Katy Perry’s third album, Prism was officially released on Tuesday October 22nd. Many agree that this album is a break from her usual cotton candy songs and I agree. Katy Perry really digs deep into her skin to the point of bleeding, takes off the mask and becomes honest to her fans.
1) Roar- I’m obsessed with this song. Besides the lyrics, I enjoy the crescendo in, ‘rooooar’, the drum kicks, we can always count on Katy Perry for a positive upbeat song you can snap your fingers to.
2) Legendary Lovers- Love the mixture of middle eastern/indian instrumentals in the backdrop of a rock, bit of hip hop infused beat. And she seems to kinda rap the pre-chorus (a fast Twista move), an interesting auditive experience.
3) Birthday- I thought 80s disco influenced? The style fits what the message is saying: which is all about having fun and celebrating a birthday… No, it’s really about sex coated in vanilla icing and waxed candle lyrics. The word ‘big’ is repeated many times. One can wonder why…
4) Walking On Air- Favorite. Has a similar feel to her song, E.T. in terms of an ‘out of this world’ subject but it reminded me a lot of Whitney Houston’s “I’m Every Woman”. It has a very 90s disco/techno sensation.
5) Unconditionally- Another favorite in this album. It showcases her Christian upbringing through terms that are very prevalent in the church community: “unconditional love”, “come as you are” and “there is no fear in love”. This song can well be a top hit on the CCM charts, which is where Ms. Katy Perry started her music career.
6) Dark Horse ft. Juicy J– Very hip-hop. There seems to be a ‘hey’ chant that’s prevalent in almost every song of the album. It seems to echo the ‘roar’ in the first song. Very sexy song.
7) This Is How We Do– “Yo, shout out to all you kids, buying bottle service, with your rent money/Respect!” No, please don’t listen to her, pay your rent! The style is reminiscent of early hip hop, she even says ‘yo’ *smirk*
8) International Smile– I was kinda bored with this song…But this is Katy Perry. It’s a cotton candy, sweet song.
9) Ghost- A very nice farewell song to Russell Brand…I presume.
10) Love Me- An honest song about insecurities. This half of the album seems to be taking a more honest approach. Speaks to my life. “I’m gonna love myself the way I want you to love me”, ENOUGH SAID.
11) This Moment– Another Katy Perry staple. She knows how to make pop music. Simple lyrics, gets the point across and her voice soars over any techno beat.
12) Double Rainbow- Song for John Mayer, “They say one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”. And it’s a fade-away song, it feels like it’ll continue on forever.
13) By the Grace of God- Hands down, my favorite in this album. This is what I wanted to hear from Perry and I finally got it. It’s not just another nod to her upbringing but it’s a huge nod to her present faith. When she gets to the chorus, the song seems to change or grow. It starts off as Katy Hudson (her real name) and then to the pop that we know and love from Perry. “I thanked my sister/ For keeping my head above the water/ When the truth was like swallowing sand”. Though simplistic, she keeps the imagery in our heads. Her head above the water and the sand in her mouth.
14) Spiritual- This song reinforces all the spiritual, magical, astrological themes in the album.
15) It Takes Two- Very ‘Eye of the Tiger’ in the beginning, reminds me of ‘Roar’ for some reason oh right, she sings, “I’ve got the eye of the tiger!” in it. She really gives her vocal and emotional all in this song.
16) Choose Your Battles– Pretty interesting song to end an album. I’m not suggesting that this song is for Mayer but I think it can be compared, lyrically, to Taylor Swift’s “Dear John”, a song allegedly written for Mayer. Aside from that presumptuous assumption, this song has a nice message. Again, very heartfelt and honest.
Overall, I enjoyed some songs in Prism. At some point it got a bit tiring but the naked-truth songs and the fun, disco like songs bumped me right back into it.