For those who were hoping the promise of a new Katy Perry album would revive the singer’s career, I have some bad news. “143,” Perry’s first album since 2020’s “Smile,” reflects her decline in the music industry more than anything else.
When the opening track “WOMAN’S WORLD” was released over the summer, fans were already questioning whether or not “143” would be able to deliver any sort of pop hits KatyCats had become accustomed to from 2008 to 2013. The track is filled with basic lyrics that hold little depth or meaning, and the remaining 10 songs fit the same description.
The fact that the album is only 34 minutes in total length reeks of desperation from Perry, almost as if she’s throwing darts at a board of two-to-three-minute tracks hoping one lands on the charts. However, with lyrics such as “Kitty, kitty wanna come party tonight / Trippy trippy daddy, take me on a ride,” it’s hard to envision any of the 11 songs finding their way to the top of any charts soon.
One of the first reactions I had when listening to “143” was that it sounds like the lyrics were written by Chat GPT. In a way, it’s ironic that the title “143” is code for “I love you” because the entire album sounds like it was produced by a robot.
As for the style of music, Perry is exploring a relatively new area for herself, with much more electropop sounds than what we heard in 2010’s “Teenage Dream” and 2013’s “PRISM.” It’s almost as if Perry is trying to fit into Charli XCX’s “brat summer” without an invitation — and two months too late.
“143” tries to explore the club music sound that is making a comeback in 2024, but fails miserably by sounding more like something a Disney Channel show would play during a middle school dance scene.
The album also contains multiple features, including 21 Savage on “GIMMIE GIMMIE” and JID on “ARTIFICIAL,” as well as Kim Petras on “I’M HIS, HE’S MINE.” While each of these artists are talented in their own rights, each feature feels, as Perry puts it, artificial. None of them fit in with Perry’s voice or the sound of the album, almost like putting a polar bear in Arlington, Texas.
If there’s any saving grace on the album, there were a couple of songs that stood out after multiple listens. “CRUSH” and “LIFETIMES” do have a sound that, if in the right setting, can take you back to the “Teenage Dream” and “PRISM” eras that made so many fall in love with the singer. However, the fact that it took so many close listens to hear that in the first place should act as a warning that neither song will have a long shelf life or offer much replay value.
“WONDER,” the closing track on the album, also offers something to be desired compared to the rest of the album. The opening and closing lines of the track are sung by Perry and Orlando Bloom’s daughter, Daisy, and the lyrics give us a change in tone from the rest of the album, with the focus shifting to Perry’s philosophy as a mother.
Despite those three standout songs, “143” fails miserably in living up to the standard Perry created for herself in the early 2010s. At this rate, Perry would be better off leaving the music industry in the hands of the up-and-coming stars without endangering future pop summers. Katy, we’re more than fine reminiscing on the summers of “One of the Boys” and “Teenage Dream.”
1/5 stars
wjackso2@ramapo.edu
Featured photo courtesy of @katyperry, Instagram
