PRISM Isn’t So Shiny

Katy Perry’s new album dropped today and it has been hyped like carzy. There were promos for the first single and music video only to sound very similar to Brave by Sara Barielles. Many of us were a little disappointed. For me, that trend continued with the actual album.

I was hoping for a really interesting record since Perry went through a divorce that had her contemplating whether or not she should go on. Unfortunately Perry saw her new love John Mayer as better material than a divorce that pushed her to the edge. There are 16 tracks on the deluxe album. Four of those tracks are about loss, the difficulty of relationships, self love, and bouncing back. It’s five if you count Ghost but I found that one to be fairly standard. Eight are fluff-tastic love songs.

Of the love songs, Dark Horse has a new and interesting sound that suits Perry well. Unconditionally is lovely if a little sentimental for my tastes. This Moment is very good because the lyrics are slightly more multi-faceted. I found the other five to be fairly forgettable.

I found the darker songs so much more personal and interesting. Everyone sings about how wonderful love is but what the other side? I loved hearing about owning your role in the demise of a relationship or how you have to choose your battles. Apparently Perry or the label didn’t because those tracks are only on the deluxe album.

I like the stuff about the demise of her marriage so much more than the sugary love songs. It’s more personal, more interesting, and pretty original for pop music. After being promised a darker version of Katy Perry and being handed 50% lovey-dovey nonsense, I’m really disappointed.

The other tracks were likeable but Firework is a better anthem than Roar and Part of Me is a better ‘over it’ song than Ghost. The silly/fun songs This Is How We Do and International Smile don’t apply to anyone who noticed the recession. They’re also less interesting than California Gurls, Last Friday Night, or Peacock.

Despite how it sounds, I do like PRISM. However, I think Teenage Dream had a more cohesive sound and was, overall, a better record. I’m not sure any record could have stood up to the expectations and publicity. The more you hype something, the more it has to live up to that hype.

For the mega-publicized, darker side of Katy Perry, PRISM is fun but doesn’t deliver.