“Woman’s World,” the first single off Katy Perry’s “comeback” album 143, had three major problems: 1) Katy collaborated with credibly-accused rapist/abuser Dr. Luke, 2) what Katy thought was a music video filled with feminist satire, was actually a bimbo bikini parade, 3) the song sucked. The second single, “Lifetimes,” likewise had some fundamental flaws, namely that the filming of its music video may have environmentally damaged a protected Spanish island, and the song sucked. But now that 143 has been released in full, the deeper meaning behind the music is coming through. JK, JK! Critics have absolutely panned it, giving the album terrible reviews and declaring it is no comeback. It’s averaging two out of five stars, and the closest thing resembling positive feedback is from Robin Murray of Clash, who said 143 “isn’t all that bad a pop album.” A ringing endorsement!
Last week, the “Teenage Dream” singer received MTV’s iconic Video Vanguard Award at the 2024 Video Music Awards. Now, critics are slamming her new album, released Friday. Here’s some of the backlash “143” has sparked.
“143” has received a slew of negative reviews from music critics. Variety described Perry’s album as “flat,” writing that she “struggles to reclaim past glory” on the new record.
“‘143’ strips away the remnants of the perky personality that catapulted Perry into early 2010s superstardom,” critic Steven J. Horowitz wrote.
Horowitz continued, “Across many of its 11 songs, Perry sounds disaffected and removed, as if she’d just punched in between ‘American Idol’ tapings,” and added that “little of the clever wit that emboldened some of her biggest hits peeks out on the album, a disappointing slide away from the savvy she once so effortlessly exuded.”
The Associated Press’s Mark Kennedy called the album “forgettable,” “uninspired” and “just as lackluster” as her previous album, 2020’s “Smile,” with “none of her past cheeky humor (and) virtually no personality.”
British outlet The Independent, which gave the album two out of five stars, wrote that “143” was Perry “still trying to recover from a series of dud albums and a palpable lack of any real hits since 2013’s trap-infused ‘Dark Horse.’” Music Editor Roisin O’Connor did shout out Perry’s seemingly pointed ode “All The Love” to partner Orlando Bloom and shade at ex-husband Russell Brand.
Alexis Petridis, head rock and pop critic, wrote in The Guardian that “143” contains “commercially disastrous singles” and added Perry’s record “falls short of total catastrophe,” awarding the album two out of five stars.
Robin Murray of Clash noted where the album succeeded and how it fell short, writing “143” “isn’t all that bad a pop album.
“In places, her melodic flourish and penchant for Millennial camp come to the fore in a manner that suggests the creative fires are still burning.” But Murray clarified: “There’s a feeling that the world has moved on — with Chappell Roan’s tour sparking Beatlemania-esque scenes of adoration and Sabrina Carpenter maintaining a stranglehold on the charts.”
Da-yum. For the sake of science and music history, and in an effort to prevent this from ever happening again, I think there should be research done on all the decision-making behind 143. Does Katy not take feedback? Do her collaborators hate her? Is this instant Karma for working with Dr. Luke? I thought the most interesting criticism was Steven J. Horowitz at Variety writing that “little of the clever wit that emboldened some of her biggest hits peeks out on the album, a disappointing slide away from the savvy she once so effortlessly exuded.” Yeah, I have to say I’m most startled by the staggering amount of regression from Katy. She used to have a cheekiness, a wink with her music. 143 isn’t stuck in the vein of her early days, it’s like she’s gone even further back to a less-progressive world of pop. If she actually thinks these new songs are feminist, then I don’t know what to say.
Photos credit: Xavier Collin / Image Press Agency / Avalon
I read some piece written, I can’t remember…I think The Guardian? But it was brutal. They basically itemized my general first thoughts that she was a facade of her former self. But hey, it’s true.
Yeah, I mean she seems like a shell of her former self from what I’ve read in recent years. I have a thought about why, but who knows…
@TQ
Really? Why?
I knew she would have a hard time evolving as an artist. Her bubbly pop stuff was great for a time but she stuck with it for too long that she cant be seen as a ‘deeper’ artist and sadly she didnt know how to transition like other pop stars.
Was it really “great” though?
Well it was certainly blowing up the radio and extremely popular,breaking records and top of the charts,she definitely had a good run. But it wore thin and frankly she cant still sing teenage stuff at this stage.
Some of it was. I think “Teenage Dream,” “E.T.,” “Wide Awake,” “The One that Got Away,” “Dark Horse,” and a few others are certified bangers that set trends many other artists tried to emulate to varying levels of success in the 2010s-2015s. But something happened during her Witness era that completely derailed the machine.
Exactly!
The schtick she had in her 20’s doesn’t translate well in her 40’s. She’s had zero growth and maturity as an artist, songwriter, and singer.
Like what even is that toilet paper dress she’s wearing in that pic!?!?!
I know what to say, Kismet!
Well, bless her heart, she really has shown herself, hasn’t she.
(I’m quoting my very southern grandmother. ‘Showing herself’ is a way of saying ‘yep, we know who she is now, thanks for sharing’)
I thought that was Alanis Morrissette in the header…
I mean, she has NEVER been talented though? Seriously. I don’t even think her songs are bops like some do and she can’t really sing. I think this is the universe’s way of telling her to retire and focus on her family.
ITA. Even her “best” stuff was like glorified Kidz Bop, and her singing voice sounds like she has a permanent case of hiccups.
I think she can sing as well as, say, Taylor Swift — which admittedly isn’t saying much.
This endeavor seems to be more about her physically, than musically.
That’s it, I think you’ve hit it.
I can’t explain exactly why I think you nailed it, but I totally agree. Maybe it’s the salacious way she featured her own body in the video. It’s all very shallow.
It’s bad. I don’t know what she was thinking. But this is the same woman who didn’t want Karen Bass to win her election and seems to be cool with Musk and Dr. Luke. Bah.
Katy Perry hasn’t evolved at all and she’s just coming off as a try hard.
This has nothing to do with the album but why do celebrities insist on making these silly “sexy faces” during red carpet photo calls? They do not look sexy. They do indeed look silly. Katy has a photogenic and beautiful face, she does not need to do this.
I remember Jennifer Lawrence making fun of herself for it once – she said her stylist told her to look angry to match her dress and makeup and she ended up looking ridiculous.
Imo Perrys career downturn stems from her 2017 album Witness flopping hard. Perry got desperate for an hit and so she decided to collabrate with Dr Luke. Had Womans World been an actuallly good song,, she might have gotten away with it but it wasnt. Theres an excellent video from Youtuber ToddintheShadows about Witness and why it flopped. It explains it better then I could.
With her the skimpy clothing seems unnatural and a grab for attention.
In some MVs, it works (like WAP), but not in this case.
If she dressed up like a medieval queenor a crocodile forbthat matter, I would be more inclined to listen and be intrigued.
In this case, it’s just boring, because everyone else does it, and I don’t even want to check it out.
She has ALWAYS given me the worst vibes. Naturally, I never cared for her music. Can’t say I feel bad.
I find it a bit shocking that this whole album is so regressive! I wonder if her fundie upbringing and lack of traditional education is biting her in the butt a little, because this is all terrible! It’s like she learned nothing at all from her past career! She isn’t really an artist in that she has a narrow lane and isn’t that good of a singer, but she always seemed to be in on the joke and her songs were fun. I’m not a fan, but “Dark Horse” was a bop! Since her artistry is lacking, I think she’s just flailing without direction.
She’s from the MySpace era, and we are at the point of the beyond TikTok era. She utterly misread the cultural moment. She’s blaring “look at me! feminism!” as if all that means is women can take over the urinals. Meanwhile, in the real world, women are dying because they can’t access appropriate reproductive healthcare. The best word I can think of to describe her at this point is distastefully ignorant.
@chaine you nailed it.
The urinal scene sums it all up. No one is coming for the urinals. No one even wants to. It’s not even that funny, it’s just kinda gross and humorless. A fart is funnier and has more wit than that urinal scene and that’s saying a lot.
Anyway she’s cooked.
Used to be a big fan of hers but this album is wrong for so many reasons – Kismet nailed it.
She is talented and has an impressive collection of hits. Feels like she’s trying to evolve but completely misses the mark between a more mature self and the smart cheeky-ness of her earlier hits.
I feel kinda bad for her (except for working with Dr. Luke, that’s inexcusable) – feels like she really tried here to make a comeback.
She can tour successfully on her old albums for the next two decades. If she wants to. But the new music is just awful.
Even Madonna went to back to basics and started singing her old hits again, since her new music was meh after Confessions on a Dance Floor.
She’s a conservative lol. She wants to be a Republican SO BADLY but can’t because it’ll be pop culture suicide. Cut from the same cloth as Chapell Roan, indulging in all the benefits of the modern rights that were won for them while staying cozy with the Christian evangelist roots that built them from the lavish comforts of their wealth.
I remember when she made headlines for saying she was doing more “purposeful pop”. Except that’s literally what all the girlies are doing right now. This is a total regression of her music, Never Really Over is probably one of her best songs and there is nothing on this album that comes close
Granted, I don’t have a firm picture in my head of Katy Perry, but this looks more like the Real Housewives woman… Bethany?
It’s what she deserves.