By some miracle, I can proudly say that I have listened to every Katy Perry album when it was new. On the week that they came out, I found myself giving in to a curiosity that has rarely been rewarding. And yet, I sometimes wonder why I do it. Maybe it’s because she’s one of the few pop stars that I’ve seen evolve over a whole decade, watching her perform and defy my expectations that she would be a one-hit wonder. Every time she would announce a new album, it would be this wonderful joke where she was saying “Well, I fooled you AGAIN.”
Which isn’t to say that I love her albums. After “Teenage Dream,” her albums became more despondent, edging closer to trendy in ways that I felt slowly took away what was interesting about her. It was this secretly rebellious streak that informed the personality of her songs. She was the outsider who became accepted by the public, managing to be a more accessible version of Pink, wearing cute dresses, and creating interesting levels of kitsch. That is, of course, until they got buried underneath overproduced pap that stripped her of any significant personality.
A low point came in 2017 when “Witness” found her trying too hard to be a pop artist instead of what we turned to Katy Perry for. I still consider “Swish Swish” the worst of it, reflective of how she gave into petty squabbles with others. The whole phenomenon of feuds becomes especially childish as I grow older. I wasn’t the only one who disliked that album, but it’s one of those moments where you hear the artist in a downward spiral, reaching a point (not unlike Taylor Swift with “Reputation”) where there’s a creative block, thinking that being confrontational and edgy is the way to go when all it says is that there are other unresolved emotional conflicts.
I don’t exactly know what’s been happening over the past few years, but the artists who had this unresolved tension have been embracing more positive affirmation. It seems to be a positive trend, whether it’s Taylor Swift, Ellie Goulding, or even Billie Eilish. I like to think that this is a response to how perceptively terrible the world has become in those years, where a president who endorses racist teenage murderers promises to watch the world burn before he takes your advice. I know that it’s personally impacted me to try and be a better person, and it’s clear that “Smile” is a similar territory for Perry.
When asked about her first album in three years, there is one word to keep in mind: self-help. The era of Perry being an indomitable pop star may be quickly ending, but this feels like a more humble endeavor, where she’s making music meant to help her deep down on some psychological level. To watch her evolve from “One of the Boys” to “Smile” is to see such incredible growth, of someone who has lived a wild life. Even at 35, she feels like she’s getting ready to settle down, raise a child, and reflect on healthier ways to deal with lifelong problems like depression and heartbreak.
To be honest, it’s something that feels buried on a bright and shiny packaging that feels like an escape from the personality that we’ve known her for. The first half of the album is presented in an electropop texture that is ethereal, recalling a swirling dance club that finds her doing vocal gyrations as she tries to figure out all of her problems.
It isn’t clear if it’s because of time, but her voice doesn’t have as rich of a presence, choosing to compliment the melodies with a more conventional and straightforward style. If there’s any issue, it’s that anything of substance that is personal (and there’s plenty) feels buried underneath the pastiche, once again proving her obsession of making a fun song over dealing with any richer catharsis. This may be her greatest downfall in general, as it’s clear that her ideas are limited by the production design, and they’re nowhere near as fun as they used to be.
Which is a shame because it does sound like Perry is turning a corner. In the opening song, “Never Really Over,” she explores how grief continues to linger after her. She may go to therapy, but it will continue to be there, if just because of her unprecedented level of fame:
I guess I could try hypnotherapy
I gotta rewire this brain
'Cause I can't even go on the internet
Without even checking your name
It’s autobiographical in ways that show a push and pull of an artist trying to move ahead, finding herself at peace with the world. There are moments where you can imagine her using this opening up to present something more vibrant, but if there’s anything that hurts the album it’s that the next few tracks all have a similar sound design.
It’s not a terrible thing for an album to have, but it causes the whole stretch to have a redundant quality, producing some of her least interesting choruses. Songs like “Cry About It Later” and “Champagne Problems” have a wonderful, empowering quality of excess to them, but it’s difficult to really differentiate them as singular tracks. They all sound the same, the point being lost as the electropop sound blends together. You can dance to them, but Perry doesn’t draw the listener enough to the lyrics to make them matter enough.
One of the early standouts is “Daisies,” which captures her goal perfectly. It’s one of those self-empowering songs about being true to yourself, not letting the world get you down. It’s one of those moments when Perry sounds genuinely enthused by what she’s singing, putting effort into the chorus with an actual message, using the image of daisies as a form of glory, of innocence and beauty. It’s one of those fluffy feel-good songs that she’s made a career out of, doing it most notably on “Prism.” If there’s anything to suggest that there’s optimism waiting to get out, it’s this song, which is one of a handful that finds her reaching for something more interesting.
There are other times like “Not the End of the World” where these ideas are taken more literally, suggesting that any heartbreak is not a reason to quit. Life will go on, and everything will be all right. It’s a fine song, but at times it’s clear how much Perry is obsessed with hokey lyrical compositions, doing a shout-out to Steam’s “Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye)” as she overdramatically sings “Don’t say goodbye.” It works in the ethereal execution, but those who know the melodic reference may be quick to call it cornball, taking away any deeper emotion it’s designed to entail.
While this is an album that has a business as usual vibe for Perry, just with a heavier bent towards optimism, I don’t honestly think that the album gets interesting until the final stretch. The first half feels like a mishmash of far-reaching party anthems and feel-good filler. I feel like these are signs of what I’d expect from Perry if she still created these clever pop tunes that had a lyrical wit to them. They’re not necessarily her most insightful, but I think their ability to be immediately memorable and not blend in with the bouncy first half is a relief. It’s the point where she’s cooled down and is ready to try more experimental work.
While maybe not the most lyrically dense, “Tucked” is my favorite track on the album because of how it uses imagery. It’s still a confession-style song, but it feels playful, managing to explore those deep thoughts we have, of people we can never be with but dream about. Perry keeps this person “tucked” in her mind, thinking about the crazy adventures they could go on. While it’s not clear who it is, it’s still fun to see her youthful spirit come out in the pre-chorus:
I could put us on an island
I could put us in a mansion
I could put us in a back seat, yeah
You're anywhere I want you to be
In those four lines, she manages to capture a mix of fantasy, luxury, and sex in a fairly mature way. Where in the past she was more explicit, she’s winking here, and it’s delightful because it’s a moment where she feels accessible. We all have those unachievable things, even a celebrity whose name pops up constantly on the internet. It may be a little heavy on the “na-na-na’s” (which song isn’t?), but it still works in that delightful way. Much like the album’s title song, it has this way of making us smile. It may be bittersweet in some capacity, but it’s the one obsession we keep to ourselves, reminding us of our mortality.
This is followed up by the most colorful title on the album, “Harleys in Hawaii,” which is one of the goofier songs, managing to rhyme “hula” with “jeweler.” At times it may be this generation’s version of The Beach Boys’ “Kokomo,” but it’s also the fun kind of dumb that Perry’s always been an expert at. It’s a tropical escapist track that encourages you to just go along with it. The only other significant detail for this song is that, according to Wikipedia, Harley Davidson believes that this song provides $40 million worth of advertising for them.
To be totally honest, “Only Love” may be one of the sweetest songs in her entire career, finding a clarity that is profound. Maybe it was driven by COVID-19. Maybe it’s just a side effect of depression. Whatever it is, she decides to explore her final day alive, where she would make amends with her parents and try to put the hate behind her. It’s a prominent message throughout the album, but rarely has it been better expressed. Following the album’s wild ride of vapid and insightful songs, it manages to finish with a tearful look at herself learning to be a better person. You can practically hear her smiling through the lyrics, warmly embracing her audience.
Eighty-six thousand, four hundred seconds in a day
I swear lately most of 'em have been a waste
I feel 'em come and go, bury my mistakes
But time just goes on and on in a way
Then the whole album ends with a song dedicated to her daughter. It’s one that takes on her critics who question “What Makes a Woman” while reflecting on her inner strength, her ability to move on, and not let criticism get the best of her. It’s evidence that she’ll be fine, that she’ll be stronger for facing this head-on. Who needs to tell her how to be when she can do it all by herself?
The final stretch of “Smile” is some of her most enjoyable work in a few albums now, and it’s a bummer that the rest feels a bit uneven. Given that it all captures an interesting perspective of depression and a search for hope, she provides personal insight that works. By the end, she does achieve her goal. This album will make you smile. While it lacks the immediacy of her early work, it’s still a fun pop album that finds her still trying. It may not have the most interesting hooks and she may not be reaching for those interesting vocal patterns, but it still works.
Truthfully, Perry continues to surprise me. Even if she’s at a point where she has nothing to prove, she keeps pushing herself, finding ways to embrace self-expression. I’m glad that this is the trajectory she decided to go in, especially after “Witness” felt like a cry for help. I’m glad that she’s feeling better and that she comes out with more desire to change the world for the better, helping them see things through a brighter lens. It may not change the world, but hopefully if just for one afternoon, it will change your mood and see the world as something greater.
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