Fall 2013 will be forever known as the battle of the pop princesses! Miley Cyrus struck first with her better-than-expected Bangerz, we are still waiting for Lady Gaga and Britney Spears to do their thing with anticipated albums, but now is the time for reigning chart queen Katy Perry to shine in the light with her third full length studio album, Prism, three years following her record-breaking Teenage Dream in 2010.
While lead single "Roar" was less than impressive, an obvious copy of Sara Bareilles much better "Brave" and a song that would be a great choice for the next Frosted Flakes campaign, and "Dark Horse" and "Walking On Air", two promotional singles, were only good when taken apart like a cruel science experiment, the new album does show improvement from the pop artist who relies too much on heavy production, but also highlights her lack of taking risks. The 13-track standard edition of the new album does solidify Perry as one of the top-selling pop artists of this generation, but it's up to the listeners to decide if that's a good or bad thing!
Going back to lead single "Roar" is no easy task, and probably not fair of me to do, as Sara Bareilles' vocals completely take over the opening track, as do images of Tony the Tiger thrusting a bowl of Frosted Flakes into the air. Yes, the song was another number one hit for Miss Perry. Yes, you have to admit it's a catchy tune. But, can people honestly say this should have been a defining moment of 2013? It's an average offering at best.
"Legendary Lovers" is a good experimental track, it definitely takes the pop artist out of her comfort zone. This is really a new sound for Perry, but something keeps it from reaching show-stopping potential. The vocals set up an eerie, moody vibe despite its optimistic lyrics, "I feel my lotus bloom, come closer", and the fast delivery of the hook is exceptional, but the chorus never seems to take off in a satisfactory way.
If you are looking for the perfect post-summer, riding-with-the-top-down, funky, pop track, then you don't have to look any further than "Birthday". While the song has it's cringe-worthy moments about bringing out the big balloons, the rest of the three and a half minute track is just a carefree, fun addition to the album. Perry has been all over the radio, and this cut would fit in perfectly with want she's been blasting recently.
Released as a second promotional single, "Walking On Air" is a slightly wonderful throwback to the 90s house era, where dance music raged through all the nightclubs across the country. The song is a glowing effort from Perry indeed, she's stepping out of her comfort zone, but her voice is spread too thin to hit a few of the high notes sprinkled throughout. It is great pop effort in pieces, a nice addition, but nothing spectacular.
The album's second official single, the mid-tempo ballad "Unconditionally", is said to be Perry's favorite moment from the new album. With a first listen, the track does appear to be a beautiful, heartfelt love song, with gorgeous lyrics such as "I'll take your bad days with your good, walk through the storm I would", but once again the single unfortunately highlights the fact that the artist does not have the greatest voice in the game.
Juicy J-assisted "Dark Horse" took everyone by surprise thanks to its trap-inspired background production. Perry warns potential suitors about the power she is capable of, that once they fall under her spell, there's no going back. The promotional track will get people to sway back and forth, carries a great amount of grace and attitude, but in all honesty, didn't really need J's too long, lackluster of a verse.
The artist ups the sass and swag on "This is How We Do", a rap-inspired, pop-infused piece that will surely be blasting out of many car stereos. The vibe is catchy and infectious, I even found myself rocking my head, but beware of some annoying verses and spoken word throughout. Again, this track would be classified as a "so bad it's actually good" moment, but in the end it's guilty pleasure pop. Not a kind better than that.
"International Smile" is a retro/hippie-sounding track with some Daft Punk/jazz-inspired vocals thrown in for good measure. While the travel hopping spoken word (from Tokyo, to Mexico, to Rio) is a bit amateurish and unnecessary, the song succeeds thanks to its child-like, carefree, fun-in-the-sunshine beat and lyrics. The chorus is by far the highlight, the verses needed work, but altogether it ain't too bad.
Perry seems to be touched by the supernatural on the reflective piece that is "Ghost". While songwriting is not top notch on the track, a few excellent, well-sung lines are heard. "When I look back, never would have known that, you would be so cold", she sings on the chorus which would probably resonate with any listener who has struggling with former lover complications. Probably one of the album's brighter moments.
Even though Perry has never had the register to tackle full blown ballads, she has always shined when it came to mid-tempo creations (see "Thinking Of You" and "The One That Got Away"). "Love Me" would fall into the same category. The track is a simple, heartfelt, love song accompanied by gorgeous instrumentals as the artist gives it all she's got. This would be the moment to justify she can actually deliver vocally.
The album's best moment, in my opinion, comes in the form of "This Moment", which impressively comes off sounding like "Dancing On My Own" by Robyn. Seriously, don't both songs have similar production progression? Perry sounds beautiful as she sings there is only one moment to put love into motion. Yeah, it gets a bit sappy, sometimes cheesy, but I can put that aside when I'm hearing the pop artist give some emotion for once.
While "Double Rainbow" seemed to allude to a loud, proud, gay pop song, it delivers the complete opposite. In the form of a slow ballad, Perry tells the man of her dreams he is as rare as a double rainbow, as rare as winning the lottery. Again, while the songwriting could have been perfected in some areas, the artist sings the material with utmost perfection. There's no complicated production, just Perry belting out some notes.
The standard edition of the album closes out with "By The Grace of God", a Christian-inspired track which helps us remember Perry used to be a gospel singer. The piano-driven piece showcases the singer's vocals pretty nicely, but is not the best of the slower jams included on the project. "I looked in the mirror, and decided to stay, wasn't gonna let love, take me out that way," she hauntingly sings, almost on the verge of tears. Good song, not amazing.
Prism is an album building a great amount of hype, unfortunately thanks to "Roar", and while Katy Perry does craft some pretty great, radio-friendly pop songs that will touch the souls of the brokenhearted, she does not aim for producing anything new. In fact, she follows the same formula so closely on her third album that all the songs start to sound the same, it gets pretty boring. While the lead single, and promotional releases, sound intriguing and different, the rest of the track list suffers from poor songwriting and similar production structures. Perry deserves some praise for her improved vocal performances, but it's never enough to take the effort from something other than the ordinary. It receives a 75%.
Tracks to Hear: "Walking On Air", "Ghost", "Love Me" and "This Moment"
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