“143” is the long-awaited album from the superstar Katy Perry. Releasing this year, four whole years after her Cosmic Energy EP, many people expected quite a lot considering the amount of time she took making it. Perry initially decided to take time off in the wake of her daughter’s birth and to spend time with family. Raising children is an experience that changes you on a different level, so most people expect to see some real change come out in her music. According to Perry, she chose the name “143” because it represents her angel number. She said she saw it everywhere in life and that it represented love and hope. The stars might have aligned for the 143 number, but they certainly did not for the 143 album.
This year now more than ever before, pop has been the focus of music. With albums from Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan blowing up, it seems this would be the perfect time for Perry to return to the game swinging. Having shown she is well equipped to make songs that resonate with people in the past, everyone had high expectations. Sadly, I do not think I am alone in saying people have generally been disappointed. I do not recommend you listen to this album unless you are already a really big Perry fan.
What we were given can only be described as a bland parody of modern electro-pop. Songs like “Gorgeous,” “Woman’s World” and “I’m His, He’s Mine”, and others like them leave me shocked they made it past the drafts. These songs cover topics so simple and elementary, it feels like no one even tried on them. When I discovered Perry had six writers help her on this album, I was genuinely shocked. Do not get me wrong, lyrics are not the most important part of a song by far. Many famous bands such as Nirvana, Radiohead and many others have made careers writing many songs that are entirely up to listener interpretation. The problem Perry has is the lines come across as so basic, it’s like listening to Kids’ Bop covers with some explicite language thrown in for kicks. It doesn’t help that for the most part, the melodies are very simple variations of club pop with nothing added to spice things up. None of this is to say there are not any catchy songs on here. Lots of songs such as “Crush,” “Lifetimes” and “All the Love” have very catchy danceable beats that get stuck in your head and that is all some people need. But for the more lyrically aware listener, it leaves much to be desired. The sad part is that I was excited about this one. After years of radio silence, everyone was on Perry’s side rooting for her.
I am no pop snob myself and just like everyone else, I enjoy a lot of Perry’s earlier work. That being said, this album is inexcusably boring and bland. If you are looking for a new electro-pop album to get into, I highly recommend checking out Porter Robinson’s 2024 album “SMILE :D.” That is an album that will hook you right away and make it worth your while. In the end, this is solely my opinion, and I genuinely hope you enjoyed “143” more than I did.
