stringtranslate.com

143 (Katy Perry album)

143 is the seventh studio album by American singer Katy Perry. It was released on September 20, 2024, by Capitol Records. The album title references the expression "I love you", but was also inspired by what Perry considers as her symbolic "angel number". Her first album since Smile (2020), Perry expanded on the themes of self-love and empowerment inspired by her motherhood.

In order to create a "dance party" album, Perry turned to producers Max Martin, Dr. Luke, and Stargate, who had produced her earlier songs, while also working with first-time collaborators Vaughn Oliver and Rocco Did It Again!. 143 features guest appearances from German singer Kim Petras and American rappers JID, 21 Savage and Doechii. Dr. Luke's involvement in the album was widely criticized, following fellow singer Kesha's sexual assault allegations against him.

Upon release, 143 received a generally negative reception from music critics, who criticized Perry's creative stagnancy; reviews dubbed the songwriting subpar and the production outdated. Three singles preceded the album's release: "Woman's World" was released as the lead single on July 11, 2024. The song peaked at number 63 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 47 on the UK singles chart. It was followed by "Lifetimes" on August 8, and "I'm His, He's Mine" featuring Doechii on September 13.

Background and conception

In August 2023, Perry confirmed in a Good Morning America interview that she was working on new material from a "place of love".[1] The next February, she made an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and announced her exit from the American Idol judges' panel following the conclusion of the twenty-second season, wanting to "go out and feel that pulse to my own beat" and release new music after being "in the studio for a while".[2] Two months later, Perry told Access Hollywood that she was working on a "very bright and joyful" album.[3]

Rolling Stone reported in June 2024 that Perry had "reconnected" with producers who worked with her before, including Max Martin, Stargate, and Dr. Luke.[4] During a livestream via her social media on July 10, 2024, Perry described 143 as a dance album: "This record is super high energy, it's super summer, it's very high BPM. We just had a family dance party to one of the songs, and it's just full of so much joy, so much love, so much light." Perry also stated that an acoustic follow-up album was in the works.[5]

During an exclusive interview with Zane Lowe, she explained that the album title is her symbolic "angel" number: "A couple years ago, we were going through a little bit of a hard time medically in our family, and it was a little bit scary, and I started seeing 143 in many different ways, not just, like, on the phone. It was just like trippy, almost. And I looked it up, and it's code for 'I love you.' I really believe it was my angels, my guides, saying, 'I love you. We got you. We're going to protect you. You're exactly where you're meant to be. You're on the path".[6][a]

Music and lyrics

Primarily a pop album,[8] 143 is a dance-pop[9] and Europop album.[8]

Release and promotion

Perry at 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards yellow carpet

Perry revealed on July 10, 2024, that her seventh album is titled 143 and will be released on September 20, 2024, by Capitol Records.[10] To further excite her fans, she went on a social media livestream that day and teased new songs from the album, including "Nirvana", "Gimme Gimme" featuring 21 Savage, and "I'm His, He's Mine" featuring Doechii, which samples "Gypsy Woman" by Crystal Waters.[5] During her interview with Lowe, Perry shared snippets of two other 143 tracks: "Lifetimes" and "Gorgeous".[11] The album is scheduled to be released on CD, vinyl, and cassette.[12]

Singles

The lead single, "Woman's World", was released on July 11, 2024.[13] The song and its music video were received negatively by critics and the public. Several journalists attributed it to the "bad taste" of the album's marketing, which they found unhelpful to Perry's perceived commercial decline with Witness and Smile. Perry's collaboration with Dr. Luke, who has been accused of sexual harassment by American singer Kesha, was also widely criticized.[14]

A second single, "Lifetimes", was released on August 8, 2024. Its music video, which revealed 143's track list, was accused of trespassing on ecologically protected dunes by the government of Balearic Islands, Spain.[15][16][17][18] Perry performed "I'm His, He's Mine" with Doechii and "Lifetimes" in a medley at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards on September 11,[19] with the song being released as a single two days later on September 13.[20] On album's release day, Perry performed "Woman's World", "Gimme Gimme", "Gorgeous", "I'm His, He's Mine" and "Lifetimes" at Rock in Rio. Perry will be performing at 2024 AFL Grand Final on September 28.[21][22][23] Alexis Petridis of The Guardian stated that all three singles of the album underperformed on the charts.[24]

Critical reception

143 received generally unfavorable reviews from critics.[35][36][37] At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 34, based on 10 reviews.[34] It is the lowest-rated album of Perry's career and the ninth lowest-rated album on the website.[38]

Several reviews considered 143 an unimpressive output from Perry. Alexis Petridis of The Guardian dubbed 143 a mediocre pop album, which he felt "isn't that bad. It isn't that good either, but it’s certainly some way short of total catastrophe."[8] Similarly, Clash's Robin Murray,[27] Slant's Tom Williams,[33] The Times's Ed Potton,[39] and NME's Nick Levine felt that the album was a dull, unsatisfying listen with few highlights.[40] Tanatat Khuttapan of The Line of Best Fit described 143 as an album of "mindless club fillers".[41] Slate's Carl Wilson,[42] Business Insider's Callie Ahlgrim,[43] and The Arts Desk's Guy Oddy said the album has no redeeming songs after its three singles.[44]

Critics took issue with what they considered as an outdated music production. Petridis,[8] Murray,[27] and Los Angeles Times' Mikael Wood felt that Perry's music does not fit in a pop scene defined by fresh sounds of Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan.[9] Dubbing the album "genuinely bad", Wilson regarded Perry as "an invasive species pushing into environments where she doesn't belong, namely the 2020s."[42] The Independent's Roisin O'Conner agreed, saying 143 is out of touch, drawn back by "commercial aspirations to have any real fun" but claimed the track "All the Love" contains Perry's best vocal performance since "Never Really Over" (2019).[45] Maura Johnston of Rolling Stone felt Perry unsuccessfully attempts to "rekindle her glory days" in 143, which results in music "as dated as a Vine".[46]

Some critics compared the album's lyrics to artificial intelligence.[43][47][9] Variety writer Steven J. Horowitz described 143 as a "flat" album of lyrical cliches and "limpest" music production, marking a new creative low for Perry. Horowitz argued that Perry's decision to retrospect on her older catalog to create new music was a bad creative direction.[47] Mark Kennedy of Associated Press and Fred Thomas of AllMusic found the album boring, "uninspired", "forgettable", and "lifeless", with hollow "sloganeering" lyrics that they felt lacked soul.[48][49] Similarly, musicOMH critic John Murphy claimed 143 is flat, forgettable, and "formulaic".[50] Ahlgrim opined that one might believe the criticism "is overblown or prejudicial, a cliché result of herd mentality" but said that is not the case with 143 and that "the adverse reaction [...] is very much earned, if even a little generous."[43] Many critics considered 143 as a release that confirms Perry's perceived loss of creativity after having been a prominent pop star of the 2010s; Thomas opined, "143 rings the death knell for Perry".[51][52][53][54]

On a positive note, Billboard author Rania Aniftos regarded 143 as a "characteristically Katy Perry" album that her fans are "sure to enjoy".[55] Some reviewers, such as Horowitz, Petridis, and Khuttapan, declared "Wonder" as the best track of the album, complimenting the display of sincere emotion.[8][56]

Track listing

Notes and samples

Personnel

Musicians

Technical

Release history

References

  1. ^ Proto, Dominick; Starr, Alyssa; Escobedo, Monica; Katz, Ilana; Bernabe, Angeline Jane (August 4, 2023). "Katy Perry's Las Vegas residency 'Play' coming to an end". Good Morning America. Archived from the original on July 10, 2024. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  2. ^ Morrow, Brendan (February 13, 2024). "Katy Perry says she's leaving 'American Idol' amid 'very exciting year'". USA Today. Archived from the original on February 13, 2024. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
  3. ^ Gotto, Connor (July 10, 2024). "Katy Perry teases 'pure joy and fun' new album". Retropop. Archived from the original on July 11, 2024. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  4. ^ Mier, Tomás (June 19, 2024). "Katy Perry reconnected with 'Teenage Dream' producers Dr. Luke, Max Martin for KP6". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 26, 2024. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Horowitz, Steven J. (July 10, 2024). "Katy Perry Teases Sixth Album '143' With Features From Doechii and 21 Savage, Plus a Crystal Waters Sample". Variety. Archived from the original on July 11, 2024. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  6. ^ Bonner, Mehera (July 12, 2024). "Here's the Meaning Behind Katy Perry's Mysterious New Album Title '143'". AOL. Archived from the original on July 12, 2024. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
  7. ^ "143". Archived from the original on September 18, 2024. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  8. ^ a b c d e f Petridis, Alexis. "Katy Perry: 143 review – wan Europop revival falls short of total catastrophe". The Guardian. Archived from the original on September 21, 2024. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  9. ^ a b c Wood, Mikael (September 20, 2024). "In a year of great pop music, Katy Perry's latest is pop trash". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on September 21, 2024. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
  10. ^ Ahlgrim, Callie (July 10, 2024). "Katy Perry's new album is called '143.' Here's everything we know so far". Business Insider. Archived from the original on July 10, 2024. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  11. ^ Regatti, Alex (July 12, 2024). "Katy Perry talks new album '143': "It's a dance party and everyone's invited"". NME. Archived from the original on July 12, 2024. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
  12. ^ a b 143 release formats:
    • "143 Cassette". Katy Perry Official Shop. Archived from the original on August 22, 2024. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
    • "143 Standard CD". Katy Perry Official Shop. Archived from the original on July 10, 2024. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
    • "143 Exclusive Deluxe Purple Vinyl". Katy Perry Official Shop. Archived from the original on August 22, 2024. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
    • "143 Store Exclusive Signed Silver Vinyl". Katy Perry Official Shop. Archived from the original on July 10, 2024. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  13. ^ Camp, Alexa (July 11, 2024). "Katy Perry flexes her Pop prowess in new single "Woman's World"". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on July 12, 2024. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
  14. ^ Sources on the general response to the album's marketing and Perry's commercial performance since Witness:
    • Browne, David (July 17, 2024). "Katy Perry's 'Woman's World' and the End of 2010s Pop". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on July 18, 2024. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
    • Walker, Jodi (July 19, 2024). "Katy Perry's Second Flop Era, 2004 Pop Girlie Nostalgia, and Olympics Hype". The Ringer. Archived from the original on August 22, 2024. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
    • Zhang, Cat (July 12, 2024). "Katy Perry Is Stuck in 2016". The Cut. Archived from the original on July 19, 2024. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
    • Eqbal, Amelia (July 18, 2024). "Woman's World is probably not the comeback Katy Perry had in mind". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on July 19, 2024. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
    • Brasil, Sydney (July 12, 2024). "Katy Perry's "Woman's World" Is a Dystopia". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on July 22, 2024. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
    • Curto, Justin (August 15, 2024). "The VMAs Decide Now Is the Time to Honor Katy Perry". Vulture. Archived from the original on August 16, 2024. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  15. ^ Mier, Tomás (August 8, 2024). "Katy Perry Reveals '143' Track List in Beachy 'Lifetimes' Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
  16. ^ McLaren, Bonnie (August 16, 2024). "Katy Perry under Spain environmental investigation over Lifetimes video". BBC News. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  17. ^ Curto, Justin (August 15, 2024). "And Now Katy Perry Is Under an Environmental Investigation, Too". Vulture. Archived from the original on September 9, 2024. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  18. ^ Ahlgrim, Callie (August 16, 2024). "Katy Perry has released 2 stale songs and is in a 'career crisis.' A PR expert says her comeback can still be salvaged — if she does it right | Business Insider India". Business Insider. Archived from the original on September 16, 2024. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  19. ^ Mier, Tomás (September 12, 2024). "Katy Perry Flies Through 'Lifetimes' of Hits as She Accepts VMA Vanguard Award". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on September 12, 2024. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  20. ^ "Katy Perry and Doechii Set Release Date for First Collaboration 'I'm His, He's Mine'". Yahoo! Entertainment. September 10, 2024. Archived from the original on September 11, 2024. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  21. ^ Fekadu, Mesfin (August 15, 2024). "Katy Perry to Receive Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at 2024 MTV VMAs". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 14, 2024. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  22. ^ Laughton, Max (July 10, 2024). "You're gonna hear her roar: AFL tipped to land Katy Perry for 2024 Grand Final entertainment". Fox Sports. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  23. ^ Laughton, Max. "Katy Perry Announces 'Celebratory' Sixth Album 143, Sets Fall Release Date". People. Archived from the original on August 24, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  24. ^ Petridis, Alexis. "Katy Perry: 143 review – wan Europop revival falls short of total catastrophe". The Guardian. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  25. ^ Thomas, Fred (September 21, 2024). "143 Review". AllMusic. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
  26. ^ Oddy, Guy (September 21, 2024). "Album: Katy Perry – 143". The Arts Desk. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
  27. ^ a b c Murray, Robin. "Katy Perry: 143 review". Clash. Archived from the original on September 20, 2024. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  28. ^ O'Connor, Roisin (September 20, 2024). "Katy Perry review, 143: Painfully dated and glaringly out of touch". The Independent. Archived from the original on September 20, 2024. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  29. ^ Khuttapan, Tanatat (September 20, 2024). "Katy Perry succumbs to mindless club fillers on 143". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on September 20, 2024. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  30. ^ Murphy, John (September 21, 2024). "Katy Perry – 143". musicOMH. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
  31. ^ Levine, Nick (September 20, 2024). "Katy Perry – '143' review: a pop star struggles to relocate her old sense of fun". NME. Archived from the original on September 20, 2024. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  32. ^ Johnston, Maura (September 20, 2024). "Katy Perry's '143' Is a Failed Attempt to Rekindle Her Glory Years". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on September 20, 2024. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  33. ^ a b Williams, Tom (September 20, 2024). "Katy Perry '143' Review: A Joyless, By-the-Numbers Comeback". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on September 20, 2024. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  34. ^ a b "Critic reviews for 143 by Katy Perry". Metacritic. Archived from the original on September 20, 2024. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  35. ^ Murray, Conor. "Katy Perry Releases '143' Album To Dismal Reviews After Dr. Luke Controversy And Unsuccessful Singles". Forbes. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  36. ^ "Katy Perry's new album rollout is a masterclass in what not to do". ABC News. September 20, 2024. Archived from the original on September 20, 2024. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  37. ^ "The Reviews For Katy Perry's New Album 143 Are Here And... Ouch". Yahoo News. September 20, 2024. Archived from the original on September 21, 2024. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  38. ^ "Best Music and Albums of All Time". Metacritic. Archived from the original on June 25, 2023. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
  39. ^ Potton, Ed (September 20, 2024). "Katy Perry: 143 review — horrors like Woman's World outnumber any highs". www.thetimes.com. Archived from the original on September 20, 2024. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  40. ^ Levine, Nick (September 20, 2024). "Katy Perry – '143' review: a pop star struggles to relocate her old sense of fun". NME. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  41. ^ "Katy Perry: 143 Review – mindless nothing | Pop". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on September 20, 2024. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  42. ^ a b Wilson, Carl (September 20, 2024). "How the Public Fell Out of Love With Katy Perry". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Archived from the original on September 20, 2024. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
  43. ^ a b c Ahlgrim, Callie (September 21, 2024). "Katy Perry's '143' doesn't have a single redeeming song | Business Insider India". Business Insider. Archived from the original on September 21, 2024. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
  44. ^ Oddy, Guy (September 21, 2024). "Album: Katy Perry – 143". The Arts Desk. Archived from the original on September 21, 2024. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
  45. ^ O'Connor, Roisin (September 20, 2024). "Katy Perry review, 143: Painfully dated and glaringly out of touch". The Independent. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  46. ^ Johnston, Maura (September 20, 2024). "Katy Perry's '143' Is a Failed Attempt to Rekindle Her Glory Years". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on September 20, 2024. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
  47. ^ a b Horowitz, Steven J. (September 19, 2024). "Katy Perry Struggles to Reclaim Past Glory on the Flat '143'". Variety. Archived from the original on September 20, 2024. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  48. ^ "Music Review: Katy Perry returns with the uninspired and forgettable '143'". AP News. September 20, 2024. Archived from the original on September 21, 2024. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  49. ^ Thomas, Fred (September 21, 2024), 143 - Katy Perry | Album | AllMusic, retrieved September 21, 2024
  50. ^ Murphy, John (September 21, 2024). "Katy Perry - 143 | Album Reviews". musicOMH. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
  51. ^ Williams, Tom (September 20, 2024). "Katy Perry '143' Review: A Joyless, By-the-Numbers Comeback". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on September 20, 2024. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  52. ^ Thomas, Fred (September 21, 2024), 143 - Katy Perry | Album | AllMusic, retrieved September 21, 2024
  53. ^ Murray, Robin. "Katy Perry: 143 review". Clash. Archived from the original on September 20, 2024. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  54. ^ O'Connor, Roisin (September 20, 2024). "Katy Perry review, 143: Painfully dated and glaringly out of touch". The Independent. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  55. ^ Aniftos, Rania (September 20, 2024). "Katy Perry's '143': All 11 Songs Ranked". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 20, 2024. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  56. ^ Horowitz, Steven J. (July 10, 2024). "Katy Perry Teases Sixth Album '143' With Features From Doechii and 21 Savage, Plus a Crystal Waters Sample". Variety. Archived from the original on July 11, 2024. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  57. ^ "Katy Perry – 143 (Target Exclusive, CD)". Target Corporation. Archived from the original on September 20, 2024. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  58. ^ "143 Exclusive Deluxe Purple Vinyl". Universal Music Group. Archived from the original on September 20, 2024. Retrieved September 20, 2024.

Notes

  1. ^ 143 was a popular pager number to communicate "I love you" derived from the number of letters in each of the three words.[7]