The Prism of Perry
Katy Perry releases her fourth album, Prism
BRIAN KESCHINGER
Creative Director
Album: Prism
Artist: Katy Perry
Label: Capitol Records
Release: Oct. 18
Grade: B
Katy Perry's perfectly titled fourth-studio album, Prism, is exactly that: a prism. It takes the usually narrow pop-genre and shows how diverse it can be.
Perry's Teenage Dream, which came out three years ago, was a tough act to follow. Despite receiving mediocre reviews, nearly half of the album ended up as top-radio hits. Though Prism doesn't reach the caliber that was Teenage Dream, it comes close.
Prism isn't a pop revolution by any means, but it shows Perry did her homework and took queues from arguably some of the best pop eras and artists.
Tracks like "Birthday" and "Walking On Air" have a resonating, late-'80s and early-'90s beat to them that immediately make you feel like grooving out.
In the song "Dark Horse," Perry sounds pleasantly similar to a young Britney Spears, but the song takes a modern approach by dropping a strong trap beat. Juicy J is featured on this track, but his verse is weak, which ultimately takes away from the otherwise great track.
Another disappointing moment on the album is the shallow-sounding song "This is How We Do." The repetitious song feels like a Ke$ha track in the sense that it's catchy and breaks the fourth wall when Perry says, "No, no, no. Bring the beat back." Yet, you can't help but sing the chorus and bop to the beat.
Prism's biggest downfall is its pacing. The first half of the album is loaded with the upbeat, catchy tunes while the tracks on the back half mostly take on a serious, darker tone.
"Roar," the album's first single, is a solid kickoff to the album with its memorable centric theme. The entire front half of the album is that way - strong.
The back half is littered with tracks like "Love Me," "By The Grace of God" and "Spiritual," which are meant to be slower, emotional songs. Ultimately, they leave the listener with nothing but mediocrity.
The split makes Prism feel like two separate albums. Most listeners will figure out which style of Katy Perry songs they like and will end up only listening to one half of the album.
Amongst the lackluster tracks that populate the second half of the album, there are a few that are above mediocre, but only one is a standout. "This Moment" opens with a beat that might as well be a part of the soundtrack for the movie Drive. It becomes the only successful and emotionally invested track that Perry attempted to create with all the songs later on in the album.
Prism shows how diverse pop music can be in tone and feel. Though every song isn't a home run, Perry is able to display her stellar pipes on just about every track. The result is an increase of quality on even the most shallow of songs.
Prism as an album is far from perfect, but Katy Perry fans will find the music good enough to leave them satisfied.
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