“143” - Katy Perry Album Review

Katy Perry. A pop sensation, an icon and a queen. She first made her debut as a Christian artist with her self-titled album, “Katy Hudson” in 2001. However, the album did poorly and she reinvented her image in 2008.

With “One of the Boys,” Perry released timeless bops like “I Kissed a Girl” and “Hot n Cold.” Soon came her albums “Teenage Dream” (2010) and “Prism” (2013) which both contained more memorable tunes.

In 2017, she released “Witness” and in 2020, “Smile.” These albums didn’t do nearly as well as the others, but they had some fun tracks too. Most recently, “143” was announced to the world in 2024.

Katy Perry’s fame hasn’t begun to die, but has her songwriting?

This album is not going into the Hall of Fame. There were very few redeeming moments within the entire listen. So, let’s dive in.

The overall vibe of the album was hard to define. It began with women's empowerment, then falling in love, followed by AI influences rounding it back to making a statement.

The majority of the songs had no depth to them. They seemed to be created with a catchy beat in mind. Sadly, that’s one of the only things positive about “143.”

Songwriter-wise, none of the lyrics in these tracks were up to Katy Perry standards. “I’m His, He’s Mine” sounds like it was put into an AI generator. Many of the rhyme schemes and production elements were grotty.

Some particularly atrocious lyrics include, “'Bout to hit kaleidoscopе,” “I'm his queen, I'm his freak,” and “Livin’ in a candy daydream.”

Now to get specifically picky. “Gimme Gimme” was the worst of the songs and it feels icky. 21 Savage says “21” over ten times and Katy Perry should not be saying the words, “Kitty, kitty, wanna come party tonight/Trippy, trippy, daddy, take me on a ride.”

“I’m His, He’s Mine” also takes the cake for most memorable lyric. Doechii managed to come up with a new word, “narci-nissistic.”

A true heartbreak for Katy Perry fans.

To maybe end on a positive note, the two pre-released singles, “Woman’s World” and “Lifetimes” were decent. Each had a powerful statement, feminism and love, respectively.

The two songs had strong productions, messages and lyrics (for the most part).

Another fan favorite was “Wonder.” It began with Perry’s daughter, Daisy, singing “One day when we’re older will we still look up and wonder.” Perry then echoes those lines. The entirety of the song is a letter to her children that nothing anyone else says should matter and they are strong individuals.

Perry additionally chose strong feature artists for a few of her songs. These features included 21 Savage, Kim Petras, Doechii and JID. Not all of them had the best performances, but they definitely helped collide the world of 2000s pop and today’s trends.

Finally, an honorable mention for “Gorgeous” and “Artificial.” These two songs were only okay yet they each had a movie-like quality. Gorgeous could definitely be used as a hot girl walk-in intro while Artificial would do great in a sci-fi or dystopian film.

Overall, this was an interesting listen. The preponderance of the album was deplorable. It did have some redeeming qualities, but not enough to warrant a recommendation.

Rating: 2/10

Reviewer’s Favorite Song(s): “Wonder” & “Lifetimes”

Reviewer’s Least Favorite Song(s): “Gimme Gimme”

Isabel Sweet is a third-year majoring in film production. To contact her, email ips5219@psu.edu.