Witness- Trying to find herself, Perry loses what makes her great

Music Review- Katy Perry- Witness (2017)

On Witness, Katy Perry struggles to find the balance between discussing her personal life as a celebratory and making pop hits. The lack of focus lyrically and production wise means a lot of the meanings in the songs get lost and Perry seems to be awkwardly gesturing to something more with one hand yet tying everything down with the other. It is not a bad album per say, but a less loveable one as the messy delivery means most tracks miss the mark and leave a stale taste of mediocrity. If Perry had some restraint in the track list and especially in the over production, then this would be an easier to digest and understand album.

Occasionally, Perry wants to discuss her role as a pop star and the effect it has on her and her fans lives. If you can find the celebrity commentary in the vague lyrics, then you have quite an introspective and mildly interesting album. But, it is not the listener's fault for not reading Perry's lyrics in this way as they seem to come out of no where as for almost a decade of her career she has been happily benefiting off of all the things she discusses to be bad. It's not to say pop stars must stay in their own lane and she's not been feeling this all the way through her career, but the fact she doesn't have one track that discusses the positive sides of fame and pop, which she has for so long embodied, makes it feel ingenuine and unnuanced.

Every pop album gets a large group of haters and lovers to argue its case, but Witness provokes a feeling of indifference that the haters seem much louder than the usual album cycle. It's not that the tracks here are bad, they're just not loveable and for the most part forgetable. Weird choices in production and lyrics means that most tracks miss the larger than life intentions Perry aims for and when she has set herself up as being a pop powerhouse mediocrity doesn't feel enough. It also weighs the album down, with such a long length the lack of anything exciting means it is like dredging through muddy waters with no real gain. Nearly every track has an unnecessarily long intro or outro that attempts to build tension for the build up to the chorus, but the pay off is never strong enough to warrant such a wait. Nearly every track is too repetitive and vague to make it stand out or have the depth that Perry seems to think they have.

For a Katy Perry album, it is astonishing that the biggest problem is its lack of fun. Every track takes itself way too seriously and attempts to make these grand statements without anything interesting to say.

Album Review: 4

Track By Track Breakdown:

Witness- On the opening track, Katy is yearning for an all devoted fan base to love her unconditionally. A 'witness' suggests a passive watcher, someone to see over all that Katy does, like a fan, not contributing or thinking critically. Thematically it mirrors the albums lead single suggesting fans follow their favourite stars blindly, and for her most controversial album that feels ironic. The track is vague enough that it could be about wanting a relationship, but it seems to lean more on fan commentary. For the most bubblegum pop star of the last decade, it is a peculiar decision to bite the hand that feeds her. And, the peculiarities persist into the production with popping clicks keeping the listener tense throughout as well as an atmospheric swell of something coming that further keeps us at the edge of our seat. In that sense, Perry's discomfort with the lack of an engaged audience is developed by the uncomfortable production, but that doesn't make it an enjoyable listen. Sonically, it is a slog that out stays its welcome with only minor intrigue that doesn't inspire a relisten. (4)

Hey Hey Hey- Katy attempts to prove how femininity is complicated and can not be put into a box, but her metaphors- that lean on the side of cringe- up hold the stereotypes that she is trying to quash. It is the kind of woke feminism that many pop stars have attempted and if listeners think for longer than a second about (which Perry tells us multiple times in the album to do) then you find flaws in the lyrics. Yes, Ms Perry you got a chubby little wallet and we love it, but a feminist anthem like this suggests there is no more work left to do, especially since Katy is all good. The song is Perry's usual empowerment pop attempting to be something more, but credit where credit is due as it is very catchy and would be a great track to get ready to for a night out. Weirdly though, every twenty seconds or so, a chainsaw sound effect rips up the flow of the song and as soon as you hear it you cannot unhear it. Again, it is a song which is intriguing at best as uncomfortable production choices and problematic lyrics weigh it down. (5)

Roulette- A track about letting go and letting lady luck take control, it is a slice of relatable pop that Katy is known for. Sometimes in life you have to take a risk and for Perry that might be her reasoning for releasing this album. The build up is great as Katy speeds up during the pre-chorus like thoughts racing around her mind before making the risky decision, but then all tension is flattened in the repetitive chorus that clamps any fun danger the track was building to. For a song about risk, it is rather safe and ultimately that lets it down. If the chorus weren't so repetitive and slow to get stuck in the listeners head, then it would have been edgier and much more memorable. Perry rolled the dice and then stops it spinning before she sees what it could have landed on. (5)

Swish Swish- On paper this has the potential to be a cringe mess, in reality this most definitely is a cringe mess, but, and this is a big but, it kind of works. One might suggest Katy is being smart for pointing out how awkward celebrity beefs can be, but something tells me that the songs quirky awkwardness isn't cleverly ironic, Perry actually believes what she is saying. But, when the beat is just so relentless and unashamedly in your face you cannot help but bob your head and let your inner cringe out in full force. Minaj always brings a certain fun energy to a track that when the peculiar pitched voice from the opening returns you just accept it as here for the ride. It's all over the place, but for the most part it works. (7)

Deja vu- "Your words are like Chinese water torture" may be the worst lyric in existence because of how much it thinks its clever. Luckily, the rest of this track is considerably more palatable. The frustration of being with a person in that intermittent stage of something but not quite a relationship is tricky water to navigate and Perry captures that successfully in this slow burn track. The elongation of syllables and slight disco production makes it feel hypnotic like it could be on repeat for hours and you wouldn't notice. Though narratively that works, the lack of memorable bite means you wont be returning back that often. For what it is, it is pleasant and a nice listen but doesn't stand out or hit hard enough to have much of an impact. (6)

Power- After the hypnotic Deja vu, the blast of drums is certainly a necessary wake up call but seem to be a peculiar production choice for this slow burn track. Yes, this is an empowerment anthem about female power and the drums act as this dominating force that narratively works, but the song is lyrically strong enough that it didn't need the in your face assist. Katy discusses the struggle of trying to maintain respect for herself as a woman in a relationship when her man consistently wants more from her to benefit himself. Vague enough to relate to all women, but also has intriguing commentary on being a woman in the music industry. Not only are the lyrics endearing, but Katy gets the chance to show off her voice- especially in the last minute- where she shows vulnerability as well as power. Though some lines are cliche and stereotypical Perry pop, Power is everything Hey Hey Hey wanted to be and so much more. If you can get past the vulgar drum riff, then a decent song is here. (7)

Mind Maze- The Cher like use of auto tune gives the track a unique flare as well as adding to the peculiar world Katy has lost herself in. Perry describes how she gets lost in her own mind and fights her own reasoning while double guessing if her efforts are worth it. Coming after Power, the song has some weight to it as we've just heard her struggle to fight for her place and now the doubt creeps in on whether it is easier for her to just cave in. Sometimes we all have to wrestle with ourselves on whether we should just submit and give up fighting battles that haven't seemed to get us anywhere but suffering. If you suggest that the track is discussing Perry's distain with being a popstar and her exploring the idea of starting over to free herself of the restriction of being a popstar, then it adds some personal weight to the track. But, the track is not catchy enough or bold enough to be memorable and at over four minutes with a long uninspired dance break, it needed another draft to make it properly hit. (5)

Miss you more- "I miss you more than I loved you" is a really interesting and relatable line. Perry explores how distance from a partner blurs out all the negative parts that made you leave and makes you yearn for them back. You never really forget a lover even after you've moved on and one can only hope the good out weighs the bad. Semantically, this track is like a sister to Wildest Dreams by Taylor Swift were she hopes to be remembered in this positive light that Katy sings about; Swift's dream like enchanting aesthetic is different to how Perry is aiming for vulnerable and raw. To admit something like this is much more difficult that wistfully hoping your ex remembers you well, it shows much more growth and vulnerability. However, Wildest dreams is a much more enjoyable pop song than this as here doesn't have the sense of euphoria to set it a light. It's just pleasant. (5)

Chained to the rhythm- The most radio friendly song on the album as it is the only track not drenched in this damp muddy production that weighs it down. This is a bright happy pop song, of course the lyrics are about how listeners don't engage with lyrics and just dance, but after such long and heavy (production wise) tracks on the rest of the album, this is a necessary breath of fresh air. It returns back to themes discussed in the opening track (both penned by Sia) that music fans are passive and need to critically engage with pop. Again, it is a peculiar choice for an artist so entrenched with this kind of music. It's meant to show growth and development of Perry, but comes across as pandering to a music landscape that asks artists to 'say' something and be vulnerable with their music. The themes are just a veneer as Perry never goes past the foundations of the debate and just returns to basic bubblegum pop at any point it looks interesting; it is a gesture in the direction of woke pop without committing fully. The glossy production, catchy chorus and needless feature all adhere to the pop formula without adding anything of interest. It is middle of the road pop. (7)

Tsunami- Though on first listen Perry seems to be suggesting her love is unstoppable like a tsunami, but the metaphor and innuendo mixing on a closer look suggest a much more sexual nature about a woman's bodily flow when turned on. "Sink into me slowly, so baby come and take a swim... don't be scared to dive in deep... now you're soaked" it's trying to be this clever metaphor but is way more on the nose than Katy thinks. It's just a bit uncomfortable to be honest. All support to Katy, but the overtly sexual metaphor is aiming so much to be this sensual masterpiece with the porn-lite production that it is not one to listen with friends. Whereas Peacock, a similarly sexual track on one of her earlier albums, didn't take itself too seriously and was clearly playing up to the mischievous innuendo, here Perry takes herself too seriously. To compare with Sexxx dreams by Lady Gaga, who takes the theme much more bluntly, it is not awkward because it has got the level of crazy fun while still being sexy. (2)

Bon appetite- Improving on the previous track, Bon appetite is still an overtly sexual song filled with innuendo, but the more fun and playful delivery makes it much less awkward. Admittedly, the discourse of the track describing Perry as a meal for- presumably- Migos to devour and play with in a sexual sense manifests from many problematic sexist and racist stigmas propounded by porn (a young white woman being fucked by a group of black men is a type of porn flagged by anti-porn advocates for the negative implications it has on the sexualisation of race and women);(If Katy didn't want us to engage with her songs by looking at the wider implications of the stigmas she abuses, then she shouldn't have sang about it in previous songs on this album.) But, the wider context aside, the track is extremely catchy and with Migos's inclusion it is clearly meant to be a radio hit. It is fun and club ready, but a tad generic radio play. (7) (The remixes are better.)

Bigger than me- Katy returns to her commentary on the pop landscape as she discusses whether as a pop star she is doing enough or is just another label robot. On its own it is an interesting track and if it was placed earlier in the track list, when she was exploring similar themes, then it would have been stronger in context. But, after the two hyper sexual songs prior, it just feels like a return and a retread back through the themes of the album. Again, the lyrics are vague enough for any listeners to project their life onto. And, the production lacks anything interesting to make it pop other than a slight swell in the latter half that attempts some sense of euphoria. Its inclusion is not worth the time it adds to the tracklist as it is filler at best. (4)

Save as draft- The only track worth returning to on the album. Narrating the emotional back and forth of constantly wanting to speak to an ex lover but reminding yourself that you've got to let it go. It is an exceedingly relatable and mature track that makes you want to sing from the bottom of your lungs with how catchy and emotional it is. The explosive bridge explaining how both parties have grown and changed so much since the break up that it might be different this time is the type of personal battle felt by many. Perry's soft whistle over the chorus makes it that even more vulnerable, it is the pop diva at her finest when she is on a relatable and catchy pop hook. It could have done without the breath and typing sound effects as the lyrics get the story across perfectly well without them, but they by no means ruin the song. (8)

Pendulum- A victorious and pulsing empowerment anthem on how life is never in a fixed state and is constantly changing. It is the usual expected Katy Perry kind of anthem that is lifted by the marching beat that gives the track some needed energy. The production is simple and clean unlike many of the muddier tracks on the album and the message is simple and victorious. If it was earlier in the track list, then it would be a breath of fresh air. But, it works as an uplifting and enjoyable ending track which is then undercut by the fact it is not the end. It is an uplifting and bright song that leaves you hopeful after all the celebrity commentary gone before, it would have been the perfect closer. The gospel choir give it a breezy sense of life that adds to the angelic and fun lift of air. (7)

Into me you see- The track is meant to be clever word play for Perry's desire for in-ti-ma-cy, but Katy cannot help her self and says "Is this intimacy?" and drops any nuance as if we wouldn't have got it without her help. The only part that works perfectly is the bridge where Perry's intimate vocals are raw and full that invite you in as well as understand her pain, everywhere else it sounds like she is straining and trying too hard to be emotional. On celebrity commentary, it is Perry discussing how she felt she needed to constantly hide to keep from losing herself and coming to terms with the difficulty of opening back up after being locked up for so long; unintentionally, the track has some nuance for the common lgbt struggle to find intimacy as after hiding themselves for so long it is tricky to give yourself so openly to another. But, the lyrics are vague enough you can project any form of suffering onto it. (5)