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Katy Perry: Witness

7/2/2017

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Album Review.
Likes: Power, Miss You More, Pendulum
Overall: Proof reflection albums aren't always depressing. Sturdier vocals, decent lyrics, techno club-friendly
 
Since breaking away from contemporary Christian rock (that is still such a surprising, random fun fact), Katy Perry's been known for her tasty pop confections. The new Witness is just as sweet, but the content reveals a more contemplative and restless Perry. She queries what the best path to contentment and fulfillment is (ex. "Mind Maze), and is eager to drop bad habits and cyclic relationships (ex. Deja Vu). On "Power," she sings of ending generational submission and taking back the identity that she lost in an oppressive partner. If she's not combating toxic love, she bemoans affairs of those past (ex. "Save as Draft"). Even this isn't done without self-analyzation, as she questions the motives for her longing on "Miss You More:" "But your mind plays tricks with distance; always makes things feel so unfinished...I miss you more than I loved you."
 
Her musings aren't limited to interpersonal concerns. "Bigger Than Me" and single "Chained to the Rhythm" (which has a great video, by the way) discuss seeking the superficial comforts of complacency and avoidance at the expense of progression. "Hey Hey Hey"  is a little more socio-politically overt, dealing with false assumptions about femininity. It puts you in the mind of No Doubt's "I'm Just a Girl" and Chrisette Michele's "Porcelain Doll." There's irony in the personal growth and social themes. Over the years, Perry's been accused of LGBT-insensitive moves and cultural appropriation. The latter topic was formally addressed by the singer in an interview with activist and Pod Save the People podcast host, DeRay McKesson.
 
Musically, Witness isn't a melting pot. It sounds intentionally idealized for a techno dance club, and it  doesn't get any more discotheque than the hater kiss-off single "Swish Swish" with Nicki Minaj. Pop priest Max Martin continues his long-standing tango with Perry, producing 7/15 tracks. Noah "Mailbox" Passovoy, best known for his work with Maroon 5, also has several co-collaborating credits. He teamed up with hip-hop's Mike Will Made it for the toothsome bedroom player, "Tsunami." British singer-songwriter Jack Garratt joined him on the aforementioned "Power," which features a quite unexpected sample of Smokey Robinson's "Being with You." How the tender 1981 hit is manipulated to support "Power's" winding tenaciousness is kind of fascinating. Passovoy worked on the "feel good" cut "Pendulum" as well,  with genre factotum Jeff Bhasker. Choir in tow, the heartening song has dusts of funk that make you suspect that it too samples an R&B classic. As appetizing as this album is, parts of it do fade into the background and require a constant refreshing of memory. Paradoxically, the title track is a primary example of this.
 
In terms of vocals, I stated in my review for 2013's Prism that Perry's voice was shrill and "seemingly limited" at times, fuller and emotive at others. The vocals are sturdy and consistent on Witness. Any shots at diversifying don't miss because she wisely doesn't go outside of the bounds of her aptitudes.
 
Only time will tell if Witness will be considered a landmark record in Katy Perry's discography. If nothing else, it will be known as the moment she was called to action.

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Katy Perry: Prism (Deluxe)

10/30/2013

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Album Review.
Likes: Legendary Lovers, Birthday, Ghost, Double Rainbow, It Takes Two
Dislikes: This is How We Do
Overall: Cohesively sweet & airy, not as catchy as expected, good lyrics on half the album

You might look at me crazy and think I’ve been living under a rock, but “Prism” is the 1st Katy Perry album I have ever listened to in full and reviewed. Guess I’m tardy to the party in trying to hear what all the fuss is about. “Prism’s” strength is that it’s so incredibly atmospheric and consistent musically and lyrically; the focus being exhilarating, mesmerizing love with occasional remarks on self-discovery. I appreciated how the album operated like an orchestral film soundtrack in that majority of its elements seemed custom made for the theme. On average, an album’s lyrics can be predominately on one topic, but either the songs don’t tie together in story form or the music could easily be attached to another set of words. The production (mostly provided by Max Martin, Dr. Luke & Cirkut) is definitely mood-specific (light and airy), and doesn’t seem disorganized even though it includes notes of international music (ex. “Legendary Lovers”), hip-hop (ex. Dark Horse), throwback 90’s dance (“Walking on Air” made me think of Cece Peniston’s “Finally”) and 80’s pop (ex. “This Moment”). Since Perry is a mainstream pop artist, I expected a techno-based album, but even though the digital effects were there, this thankfully wasn’t the case.

Pluses in tow, a snag is that “Prism” is so sweet and chill, it might lose your attention. It took a week of repeat listening before I caught myself humming the tunes or remembering the words. Additionally, the 1st half of the record is somewhat weak lyrically, with the exception of “Lovers,” which doesn’t help. Vocally, Perry is just as blended as the stylistic influences on her album; sometimes her voice is high, a little shrill, seemingly limited in range and speak-singing (like you would hear in generic pop), other times, it’s deeper, fuller, raspier and more emotional with a rock essence (I’m not all that familiar with how she sounds live, by the way). Lastly, the well-written, enhancing deluxe tracks (“It Takes Two,” “Spiritual” & “Choose Your Battles”) should’ve been included on the standard edition of the record. Collectively, I enjoyed “Prism” and think it’s a solid piece of work. If you’re looking for radio-friendly, pepped-up jams, however, this wouldn’t be the album for you. Sidebar: considering Perry collaborated with some of the production team that Britney Spears was supposed to have for the upcoming “Britney Jean” (it was rumored that Martin, Dr. Luke & Danja, the men behind some of Britney’s most successful/or critically acclaimed albums, were going to work on “Jean;” Will.I.Am is now the head producer), I wonder if “Prism” will end up being the better album between the two. “Jean” will likely be catchy, but will it have depth beyond that? Questions I have. 

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Does Katy Perry & Lady Gaga's "Roar" Deserve "Applause"?

8/12/2013

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Single Reviews.

Lady Gaga: Applause
The pop world has been holding their breath in anticipation of Lady Gaga’s 1st single from the set-for-fall album “ARTPOP;” the wait is over (I don’t get why people were sweating bullets so hard; it’s only been 2 years since her last album, geez). Many are excited that “Applause” has the audio and theme feel of Gaga’s debut “The Fame,” but I’m personally not enthusiastic about this. “The Fame” had hardly any musical integrity and was lyrically mindless and superficial. Aside from seeming commentary on her critics and appreciation for her fans, “Applause” is like so. For this song to be the 1st taste of an album that’s supposed to be ground-breaking and symbolic, it certainly falls short. “Applause” is catchy, but it’s far from definitive and requiring a standing ovation. Listen to "Applause" here.

Katy Perry: Roar
“Roar” didn’t do much for me either. Although the lyrics are more inspiring with an “I’m no longer going to be a push-over” message, melodically, it’s very standard pop. So standard, that anyone, from a newbie to a veteran, could’ve recorded the song and it wouldn’t have made a difference. It’s surprising that such a generic song, stitched with plenty of overused platitudes (ex. “eye of the tiger,” “you’re gonna hear me roar”) was chosen not only as a 1st single, but for Perry, whose kind of formed her own unique sound and is recognized for her infectious and hard-hitting tunes. Disappointing day in pop for me. Hear "Roar" now.

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RollingStone Lists Top 10 Queens of Pop (I'M MAD!)

7/6/2011

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Britney's 1st Cover, 1999
Kinda mad, anyway. RollingStone Magazine has just released their reader’s poll results listing the top 10 “Queens of Pop.” While I find favor with majority of the list, there are a few things that irk me about the outcome. Here’s the list and afterward, I’ll go into my rant: 10) Mariah Carey, 9)Elton John 8)Cher 7)Katy Perry 6)Aretha Franklin 5)Beyonce` 4)Tina Turner 3)Britney Spears 2)Lady Gaga 1)Madonna.

First, let me say that all of these artists are worthy of acknowledgement and respect, but whether or not they’re appropriate for this list is another thing. Aretha Franklin and Tina Turner have had several hits on the pop chart, but pop is not their core genre or their core audience, especially considering the fact they’ve been pegged in culture as the “Queen of Soul” and the “Queen of Rock N’ Roll.” When there are only 10 spots on the list, it should be reserved for those who primarily record pop music such as Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson and Christina Aguilera, all of whom were NOT on the list (which is atrocious). I find it almost disrespectful that Janet Jackson was not included. I suppose I should look to the reader’s of RollingStone, since their votes made the results. I don’t think I have to explain why Jackson should’ve been included, but, in brief, she was Madonna’s right-hand contemporary, dominated the charts from 1986-1998, sold over 100 million records worldwide, and influenced the choreographic styles of Britney Spears and Aaliyah, among others.

Another issue I had with the list was the inclusion and placement of newcomers Katy Perry and Lady Gaga. I have no doubt that Lady Gaga will continue to impact pop music and build her legacy, but I don’t think it was appropriate for her to be ahead of more established, long-time acts, like Mariah Carey or Beyonce`. In a short time, she’s has had immense success, but the key phrase here is “a short time.” She has only 2 albums and an EP available. Should she be #2 to someone who has 11 eleven albums with a 28 year career? It would make more sense to me for her to be somewhere between #5-#10. Perry? I’m not sure she should be on the list at all; especially in exchange for Whitney Houston. Lastly, I don’t know whether to find it humorous or tasteless that Elton John was listed. Clearly, it’s a gay pun. A straight male wouldn’t have been listed. Again, there were only 10 spots, and they used one to make a potentially tacky joke. Speaking of jokes, let me mention a better one. I recently made a page of satirical “campaign videos” for the title of “Queen of Pop,” attempting to impersonate some of today’s pop-starlets. Head over to http://jsays.weebly.com/queen-of-pop.html to check it out and vote for your favorite video. Click the picture of Britney Spears above to read the detailed RollingStone article. What did you think of RollingStone’s list? Hit the comment button, or simply vote below :)

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Divas Copying Divas

3/6/2011

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My latest Videoblog.
I said I would have an example of lazy music production, so here it is. The production team, StarGate, produced "With You" (Chris Brown) and "Irreplaceable" (Beyonce`). As you should be able to see in the following video, the tracks are VERY similar. Producers tweak a track JUST ENOUGH (i.e. speeding or slowing tempo, changing a chord, or adding an effect) to avoid complete duplication, but it's still obvious it's the same track. Also below is a comparison of the StarGate produced "Firework" (Katy Perry) and "Good Girl" (Alexis Jordan). SHAME.
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