I'll begin with what I really genuinely enjoyed about the record: the singles. There is a good reason why these singles sold upwards of 30 millions copies in the U.S. (which is an insane number; especially when compared to the overall albums sales of 5 million). These are very catchy songs; they are fun, well-produced, and slick. Songs like Teenage Dream, California Gurls, and Firework, whether you love them or hate them, get stuck in your head and stay there. It's easy for me to appreciate and enjoy the auditory experience that is Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F) on a pop level; with its syrupy bass line and (almost) Daft Punk-y repetitive riff, it's a good tune and it punches all the correct pop-pleasure center buttons. I'm sure most of you reading this can sing along with one if not all of the singles released from this album; they were everywhere. They are engineered to be blasted in your car while driving down the highway, singing along with your friends at the top of your lungs or dancing 'til you can't dance no more at wedding. They are light-hearted, enjoyable, easily digestible, and most of all, fun.
I like to think of the album itself like candy. Candy is wonderful in small doses and it hits a special spot that only candy can hit. I feel the same way about a lot of good pop music; it does something in my brain when I'm listening to it that no other kind of music does for me. I love the band Joy Division, but their music was not made for cruising down the highway and especially not for dancing at weddings. But I love them just the same and for very different reasons than I love a great 3-minute pop single. As I was listening to Katy this week, I realized it's not the kind of music that is meant to be sat and thought about; there's no subtext (and I don't really mean that as a criticism). Things are just to be fun and taken at face value which is a good thing sometimes. But after a week of 'candy', I'm ready for something more substantial.
The biggest gripes that I had with this record were with the non-single tracks. And I'm sure that's only natural seeing as this is a pop record and singles are were all the focus is placed. But it was in these tracks that listening to this record day after day became a bit of a burden. Lyrics are not Katy Perry's strong suit. She does write a lot of her own songs which is not the norm in pop music, so respect must be given for that; but sometimes it did get a little painful. Peacock could be a song about letting the greatness inside of you shine through, but it really just seems to be a song about wanting to see a guy's wiener. And the song, Pearl, has a very encouraging message about being true to who you are and getting out of abusive relationships but it's just overwrought and, unfortunately, just a little too hammy.
The worst offender on the album to me was the song Circle the Drain. It's about not wanting to stick around and watch someone throw their life away to a drug addiction. It goes for this edgy, hard vibe and it just really doesn't work. At all. The chorus contain's the line, "I want to be your lover, not your f*cking mother." It just hurts every time it comes around; not because I'm offended by the word but because it rings so false. Katy Perry isn't hard and edgy - I think the record struggles whenever it tries to play that card. There is a big difference between ernest and edgy. Katy does ernest really well; whether Firework or The One That Got Away, she is very good at balancing being positive and inspirational without slipping too much into cheesy territory. But edgy and confrontational does not work for her, so its good to see that she is playing to her strengths in her newest single, Roar. I sure hope there is not another Circle the Drain on her upcoming record.
At the end of the day, I have also realized that I'm not the target audience for this record. I'm not a fifteen year old girl (or am I? Dun-da-dun!!!!). Songs like Pearl and Who Am I Living For? that seem a little overdone and cheesy to me, may totally hit the mark for others. Music has always been so exciting to me because we can all like different things and that's okay. There is always room to expand and explore and grow in music and that's what makes being a listener so great. Katy Perry is at her best when she is genuine and plays to her strengths. As listeners, I think the same principle carries over; we are who we are and your opinion is just as valid as mine. For a long time, I've felt the need to keep up with what's hip and new in music and to like the things that everyone else likes and hate the things that are cool to hate; but I'm trying to get away from that mindset. I enjoy the things that I enjoy and there may be artists and genres that, try my darn-dest, I may never like. If Katy Perry is your favorite artist, that is wonderful and your adoration of her is part and parcel of what makes music so great. For me, I'm glad to have spent the week with 'Teenage Dream' but I will be alright with simply buying the singles collection in a few decades and cranking it up while I drive down the highway, awash in nostalgia.
Up Next: Black Sabbath's 'Paranoid'. The godfather of all metal albums that I have somehow gone this far without ever (really) listening to.
