If you’re reading this article right now, there’s a good chance that you already know the controversial summer Katy Perry has experienced. Prior to 143’s release, Perry had just ended a four–year hiatus following 2020’s Smile, which attempted to rehabilitate her image after 2017’s controversial Witness. Despite receiving a lukewarm critical reception, Smile was a fan–favorite project that saw continuous interest since its release, with “Never Really Over” and “Harleys In Hawaii” reaching TikTok virality. That success, combined with X’s fond reminiscing over Perry’s imperial pop hits from Teenage Dream and PRISM, slowly but steadily built hype surrounding her anticipated comeback.
The single “WOMAN’S WORLD,” dropping in early July, was immediately panned by critics and audiences alike, with discontent over the messaging of the song, its cookie–cutter lyricism, and the notable production credit of infamous producer Dr. Luke. Follow–up singles “LIFETIMES” and “I’M HIS, HE’S MINE (feat. Doechii)” also failed to captivate audiences. By the time 143 finally came out, all of the hype had fizzled out, leaving nothing but a mediocre dance album left in its ashes. Yet, this was the same woman who came out with five No. 1 singles from one album—the only other artist to achieve this in history is Michael Jackson. 143 tries it all, but at the end of the day, Perry’s new album is sonically uninspiring, lacking any of the soul that made Perry’s best works shine.
Let’s get this out of the way: none of the songs on the project are by any means terrible. In fact, throughout this tight 33–minute project are glimpses of hope and inspiration. “ALL THE LOVE” is a hopeful dance track that highlights Perry’s comfortable vocal range with bouncy, bright production. Does it sound like a 2010 EDM dance track? Yes. But within the context of the rest of the album, its unabashed embrace of that specific sound works in its favor. Similarly, the closing track “WONDER” is touching, even if a bit cheesy—Stargate, the producing duo partially responsible for the iconic “Firework,” builds the song with highs and lows, making the choruses feel well–earned. Lyrically, the song is addressed to her daughter, Daisy Dove Bloom, making lyrics, such as “Stay free, little Daisy / Don't let the envious ones say that you're just a weed,” touching and heart–warming.
But it doesn’t take long for listeners to feel that some songs on the project are written haphazardly at best. “CRUSH” is an example where the cracks begin to show, being robbed of a good post–chorus. Instead, we get the eye–rolling lyrics of “my heart goes la, da–da–dee–dee / la–da–dee–dee,” taking direct reference from its sample “My Heart Goes Boom (La Di Da Da).” The songwriting is no Shakespeare, filled with clichés and simplistic lyrics, but the “la–da–dees” plague this song and make it lose a little of its shine. And guess which other song has the same exact “la–da–dee” post–chorus? Perry’s third single, “I’M HIS, HE’S MINE (feat. Doechii).” What should be a flirtatious, cheeky song turns into a bland repetition of its post–chorus, as if just trying to fill space. The song’s looped synth doesn’t help with its monotony, but both Katy and Doechii tried their best to spice up their verses, to varying levels of success.
It’s sad that there are so many fleeting moments of potential and good ideas throughout the album that get squashed by strange musical misdirects and choices. Take “NIRVANA,” for example: seamlessly transitioned from “ALL THE LOVE,” its haunting introductory chorus is voluminous and feels like it is building to something grand and momentous. But when the beat drops, it abruptly cuts off and leads into a minimalistic verse, as if the production team spliced two songs into one. The build–up doesn’t provide the proper payoff, leaving the listener frustrated and unsatisfied. “ARTIFICIAL (feat. JID),” which features a fiery rap verse from JID, runs into a similar problem with sonically dissimilar verses and choruses. It’s a shame that the song with the most interesting lyrical content, questioning the authenticity of the human in the advent of AI, is watered down with bizarre production decisions.
143’s biggest issue, and ultimately its fatal flaw, is authenticity. The ethos of the album is about love, as the number 143 is code meaning “I love you.” Perry had adopted the code with her fans in the past few years, expressing appreciation for those who have remained by her side despite looming controversy. It also served to express her love for her new family with Orlando Bloom and her baby daughter, Daisy. With all of this in mind, how did we get an album that lacks any of the soul, save a few spots here and there? Perry promoted “LIFETIMES” as a song dedicated to her daughter, but nothing in the lyrics, which go “I know you feel it / Can you believe it? / I'm gonna love you 'til the end / And then repeat it” in the chorus, suggest the sincerity it ought to convey. Perry and her team didn’t even bother writing a bridge for nearly all of the songs—how can we believe her attempts to portray gratitude, joy, and love when her output feels soulless?
The worst parts of the album are when it's blatantly obvious that she’s trying to recapture her prior magic. In the hip–hop–tinged track “GIMME GIMME (feat. 21 Savage),” Perry attempts to sound hip in the hopes of creating a second “Dark Horse.” However, even 21 Savage sounded bored, and it doesn’t seem like Perry enjoys singing “Kitty, kitty, wanna come party tonight / Trippy, trippy, daddy, take me on a ride,” as evident in her 2024 Rock In Rio performance where she lip–synced the song. “GORGEOUS (feat. Kim Petras)” is a duet with Petras, but somehow, the featured K.P. outshines the veteran K.P., and Perry sounds completely forced and unnatural. And of course, who could forget about “WOMAN’S WORLD,” the lackluster lead single that started it all? Perry is renowned for her empowerment anthems, almost to a fault, but even the cheesiest songs like “Roar” and “Firework” withstand the test of time because they felt real and authentic. “WOMAN’S WORLD” is metallic and robotic—Perry forces out “Sexy, confident / so intelligent” as if trying to come up with a list of positive adjectives in a round of “Mad Libs.”
The album's listening experience is just deflating, and one has to wonder: was it truly worth it for Perry to go through all the controversies with Dr. Luke—an alleged sexual abuser and the producer for ten out of the 11 songs from the album—just for a chance to return to her glory days? While 2020’s Smile suffered similar outdated production and mediocre lyrics, the songs felt like they came from a place of deep contemplation, careful thought, and true compassion. 143, on the other hand, throws all that goodwill out the window. Perry sings in “TRUTH” that she “wanna know the truth / Even if it hurt–hurts [her].” Well, here is the truth—though Perry chooses to live in an ignorant fantasy of her glory days, 143 is a shell of what Katy Perry, the pop star, once was.
