy fashion sense.
With the release of her fourth album, “Prism,” Katy Perry scales new heights as a singer-performer. Her romantic life is a different story altogether: In fact, it’s been fodder for speculation since 2010, when she decided to marry Russell Brand—who filed for divorce barely 14 months later, because he allegedly didn’t like the idea of his wife being always “in control.”
The 28-year-old songstress’ off-again, on-again relationship with current beau, John Mayer, is just as convoluted—but, as the collection’s awkwardly phrased but radio-friendly second single, “Unconditionally,” tellingly attests, Perry intends to stand by her man: “Oh no, did I get too close?/ Did I almost see what’s on the inside?/ All your insecurities, all the dirty laundry/ There’s no fear now/ Come just as you are/ I’ll take your bad days with your good.”
If “Unconditionally” was inspired by her volatile relationship with her 36-year-old boyfriend, the gorgeously sung “Spiritual,” a track in the recording’s deluxe edition they wrote together, proves that the controversial couple can make beautiful music together—it’ll win over pop-music lovers with its moody, ambient beauty.
Pleasant surprises
“Double Rainbow” and “By The Grace of God” are insightful, catharsis-inducing ballads: In the former, Perry sings about life’s pleasant surprises, because “one man’s trash is another girl’s treasure/ You’re brighter than all the Northern Lights/ The two of us make everything glitter,” while the latter heartrendingly discloses how she had “decided to stay” after a painful breakup because, even if “truth were like swallowing sand,” she knew “I am enough/ (It’s) possible to be loved/ It wasn’t about me.”
Does Perry want to be taken seriously by distancing herself from the cheeky romp and fun-filled camp of “Teenage Dream?” Not necessarily. Keep in mind that the singer’s 2010 release became the first album by a female artist to produce five No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart: “California Gurls,” “Teenage Dream,” “Firework,” “E.T.” and “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.).”
Themes
Katy isn’t merely an intuitive songwriter; she’s also a wise businesswoman who’s aware of the commercial appeal of her sugar-coated pop tunes and loopy fashion sense. Her rousing dance floor scorchers don’t just brim with stand-up-and-fight themes, they’re also loaded with hooks that are too catchy to ignore—like the chart-topping, self-empowerment anthem, “Roar,” the Cece Peniston-channeling “Walking On Air,” and the bhangra-garnished “Legendary Lovers.”
The infectious gallop of the hit-bound “Birthday,” the clubby “This Is How We Do,” and the urban sheen of “Dark Horse” (with Juicy J) will keep you grooving, while “Ghost” and “This Moment” recall the pristine pipes of Cathy Dennis.
Perry’s intense moment of self-reflection is best captured by the midtempo cut, “Love Me,” which reveals how she overcame self-doubt: “I lost myself in fear of losing you/ Insecurities always seem to get the best of me/ So, I’m gonna love myself the way I want you to love me!”