Katy Perry released a new album, titled Smile, on Friday, Aug. 28, and I am totally here for it.
The album is all about life regrets, new beginnings, and ways to start over as the popstar reflects on mistakes she has made throughout her life. With motivating and inspirational tracks such as “Daisies,” “Resilient” and “Smile,” we are reminded by Perry to never stop going and that there is always time to start again.
Most of the album has the quirky, bubbly pop sound we are used to from Perry, but it features stronger lyrics than her past albums. There are currently three music videos and one live performance posted on YouTube. The visuals for the music videos are the best they can be considering Perry’s COVID-19 quarantine due to her pregnancy that she announced back in March. The videos are almost entirely in cartoon form with the exception of the video for the title track, “Smile.” It is both nonanimated and animated. The quality of the animation for the videos is exceptional and follows along with the stories of the songs. Personally, I enjoyed the old cartoon style for the video “Harleys in Hawaii.”
There are two explicit tracks on the album, making the whole album explicit due to language. One of these songs is titled “What Makes a Woman” and is my favorite song on the album. The track speaks on the unpredictability and splendor of women and that it is okay to be who you are. As the lyrics state, “Could spend your whole life, but you couldn’t describe what makes a woman and that’s what makes a woman to me.” As a female, these lyrics were especially empowering. In today’s society, we often need reminders that it is acceptable to not fit into a mold and Katy Perry is the perfect woman to give us that reminder as she is successful, strong and frequently considered stylistically strange.
Overall, this album gets a seven out of ten for me and will be sure to put a “smile” on your face.
