Katy Perry’s new album Prism has arrived. The album that promised to pull the dark in, and bring the light out, is finally here in the form of 13 90-minute snippets.
Last night Perry tweeted at her fans that they would be getting a preview, “In just a few hours when the iTunes store turns you will be able to preview 90 seconds of EACH song on #PRISM. Who’s ready for the light?!”
Most of the album is a reveal on Katy Perry’s failed relationships, half reflect the darker side of her initial album that she had scrapped. The other half is perfectly balanced by her ‘head over heels’ approach to falling in love. However, even those poppy songs display an undercurrent of trouble in paradise for Perry, with songs like “It Takes Two” and “Choose Your Battles.” The latter layers Perry over a marching band, as she croons about giving up the fight of a relationship, while the other is a self-reflection on taking accountability over a failed relationship.
Every track has some kind of quality that can make it a radio hit. It certainly shows that Katy Perry picked some of the top hitting producers out there right now. Dr. Luke’s influence is heavy on tracks like “Roar” “Legendary Lovers” “Birthday” “Unconditionally” “Dark Horse” and “Ghost.”
Another standout track is “This Moment” which reveals a vulnerable side, and juxtaposes the poppy contemporary sound that Katy Perry balanced Prism with. “This Moment” was produced by Benny Blanco, and sounds like an 80s throwback ballad. Katy Perry croons a stand out lyric, “All we have is this moment. Tomorrow’s unspoken. Yesterday is history. So why don’t you be here with me?”
Prism also acts as a return to form for Katy Perry. The once Christian singer has returned with a few similar-styled songs, that shows off her vocals, and that contemporary Christian sound she started out in. This versatile quality shows in tracks like “By the Grace of God” and “Spiritual” and “Unconditionally.”
Of the Christian contemporary tracks, “By The Grace of God” definitely stands out, as Perry has said this is her most vulnerable song on the album, and has since performed it live. The song an obvious note to her failed marriage to comedian Russell Brand. Lyrics express a damaged Perry that once was, as she sings, “Thought I wasn’t enough, found I wasn’t so tough. Laying on the bathroom floor. We were living on a fault line and I felt the fault was all mine. Couldn’t take it anymore.”
Essentially if you’re looking for an album that pulls away from Katy Perry’s bubblegum cartoony Teenage Dream , but still keeps it light and bouncy, Perry’s Prism showcases that the singer knows how to let the light and dark in for a creative best.
Listen to snippets of Prism below:
Prism hits iTunes on October 22.