Quick Facts
- Billboard 1st Week Sales: 287,000 copies
- Iridescent special deluxe cover sleeve
- Special plantable PRISM (grows wildflowers)
- Deluxe includes 16 songs
- Full Price CD: $16.99 ($1.06 per song)
- Includes 1 Billboard Hot 100 #1
- Includes 2 Billboard Hot 100 Top 20's
Now on with the track by track review!
1. "Roar" Katy Perry, Lukasz Gottwald, Max Martin, Bonnie McKee, Henry Walter
Although it received a few complaints for being a bit similar to "Brave" by Sara Bareilles, overall it was praised my most critics. It was 'applauded' for beating Lady Gaga's "Applause" in first week sales (ironic) and quickly became a signature Katy song. But behind the sugary beats, the song is very monotone for Perry and isn't creative, inventive or original. The lyrics are also a little sketchy. And while it has almost everything to be a pop hit, it just seems dull. To make things even worse, radio has promoted it too much which will likely cause fans to be a bit annoyed that real standout tracks like "Walking On Air" aren't being played instead. Also no real bridge is included. Despite this, the song is still somewhat catchy and gets stuck in your mind for a long time.
2. "Legendary Lovers" Katy Perry, Lukasz Gottwald, Max Martin, Bonnie McKee, Henry Walter
When this thumping song starts off, you can't help but get a wave of many different genres spilling over you. Indie pop, Indian, tribal and trap influences can be clearly heard among Katy's still otherwise sugary vocals. Being one of the most experimental songs on the album, a new Katy is starting to show off and the mixture of many genres surprisingly works in a very interesting way. It certainly wasn't recorded to please radio (not generic) but is included on the album for the true fans. The lines "Take me down to the river, underneath the blood orange sun, same my name like a scripture, keep my heart beating like a drum" (included in the chorus) are among the best in the song and are extremely singable. Overall a very big round of applause for producing a noteworthy and original track.3. "Birthday" Katy Perry, Lukasz Gottwald, Max Martin, Bonnie McKee, Henry Walter
Although it sounds like a sweet "Teenage Dream" leftover, a flare of 70s-80s beats make it different and fresh. Its generic and cheesy lyrics would usually be a large negative, but the track is so feel good that it seems almost unnoticeable. It seems like a strong album track that would definitely be played at a birthday party but it seems a little plain for radio. Still the song is original and sweet with a pure Katy sound that takes us back to her older albums. It also contains a proper bridge that takes the song to a whole new level. This level is where (if you couldn't figure it out) the main of theme of the song is revealed. A simply sweet filler that finds the listener asking for another slice.
4. "Walking On Air" Katy Perry, Klas Åhlund, Max Martin, Adam Baptiste, Camela Leierth
As previously mentioned, this song is truly a stand out on the album. While some say it sounds generic, it is completely entertaining, fun and a nice throwback to 80s-90s pop music. It seems very euro-pop complete with a strange voice echoing "tonight, tonight, tonight I'm walking on air". Katy's vocals lay perfectly over a thumping club beat that slows down and quickly speeds back up. The pre-chrous works perfectly as well. Toward the end of the song, Katy really shows off her pipes and ends on a very good high note. Even though (like tracks #1 amd #2) it doesn't have a proper bridge (no new lyrics just a slowed down version of verse 2) her vocals pop and sound amazing. To be honest, its got to be one of her best songs and contains one of the best improper bridges in recent musical history.
5. "Unconditionally" Katy Perry, Lukasz Gottwald, Max Martin, Henry Walter
Katy described this song as the best song from the album and has called it her "favorite" on many occasions. It seems very personal and is a strong up tempo ballad that seems like an interesting fit for radio. A very raw and beautiful song filled with strong vocals that was likely written in a dark part of Katy's life. It seems like the first song on the album that reflects the overall marketed theme of PRISM ("let the light in"). The bridge is perfect and has a movie feeling vibe (if that makes sense). Not quite one of her best songs of all time but possibly her most personal in a long time. A little unoriginal though.
6. "Dark Horse (feat. Juicy J)" Katy Perry, Jordan Houston, Lukasz Gottwald, Sarah Hudson, Max Martin, Henry Walter
Quite possibly the darkest song in Katy's career. Mixed with trap, rap, muffled voices, strong vocals and dark pop, the song marries together well like "Legendary Lovers" does. Juicy J spits his verse like nails which pierce the song with a memorable mark. The drum beat following this gets faster and faster until Katy performs an interesting version of the chorus which ends the song. Also, Juicy J's verse swaps a typical and uninteresting bridge out for a full on "3rd verse" which isn't present on most of the songs included on the album. A very noteworthy song that could become a potential single that is very original and different.
7. "This Is How We Do" Katy Perry, Klas Åhlund, Max Martin
There are so many ways to explain this banger. In short, it is a giant shout out and list of things Katy loves to do. Another euro-pop song that has major single potential and is a strong stand out on the album. It is like a laid back anthem for summer days and lazy days. In all the nitty gritty details, Katy shouts out her perfect day, including her favorite Santa Barbara taco joint and how she acted when she was younger compared to younger kids now. It is addicting upon first listen and includes many pop culture related things that you pick up on slowly when you start listening to it over and over again. She mentions Mariah Carey, pancakes, Maserati, and even does a shout out to upcoming U.S. band Karmin by copying a line from their current single "Acapella" ("bring the beat back"). The song also features an edgy spoken bridge and has a 90s video game related beat/noise for a few seconds about 1 minute in. A surprise hit!
8. "International Smile" Katy Perry, Lukasz Gottwald, Max Martin, Henry Walter
This soft and up tempo song starts off with Katy declaring that this woman that every man wants is a "groupie" ("she's with the band"). Katy goes back in forth by describing how beautiful she is alternating with what will happen to man that falls for her. Again the song contains muffled voices and sounds that don't come off that appealing in this particular song. Almost nothing more than a filler, this song could have easily been left off the album. Its a nice song for international fans though. It isn't original (it tries to be), is very cheesy and lyrically awkward. Nothing else to say.
9. "Ghost" Katy Perry, Lukasz Gottwald, Max Martin, Bonnie McKee, Henry Walter
This song should have been titled "Pearl Part 2". Like most part 2's it isn't as good as "Pearl". The song is slow, typical and speaks of Katy finding herself in another dark place. It really doesn't stand out as much as other slow ballads on the the album and just seems like a weird afterthought that doesn't go with the rest of the album. Really it's just another bland filler, which could be the reason that Katy is considered a "singles artist" and not an "album artist".
10. "Love Me" Katy Perry, Max Martin, Christian Karlsson, Vincent Pontare, Magnus Lidehäll
Although it is littered with the strangest lyrics and weirdest lines found on the entire album, the chorus and the bridge literally save the song from being the mess. Again we find another up tempo song with strange muffled voices that at this point are starting to become extremely annoying. We will praise the bridge, and say that while the song has some notable flaws, it is still a pretty decent track.
11. "This Moment" Katy Perry, Mikkel Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Benjamin Levin
Perry is able to produce another ballad that is slow tempo and has backing beats reminiscent of "Love Somebody" by Maroon 5. Katy gracefully screeches to the top of her vocal capacity and lets it all just go away. It sounds like she was crying while she recorded this. It's as if she had a just gone through the most traumatic 'moment' in her life. Forceful, intimate and just full of lust. A beautiful piece of PRISM that is shining and sparkling like a gem.
12. "Double Rainbow" Katy Perry, Sia Furler, Greg Kurstin
This mysteriously crafted delicate song was once the most anticipated song on the album. The lines "We see eye to eye, like a double rainbow, in the sky, wherever you go so will I, like a double rainbow, you're hard to find" are among the best within the song. They sound like classic lines written by Sia Furler, who has made herself a reputation for writing hit songs. Unfortunatley the chorus and the rest of the song don't quite mix the way they should. This makes the song kind of a mixed bag. It is also a little bit on the slower side (like the past several songs), which makes it somewhat passable.
11. "This Moment" Katy Perry, Mikkel Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Benjamin Levin
Perry is able to produce another ballad that is slow tempo and has backing beats reminiscent of "Love Somebody" by Maroon 5. Katy gracefully screeches to the top of her vocal capacity and lets it all just go away. It sounds like she was crying while she recorded this. It's as if she had a just gone through the most traumatic 'moment' in her life. Forceful, intimate and just full of lust. A beautiful piece of PRISM that is shining and sparkling like a gem.
12. "Double Rainbow" Katy Perry, Sia Furler, Greg Kurstin
This mysteriously crafted delicate song was once the most anticipated song on the album. The lines "We see eye to eye, like a double rainbow, in the sky, wherever you go so will I, like a double rainbow, you're hard to find" are among the best within the song. They sound like classic lines written by Sia Furler, who has made herself a reputation for writing hit songs. Unfortunatley the chorus and the rest of the song don't quite mix the way they should. This makes the song kind of a mixed bag. It is also a little bit on the slower side (like the past several songs), which makes it somewhat passable.
13. "By the Grace of God" Katy Perry, Greg Wells
One of the most emotional songs from the album, "By the Grace of God" is raw and full of passion. The beautiful ballad is gorgeous and very simple. Katy only recruited one other writer (Greg Wells) so its possible that she intended for the song to be the simplest song off the album. It shows a real vulnerability in Katy that hasn't been showcased in the past. It is touching, delicate and just plain 'graceful'. It also closes out the regular/standard edition of the abum and is kind of a graceful ending to a good chapter in Katy's career.
DELUXE TRACKS
14. "Spiritual" Katy Perry, John Mayer, Greg Kurstin
Written with frequent collaborator Greg Kurstin and ex-boyfriend John Mayer, "Spirtual" actually shines and is a great bonus track that is very uplifting and solid. The problem with the song is that the backing beat is almost an exact copy of mexican singer Belinda's 2010 single titled "Gaia" (when "Gaia" is slightly sped up). Not going to point fingers, but the similarities are bigger than the ones between "Roar" and "Brave". Still in this day and age some beats are recycled, and hey maybe Perry even asked Belinda to borrow the beat. No one can tell for sure. Also there is an unnecessary 30 seconds at the end where Perry just sings "Oh, oh-oh, you make me float" over and over.
15. "It Takes Two" Katy Perry, Emeli Sandé, Mikkel Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Benjamin Levin
Sounds like a perfect combo of "Next to Me" (written and preformed by Emeli Sandé) and "Half of Me" (written by Emeli Sandé and preformed by Rihanna). Ironically, both "Half of Me" and "It Takes To" deal with different perspectives of events, are written by the same person, are both deluxe edition tracks and are both #15 on their respective albums. Not saying they are copies of each other or anything, but they just seem reminiscent of each other in a powerful way. The bridge is by far the highlight and is very classic. The vocals lay on top of a beautiful piano which gives a majestic feel to the song.
16. "Choose Your Battles" Katy Perry, Jonatha Brooke, Greg Wells
After two strong bonus tracks, the final song on the deluxe album falls a little flat and is very bland. It kind of shouts out "hey you are done listening to the album". It works like the credits in a movie; its repetitive, predictable and calm. It's not a bad song but not a star finisher like "Not Like the Movies" from Teenage Dream was.
Overall Stats and Views
Strong Songs: "Walking On Air", "Legendary Lovers", "It Takes Two", "This Moment" and "This Is How We Do"
Weak Songs: "Ghost", "Choose Your Battles" and "International Smile"
Strong Points: Songs tell a story, album takes a journey from more Teenage Dream type songs to a new life, good pre-chorus on most songs, good throwbacks, variety in lyrical styles.
Weak Points: Most songs are lacking a 'proper' bridge (that include new lyrics), some songs don't fit the theme of "letting the light in", over-useage of strange and muffled voices throughout songs, 1/2 and 1/2 album (songs #1-8 very up-tempo pop, songs #9-16 very slow ballads).
Final Thoughts: A very well rounded album that had a few small flaws. Variety of strong collaborators. A few annoying antics. Improved writing. More mature than Teenage Dreams, but not comparable at all.
Rating: 8/10
DELUXE TRACKS
14. "Spiritual" Katy Perry, John Mayer, Greg Kurstin
Written with frequent collaborator Greg Kurstin and ex-boyfriend John Mayer, "Spirtual" actually shines and is a great bonus track that is very uplifting and solid. The problem with the song is that the backing beat is almost an exact copy of mexican singer Belinda's 2010 single titled "Gaia" (when "Gaia" is slightly sped up). Not going to point fingers, but the similarities are bigger than the ones between "Roar" and "Brave". Still in this day and age some beats are recycled, and hey maybe Perry even asked Belinda to borrow the beat. No one can tell for sure. Also there is an unnecessary 30 seconds at the end where Perry just sings "Oh, oh-oh, you make me float" over and over.
15. "It Takes Two" Katy Perry, Emeli Sandé, Mikkel Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Benjamin Levin
Sounds like a perfect combo of "Next to Me" (written and preformed by Emeli Sandé) and "Half of Me" (written by Emeli Sandé and preformed by Rihanna). Ironically, both "Half of Me" and "It Takes To" deal with different perspectives of events, are written by the same person, are both deluxe edition tracks and are both #15 on their respective albums. Not saying they are copies of each other or anything, but they just seem reminiscent of each other in a powerful way. The bridge is by far the highlight and is very classic. The vocals lay on top of a beautiful piano which gives a majestic feel to the song.
16. "Choose Your Battles" Katy Perry, Jonatha Brooke, Greg Wells
After two strong bonus tracks, the final song on the deluxe album falls a little flat and is very bland. It kind of shouts out "hey you are done listening to the album". It works like the credits in a movie; its repetitive, predictable and calm. It's not a bad song but not a star finisher like "Not Like the Movies" from Teenage Dream was.
Overall Stats and Views
Strong Songs: "Walking On Air", "Legendary Lovers", "It Takes Two", "This Moment" and "This Is How We Do"
Weak Songs: "Ghost", "Choose Your Battles" and "International Smile"
Strong Points: Songs tell a story, album takes a journey from more Teenage Dream type songs to a new life, good pre-chorus on most songs, good throwbacks, variety in lyrical styles.
Weak Points: Most songs are lacking a 'proper' bridge (that include new lyrics), some songs don't fit the theme of "letting the light in", over-useage of strange and muffled voices throughout songs, 1/2 and 1/2 album (songs #1-8 very up-tempo pop, songs #9-16 very slow ballads).
Final Thoughts: A very well rounded album that had a few small flaws. Variety of strong collaborators. A few annoying antics. Improved writing. More mature than Teenage Dreams, but not comparable at all.
Rating: 8/10
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