From pop perfection to mediocre melodies, Katy Perry has recently made waves in the media with her attempt at a career revival following years of static. After the commercial and critical failure of her albums Witness and Smile, she knew she had to do something to spark that energy we all know and love from the California Gurls singer. That ‘something’ was to give mundane and soulless lyrics to go with basic pop production. It seems she has gone from her teenage dream to her middle-aged nightmare.
WOMANS WORLD, the single that kicked off the 143 era and opening track of the album, seemed mediocre compared to what we expected for her grandiose return. It ran through the ears of many customers in their local retail stores. I don’t know if shopping mall music is quite the ambitious concept she was going for. What Perry thought to be a woman empowerment anthem, instead seemed to be interpreted as a diss to feminist ideals. I will say, the melody is quite catchy, but it may also be the fact that every Target in the United States has had the song on repeat since its release.
GIMMIE GIMMIE lacked substance in many areas. I will say the song did have quite a catchy chorus, however with lackluster lyrics and an uninspired chorus I was left yearning for more. 21 Savage seemed to not work very well with the production of this song. I would have rather heard him in a song with darker production instead of a peppy beat.
GORGEOUS was a vast improvement compared to the first and second track, however, not a hard feat. This song sounded modern and like a simple summer song. There is nothing to rave about or hate about this song as, at the end of the day, it is a basic pop song. It seems Perry is trying to emulate the energy of California Gurls, however this initiative seemed to produce something akin to AI instead.
I’M HIS, HE’S MINE is the third single from 143. This song features the same ‘She’s Homeless’ sample that society has heard on one too many songs. The music industry needs to drop the Crystal Waters sample and give us something new. Doechii most definitely stands out in this song. As a mega fan of her discography, I was very happy to see her featured on this song. She makes this song something unique and one to talk about. Her flow matches the beat perfectly and breathes fresh air onto this project. I would say this is one of my favorites from this project.
CRUSH is the next song that only features Perry. This song has a campy feel in some respects with the chorus; however, I am unsure if this was intentional or a failed attempt at channeling that charming eccentricity that her songs used to emulate. I feel the same way about this song as I do the entire album, it’s simplified pop music, which is shocking from a Katy Perry record as she was once synonymous with perfect pop performances.
LIFETIMES, the next song on the album, is the song I enjoyed the most, though not much competition was presented. This song was the second single and seemed to be the best received out of the three released.
ALL THE LOVE seems as though it came straight from 2013. She seems stuck chasing that nostalgia of her former songs. This would’ve been a hit on the charts then, but I don’t think the sappy lyrics and sad melodies stimulate listeners anymore.
NIRVANA has a darker sound compared to the rest of the album. It has a swank beat that isn’t terrible, and I appreciate the attempt to give us some variety during the album. It seems strange to include this song eight songs in, considering how repetitive the beginning of this album was. Including this song before the listeners are bored out of their mind could’ve done this song more justice.
ARTIFICIAL features Perry’s take on the recent techno rise in the music industry. I fear this adaptation seems, well, artificial. It’s blatantly unnatural as we see her refer to her pop singing during the chorus. This switch creates a brass listening experience which isn’t enjoyable as a listener. JID’s feature provided a cool change of flow, which breathed some life into this album after a few tracks without a feature.
TRUTH sounds like a song written by a child in middle school. For that age impressive, but for someone who is almost forty not quite. The lack of depth in Perry’s songs is clear as day. She can no longer rely on the carefree campiness of her old songs as she simply cannot channel that persona anymore. Her younger days are fading, and with that comes maturity; whether that be personally or sonically in her case, and I’m not seeing growth in her music. Yes, having fun is allowed but it seems as though she is trying to convey a serious message of women empowerment but through the lenses of uninspired songs.
WONDER closes this album off on a monotone note. I still feel this song feels very young which leads me to believe Perry is intentionally trying to emulate her past fame. This song describes this entire album, which is sonically bland and uninspiring music. I hope with the end of the 143 era we see a new Katy Perry born, hopefully one that’s trying to improve instead of regress.
