Katy Perry Offers Up A Spark of Joy: A Reviewing of “Smile”
From the whispers of a new record titled, “KP6” up until the explosive landing of “Smile” – Katy Perry has had us hooked throughout this whole journey. Upon the arrival of her sixth studio album, the young star has made two things very clear. The first being that she’s embracing a new version of herself, one that’s keen to revel in the brighter moments of life. And the second is a resolution to settle comfortably within the circle of pop music.
In the lead up to the release of this album, Katy showered us with singles like, “Harleys in Hawaii”, “Never Really Over”, “Daisies” and more. These tracks turned our attention to the new path Katy had chosen to tread on. Each song witnessed a groovy cocktail of beats, while Katy’s vocals spanned from sultry croons and quirky verbiage to starry falsettos, the latter resulting in many of us nursing sore throats as we attempt to hit those notes. And so, these very tracks heralded the birth of a joyous, exuberant creation.
Now, it’s also Katy’s songwriting that proved to be the cherry on top of this lovely cake. With lyrics like “Took those sticks and stones/ Showed ’em I could build a house’ and ‘Boy, tell me, can you take my breath away?/ Cruisin’ down a heart-shaped highway”, we’re introduced to a new version of Katy Perry. One that’s come out of a rough patch with renewed confidence, one that’s found love again and one that’s not afraid of the world anymore.
As “Smile” unfolds, we acquaint ourselves with Katy’s different moods. In the dreamy disco-pop groove, “Teary Eyes” the star tells us to push through the pain. She croons, “Just keep on dancin’ with those teary eyes” which might just be a well-tested remedy. She then takes things down a notch with a gentle, soulful dedication to her daughter in “What Makes A Woman”. “She’s always been a perfect mystery/ Could spend your whole life, but you couldn’t/ Describe what makes a woman/ And that’s what makes a woman to me,” Katy sings.
The star then arrives with a sense of firm reassurance and comfort with her fairytale-like track, “Not The End of The World“. She sings, “You might see a cliff, but I see a way to fly,” urging people to look for the light at the end of the tunnel, despite trying times.
In Katy’s words, this album is her “journey towards the light, with stories of resilience, hope and love.” And while she might have reiterated the same a tad bit too much in her songwriting, every track on “Smile” does a fine job of keeping our spirits up high. In terms of her soundscape, Katy has chosen to remain well within the confines of her comfort zone, her tunes all arriving with a familiar yet enjoyable aftertaste.
So, with “Smile” we see Katy Perry doing what she’s always done: keeping us sated, happy, while also reassuring us that she’s in a good place right now.
By: Nina Karun
