143

by Katy Perry

Overview

Though at a certain time she was uncontestable pop royalty, Katy Perry's creative vision (and relevance) have been in steady decline since sometime around 2015. With her seventh album 143, her crown officially falls off. Perry's once world-dominating winning streak began to slip with the confused political messaging and EDM attempts of 2017's Witness, and her 2020 follow-up, Smile, failed to ignite sparks of either inspiration or even nostalgia in those listeners hoping for a return to the flawless, PG-13 escapist pop of the Teenage Dream era. Seemingly learning nothing from those past missteps, Perry wanders even further off the path with the lifeless, floundering reaches that make up 143. Kicking things off with the hollow, quasi-feminist sloganeering and equally generic preset disco production of lead single ¿Women's World,¿ 143 begins with an anthem that sounds wholly unsure of itself. Production from Dr. Luke (a controversial and misguided choice for an album that purports to be pro-woman, given his very public status as Kesha's alleged abuser) makes the tracks shiny and radio-ready, but also adds to the overall sense of stagnation that bogs down the album. While credit is due Perry and her collaborators for not merely remaking her biggest hits, there's no real innovation to be found in the would-be embrace of club sounds on the dancy pulse of ¿Lifetimes¿ or the Doechii-featuring, Crystal Waters-sampling slog of ¿I'm His, He's Mine.¿ The feeling of datedness isn't because Perry is stuck in her old ways, but that she's a little late to the party branching out into house- and dance music-adjacent sounds. By the time of 143's dabbling in four-on-the-floor kicks and swinging hi-hats, stars like Beyonce and Drake had already been down this road a few years prior and have moved on. When Perry does try to recapture former glories, it falls flat. ¿Nirvana¿ sounds like a dancier rewrite of ¿Dark Horse¿ with a weaker hook, and Stargate-produced album-closer ¿Wonder¿ throws multiple elements from Perry's past hits at the wall (anthemic choruses, hyper-melodic arrangement, lyrics that are vaguely encouraging to some faceless underdog) hoping something will stick. Even help from some exceptionally talented guests can't really salvage the album's most conceptually flawed moments. Atlanta rapper JID tries his best as he flows lucidly on ¿Artificial,¿ but doesn't have much to work with in the song's mismatched electro beat and sluggish, stock-sounding chorus. 21 Savage turns in a neutered, distracted flow on the generic trap-pop of ¿Gimme Gimme¿ and it's almost impossible to imagine him having any genuine connection to the song. Ultimately, Perry's ongoing fall from grace is solidified on 143 not because she failed to adapt to trends or turn in something as frivolously fun and undeniably catchy as ¿California Gurls¿ 14 years later, but simply because there isn't a lot to like about these songs, and it's desperately lacking in the kind of lighthearted, sometimes silly, sometimes salacious fun that used to define her stardom. 143 rings the death knell for Perry for no other reason than it commits pop music's ultimate sin: it's boring. ~ Fred Thomas

Product Details

Release Date:	09/20/2024
Label:	Capitol
UPC:	0602465897272

Tracks

1. Woman's World
2. Gimme Gimme
3. Gorgeous
4. I'm His, He's Mine
5. Crush
6. Lifetimes
7. All the Love
8. Nirvana
9. Artificial
10. Truth
11. Wonder

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Katy Perry   Primary Artist,Vocals
Doechii   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
21 Savage   Primary Artist,Vocals
Kim Petras   Primary Artist,Vocals,Vocals (Background)
JID   Primary Artist,Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Stargate   Synthesizer
Cirkut   Synthesizer
Chloe Angelides   Vocals (Background)
Thomas Andersson Drables   Synthesizer
Knut Ingold Brenna   Guitar
Leah Gjerde Drablos   Vocals (Background)
Tius Luka Sundberg   Vocals (Background)
Kent Sundberg   Choir/Chorus
Lukasz Gottwald   Vocals (Background)
KBeaZy   Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Serban Ghenea   Mixing,Mixing Engineer
Thomas Andersson   Synthesizer Programming
Stargate   Engineer,Producer,Recording,Programming,Vocal Editing,Vocal Producer,Synthesizer Programming
Crystal Waters   Composer
Ryan Ogren   Composer,Vocal Producer
Max Martin   Composer
Mikkel Storleer Eriksen   Composer
Katy Perry   Composer,Executive Producer
Rocco Valdes   Composer
Cirkut   Recording,Programming,Vocal Editing,Vocal Producer,Synthesizer Programming,Engineer,Producer
Rachael Findlen   Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Vaughn Oliver   Composer,Producer
Dallas Koehlke   Composer
Kim Petras   Composer
LunchMoney Lewis   Composer
Greenberg Traurig   Legal Advisor
Chloe Angelides   Composer
JID   Composer
Henry Walter   Composer
Joe Mortimer   Creative Director
Kalani Thompson   Engineer,Recording,Vocal Producer
Mikkel Eriksen   Composer
Zack Martin   Production Administrator
Michalle Camero   Management
Ngoc Hoang-Delvecchio   Management
Paige Kaplan   Legal Advisor
Samuel Cataiano   Composer
Steve Plinto   Legal Advisor
Theron Thomas   Composer
Bradford Cobb   Management
Dr. Luke   Producer,Executive Producer
Chris Anokute   A&R
Jay Cooper   Legal Advisor
Aaron Joseph   Composer,Producer
Tyler Sheppard   Engineer,Recording
Sheyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph   Composer
Destin Route   Composer
Bryce Bordone   Mixing Engineer,Mixing Assistant
Devin Wilkes   Composer
KBeaZy   Producer
Roco Did It Again   Producer
Eileen Whelehan   Production Administrator
Jack Bridgland   Photography,Creative Director
Jaylah Hickmon   Composer
Sam Catalano   Composer
Grant Horton   Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Noah McCorkle   Mastering Assistant,Assistant Mastering Engineer
Malibu Babie   Composer,Producer
Ashlee Gibbs   Production Coordination
Tal Midyan   Creative Director
Chris Albo   Creative Director
Cynthia De La O   Production Coordination
Neal Conway   Composer
Martin Kirkup   Management
Scott Harris   Composer
Katie Harvey   Mastering Assistant,Assistant Mastering Engineer
Tor Erik Hermansen   Composer
Emily Warren   Composer
Sarah Hudson   Composer
Dale Becker   Mastering,Mastering Engineer
Steven Jensen   Management
Cato Sundberg   Composer,Synthesizer Programming
Kent Sundberg   Composer,Choir Arrangement
Liz Isik   A&R
Ferras Alqaisi   Composer
Clint Gibbs   Engineer,Recording,Audio Consultant
Katheryn Hudson   Composer
Lukasz Gottwald   Composer
Keegan Bach   Composer
Ryan Orgen   Composer,Vocal Producer