Katy Perry is a woman of conviction and wild creativity. Uncompromising in her vision, a spirit of reinvention and rebellion resonate proudly from ‘Witness’, her fifth studio album. It feels like a musical turning point, but while her well documented love life and cat fights foment intrigue from track one there are plenty of stumbling blocks in her path.
Roulette explores a love of risk and temptation and it's clear Perry intends to push her experimental inclinations on ‘Witness’. ‘80s electro, hip-hop and house all inform the aesthetic of her new material. Swish Swish, for example, samples Roland Clark’s I Get Deep and features verses from Nicki Minaj.
Here the mix works contextually, but Perry’s lyrics are distinctly poor. “Your game is tired,” she sings. “You should retire. You're 'bout as cute as an old coupon expired.” Conversely, Minaj’s verse is flawlessly on point, only highlighting how lacking Perry’s efforts are. Here blinding potential feels sabotaged by the writer herself.
Deja Vu is another house tempo track, co-written and produced on this occasion by Hayden James. This time Perry’s alignment with a heavily credible, niche talent is an intelligent move and sounds damn catchy.
Power, too, is a stand out track on the album. Retaliating at feeling marginalised and compromised by a man, this track will have arenas rising to their feet with synchronised chants of “I'm a goddess and you know it.” Jack Garratt co-wrote this one and his ability to fuse rousing anthems is tangible.
Still, there is a distinctly convoluted subtext in which Perry is attempting to adhere to current trends in chart music. Mind Maze just does not work. Feeling whiny and repetitive within a jarring EDM context, she loses the sense of the empowered pop princess her fans so adore about her. See also her choice to align with US trap trio Migos on Bon Appétit; a move that clashed her new futuristic, left field brand from day one.
Perry’s mission statement with 'Witness' feels contrived. She speaks on political hypocrisy on Chained to the Rhythm but lacks any sentiment or real feeling on Swish Swish. But heartbreak is also a constant throughout ‘Witness’ and Perry’s willingness to strip away any ego, to allow her audience intimate access to the real her, is lovely. The result is an LP where it is hard to make sense of Perry’s decisions both lyrically and conceptually. Its strong moments just about carry ‘Witness’, but it will certainly not be as fondly remembered as her earlier work.
Katy Perry Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Thu June 14 2018 - LONDON O2 Arena
Fri June 15 2018 - LONDON O2 Arena
Mon June 18 2018 - BIRMINGHAM Barclaycard Arena
Tue June 19 2018 - SHEFFIELD Arena
Thu June 21 2018 - LIVERPOOL Echo Arena
Fri June 22 2018 - MANCHESTER Arena
Sun June 24 2018 - GLASGOW SSE Hydro
Mon June 25 2018 - NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE Metro Radio Arena
Click here to compare & buy Katy Perry Tickets at Stereoboard.com.
We don't run any advertising! Our editorial content is solely funded by lovely people like yourself using Stereoboard's listings when buying tickets for live events. To keep supporting us, next time you're looking for concert, festival, sport or theatre tickets, please search for "Stereoboard". It costs you nothing, you may find a better price than the usual outlets, and save yourself from waiting in an endless queue on Friday mornings as we list ALL available sellers!
.jpg)
