The pop mega star’s first album in 4 years falls extremely flat.

Katy Perry is one of the most well known names in pop music. After exploding on the scene in 2008 with her smash hit “I Kissed a Girl”, Perry has remained a staple in the popular music zeitgeist since. She’s sold over 48 million albums and 135 million singles, making her one of the best selling artists of all-time. There’s a good chance you’re heard one of her many singles at some point in time; whether at a party, in a grocery or department store, on the radio, or at the Super Bowl. After taking a break for about 4 years and becoming a mother, Perry looked to continue her dominance.

Unfortunately though, to put it simply, the latest effort from Perry is just straight up bad. It’s lifeless, generic, and outdated. It lacks any sort of soul, or the whimsical charm and fun of much of Perry’s previous work. While Perry has never exactly been a critical darling, she still had a way to capture audiences with her fun subject matter and the danceable nature of her tracks. There’s very little of that in “143”. It feels like an album that could’ve been made by just about anyone, there’s nothing that stands out that says, “THAT’s Katy Perry”. And in an era where pop artists like Charli XCX, Sabrina Carpenter, Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish, and Chappel Roan are dominating the charts while making interesting, creative, and transformative pop music, this effort from Perry just doesn’t cut it.

The irony of naming the opening track and first single of the record “Woman’s World” while being produced by long-time collaborator Dr. Luke, who has been accused of drugging and raping Kesha, is not lost on many. Even outside of the allegations and controversy, Dr. Luke’s production feels extremely flat and uninspired. The writing is at times head scratching, and the catchy hooks Perry has mastered over the years are nowhere to be found. The record also features artists like 21 Savage, JID, and Kim Petras, who all sleepwalk through the album and subtract more than they add.

The few bright spots throughout the record are few and far between. The second single, “Lifetimes” is an earworm and somewhat catchy. Doechii provides the best guest appearance on “I’m His, He’s Mine”. And probably the biggest saving grace is the brevity. Coming in at only about 33 minutes, it doesn’t drag you along longer than it has to.

All in all, it calls into question if the current pop landscape has left Katy Perry behind. Is it possible for her to bounce back from what is the worst scored album on Metacritic since 2011? Only time will tell, but it’s going to take some serious soul searching and reflection. Unfortunately, it might prove too little too late by then.

Rating: 2/10

By Devyn Tammons