Katy Perry’s latest album, “Prism”, is another solid addition to the pop music canon. In short, the record does everything a pop album should do; it makes you want to dance, it’s fun and it’s a collection of top-notch anthems, with a few power ballads sprinkled in for good measure.
After her release of “Roar” this summer, I was unsure of what to expect when the album came out. Though listeners loved its empowering message, impressive vocals and the tiger from the campy music video, “Roar” was ultimately underwhelming. After listening to the entire album, however, “Roar” is outshined by a number of other fantastic tracks.
“Prism” is an aptly titled album, exploring various sides of Perry. We see the fun, flirty Katy in “Legendary Lovers” and “Birthday,” but we also see the artist’s darker side on tracks like “Dark Horse” and “Ghost.”
Perry also delivers several new and varied sounds. “Legendary Lovers” has a cool tribal feel, while “Dark Horse” creates a winding, hypnotic atmosphere. The aptly named “Spiritual” can be described as more ethereal, whereas “Walking On Air” is sheer disco heaven.
Throughout it all, Perry’s vocals truly shine. Attesting to the work she’s put in since her last release in 2010, Perry shows off her powerful range in emotion-packed verses. “Teenage Dream” was a fantastic album that gave us two years of solid pop hits, but from “T.G.I.F.” to “California Gurls,” its offerings were lyrically childish at best. With “Prism” Katy maintains her trademark fun spirit while delving deeper into issues of love, identity and spirituality.
With “Prism,” Katy Perry solidifies her status as an A-list music artist with her creative songwriting (check out “Double Rainbow”) and her larger-than-life stage presence and voice. Love it or hate it, there is no denying that we’ll be hearing tracks from “Prism” on the radio for months to come.
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