In an attempt to revive the success, hits, and acclaim she once received during the early 2010s eras of her pop bible Teenage Dream and her successful follow-up record Prism, Katy Perry’s newest album 143 fails to deliver anything memorable and can instead be added to her growing pile of lackluster and disappointing records.
2024 experienced a renaissance for pop music. From Sabrina Carpenter’s song of the summer “Espresso,” to the tumblr-like era of Charli XCX’s brat, and of course the sudden and instantaneous rise of Chappell Roan, pop music has been more fun and lively than it has been in the last decade.
Of course, you can’t talk about fun pop without talking about Katy Perry, and more specifically her sophomore album Teenage Dream. The album featured classics such as “California Girls,” “Firework,” and “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F).” The album had 5 No. 1 hits on the Hot 100 and is renowned as one of the best pop albums of all time. So when Perry announced her sixth album, 143, during such a pivotal time in pop music, I, like many others, was excited for the pop princess to take back her crown.
But instead, she dropped it. Again.
Before even hitting play, the first single, “Woman’s World” doomed the album’s release from the beginning. Listeners noticed a controversial name, Dr. Luke, credited as a producer on the single. In 2014, pop artist Kesha, who worked with Dr. Luke, who produced her songs “Blow” and “Tik Tok,” sued the producer for alleged sexual and verbal assault.
Dr. Luke has long denied these allegations and countersued, with the case being settled in 2023. It’s rather ironic for Perry to collaborate with a man accused of sexual assault on a record intended to be the next feminist empowerment anthem. But for those who were hopeful that the producer’s credit on “Woman’s World” would be the last, he is instead credited on 10 of the 11 tracks on 143.
However, Katy Perry and Dr. Luke aren’t strangers. The pair have collaborated since Perry’s debut album, One of the Boys, on “I Kissed a Girl” and “Hot and Cold.” He is also credited on some of her biggest hits like “Roar,” “Dark Horse,” and “E.T.” When you look at the pair’s history, it’s no wonder Perry took the risk of walking through flames of controversy when she is, of course, chasing another Teenage Dream like success. However, even Dr. Luke couldn’t make this album a hit.
After listening to this album twice, my thoughts have relatively remained unchanged. While trying to create another classic Katy Perry hit, the album instead sounded outdated with bland production as if it were ripped from the mid-2010’s.
Sonically, the production is repetitive, making it difficult to distinguish the sound of the tracks from one another. Additionally, the production lacks creativity and originality which left me uninterested. All I could think of while listening is how each song sounds like something I’ve already heard years prior. The album’s choices reflect Perry’s desire for a rebirth; however, she is consistently afraid to try bold, new sounds, particularly ones that are found in today’s top pop hits. Without a new sound, the songs are forgettable.
Accompanying the bland production, the subpar lyricism drags down the album. Despite having at least six, and sometimes nine, songwriters credited on each track, the lyrics seem like something that you could easily jot down without much of a thought.
At times, the lyrics became shallow and did not reflect anything original. Of course, not all music needs to be deep or profound; however, when trying to make a loud statement on the empowerment of womanhood or displaying sincerity and tenderness, it’s disappointing that Perry can’t dive any deeper. It’s not like she isn’t capable, just listen to “Unconditionally” or “The One that Got Away.”
The lyrical content of 143 reflects the outdated sound of the album, where it seems the writers took popular slang, past and present, and just rolled with it. Some of the most egregious examples include late 2010’s slang like “baddies” and “savvies” on “GORGEOUS” and Katy calling herself a “freak”, “queen” and “that b****” on “I’M HIS, HE’S MINE.”
Apart from the controversy, the lack of personality and fun energy that defines Katy Perry stands as the main reason 143 fails to deliver. A Katy Perry song is fun, lively, and catchy. 143 delivers none of that and is instead, generic. With “Artificial” trying to become the next “E.T” and “Wonder” attempting to be an inspirational hit like “Firework,” 143 aspires to mimic the success of past albums but fails to have the same spirit. However, the album does have its moments with its best tracks like “ALL THE LOVE” and “WONDER” which have a spark of that Katy Perry sound.
It’s safe to say that Katy Perry’s peak will forever remain in the early 2010’s, with an ever-dwindling chance she will have the comeback she’s been striving for. Perhaps if Perry embraced collaborating with newer talent like Jack Antonoff, Amy Allen, or Dan Nigro who are credited on a large number of pop songs topping the charts, then maybe 143 could’ve been a bigger hit.
Ultimately, Katy Perry’s musical legacy will only include her early singles and hits; even Perry seems to think so following her recent VMA performance where she chose to exclude songs from her later albums: Smile and Witness. Maybe it’s time for her to begin compiling her greatest hits for an album, tour, or Las Vegas residency, because it seems like her musical career is at a standstill.
