"Roar," Katy Perry's lead single on Prism, seemed to signal another set of gooey synth pop songs similar to previous album Teenage Dream, however, after listening to the latest track, it appears to be the final signing off of her "California Gurls" era. In contrary to songs like "Peacock" and "I Kissed a Girl" from her previous collections, Perry decidedly explored more mature themes on Prism, even delving into her thoughts of suicide after divorce with Russell Brand. Although the ideas surrounding her songs are different, the formula is basically the same, which goes to say many of her tracks will soon become #1 pop hits.
By the very first chorus in "Roar," it's immediately clear that Perry has become a master at creating catchy, sing-along phrases. Most of the lyrical ingenuity fueling this song isn't something completely original, but instead some of the most overused and generic lines used today. In Perry's defense, there is only a limited amount of lyrical combinations available and she did use the same team of songwriters from her previous albums, so some of the stuff will sound vaguely familiar. What makes the song somewhat enjoyable is the quality production decisions that chose to switch between peppy piano strokes and deep bass lines. Compared to some of her other singles, this one definitely comes across as an album filler instead of a lead.
The Juicy J collaboration in "Dark Horse" shows that Perry switches genres like there's no tomorrow, yet somehow stays true to her overall signature pop sound. The song itself is slow-staggering and has Katy warning a potential lover "So you wanna play with magic? Boy, you should know whatcha falling for. Baby do you dare to do this? Cause I'm coming atcha like a dark horse." Katy again changes things up in "Walking on Air," except this time its inspiration goes back a couple decades to early 90's dancefloor anthems. The song stays relevant by using just enough of the nostalgic charm to intrigue listeners while modernizing some of the beats and vocals with today's technology.
Prism does have its moment of success in songs like "Love Me" where she again focuses on words of empowerment. Unlike "Roar," where she blatantly and powerfully talks about the issues, this song sidesteps around them in a crystal clear dancefloor jam. It's not the greatest song to jam too, but when the swirling synths and the chorus drops, it becomes more than just an average song. Her next single, "Unconditionally," reinforces the mature approach to the album. The song feels like the emotionally charged, revealing track her albums often miss out on including. It does seem like a strange choice as her next single though because Katy usually chooses some sort of party anthem while this one is very slowed down, but does seem to be a welcome change.
Katy has had quite a long time in the music industry, which can be seen from her failed documentary Katy Perry: Part of Me (if your able to stay awake through the whole thing). In Prism, she tachles various levels of pop music ranging from retro styled tunes to daring futuristic tracks. While many of these songs are fun to listen to, most of their lyrics are horribly written and only scratch the surface of Katy's emotions. The album is alright and will have multiple top 10 hits, but it could've been better, much better.
Grade: C
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