Prism is the fourth studio album by American singer Katy Perry. It was released by Capitol Records on October 18, 2013. While the album was initially planned to be "darker" than her previous material, Prism ultimately became a prominently dance-inspired record. Perry worked with several past collaborators, while enlisting new producers and guest vocals. Much of Prism revolves around the themes of living in the present, relationships, and self-empowerment. The album garnered generally positive reviews with critics praising its lyrics for being more "mature" and personal, while others considered Prism to be more formulaic than her previous material.
The album debuted atop the US Billboard 200 with 286,000 copies sold, becoming Perry's best opening week to date. The album also peaked at number one in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. Prism became Perry's fastest-selling album, the second best-selling album in Australia in 2013, and the second best-selling album released by a woman in the United States in 2013. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) reported that Prism was the sixth best-selling album in the world in 2013, the best-selling album in the world in 2013 released by a woman, and labeled Perry "a global phenomenon." It has sold over 4 million copies worldwide. The album's success continued throughout 2014, ranking within the top 10 of the annual charts for 2014 in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, and earned Perry a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards.
The release of the album was preceded by the release of two singles. "Roar" was released on August 10, 2013, as the album's lead single and topped the Billboard Hot 100. "Unconditionally" debuted on October 16, 2013, as the record's second single. In between the release of these two tracks were the releases of promotional singles "Dark Horse" on September 17 and "Walking on Air" on September 30, 2013. "Dark Horse" was released as the album's third single three months later on December 17, 2013, and also reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. "Birthday" and "This Is How We Do" were the fourth and fifth singles, respectively. Prism was further promoted through the Prismatic World Tour.
Background
I've been thinking about my future and what the next move is in terms of what I need to do. I think it would be pretty stupid to try and redo [Teenage Dream] that had all of this success. Maybe it's time to do something that's different that can't be compared. I just feel like I'm going to be criticized regardless of what I do next, so I might as well do something that I feel really passionate about.[2]
—Perry on Prism
After concluding her California Dreams Tour, Perry stated that she intended to "live a little" before recording any new material that was "worth listening to".[3] When ex-husband Russell Brand left her on December 30, 2011,[4] she felt devastated and contemplated suicide.[5] Perry revealed to Vogue in June 2012 that she planned to record a "darker" album than her previous records. She stated: "It was inevitable, after what I went through. If I had a time machine and could go back in time, I would. But I can't, so, you'll discover another part of me."[6] To Interview, she mentioned that she aspired to include a more acoustic vibe to the record.[2]
Perry also said that her music would be getting "real fucking dark" and "shoegazing", though also stated that her fans would be able to relate to it.[7] "I imagine that maybe my next record would be a little bit more of an artistic venture," she said. "Not that I'm going to self-sabotage either and be like, 'I'm going to make a crazy record that nobody really understands.'"[8] That November, she later told Billboard about her plans for the album, saying she already envisioned several aspects of it. Perry told the magazine that she already had songs and ideas, and knew the type of record she would make next. She also said that although she had not started recording yet, she already knew how the artwork, coloring and tone of the album would turn out. Perry further detailed: "I have to let the music take shape first. I even know what type of tour I'm doing next. I'll be very pleased if the vision I have in my head becomes a reality. But I have to honor the music."[9]
Recording
The development of Prism started when Perry was embarking on the California Dreams Tour. She began with a process she deemed "slow cooking", which consisted of recording random "fragments of ideas" into her mobile phone's dictaphone application. A member of Direct Management Group, Ngoc Hoang, then transcribed the audio files, which he inserted into what Perry described as a "treasure chest"; such object was consulted by Perry later on during the album's recording sessions. While Perry started recording the album officially in November 2012, accompanied by Greg Wells and Greg Kurstin, she noted she was still in a "dark place", and that she had not "let the light in". The sessions began again in March 2013, following a trip to Madagascar which Perry credited as having "put [her] priorities in perspective", thus leading her to "do more work on [her]self". Perry also viewed a video made by Eckhart Tolle, which discusses loss. She commented: "When you lose something, all your foundations crumble—but that also leaves a big hole that's open for something great to come through."[5]
After feeling prepared to record again, she reunited with her team from Teenage Dream—Dr. Luke, Bonnie McKee, and Cirkut—in Perry's hometown of Santa Barbara, California, where they spent a month recording at Playback Recording Studio among others. After those sessions, she went to Stockholm, where she worked with Scandinavian record producer Max Martin, to do what Perry called "put[ting] the ice on the cake". She also recruited other collaborators, such as Norwegian team Stargate, Bloodshy, Benny Blanco, Jonatha Brooke and Sia.[5] By April 2013, recording for the album was halfway complete, and Perry revealed to ASCAP how was working with such collaborators. She affirmed that Wells allowed her to "vomit words"; with Martin, she picked the melodies of the songs; Luke mostly helmed the production and she worked with "topline and melody". Perry described writing sessions with McKee as "emotional abuse", adding that they argue over the "best lyric", as if they were fighting in a boxing ring.[10] McKee, who wrote four songs for Prism, spoke with MTV on the effort, describing it as "a little bit more grown up" and "interesting".[11]
Composition
Perry performing the album's second track, "Legendary Lovers", at the Prismatic World Tour
The album opens with "Roar", a midtempo synth-driven power pop track.[12] Musically, it contains elements of arena rock and glam rock, while lyrically it is an empowerment anthem.[13] Comparisons were established between "Roar" and "Brave" by Sara Bareilles.[14][15][16] "Legendary Lovers", a bhangra-based song, deals with the concepts of karma and infinity.[17] "Birthday" was described by Perry as her own attempt at "writing something Mariah Carey would have put on her first record". Musically, it is a "fluffy" pop song[18] that is primarily styled in the genre of disco.[1] "Walking on Air", the album's second promotional single, is an early 1990s-inspired deep house-Eurodance-disco song, inspired heavily by CeCe Peniston and Crystal Waters. It was produced by Klas Åhlund and Max Martin.[19][20] "Unconditionally", Perry's personal favorite song on the album and second official single, is a "soaring" power ballad with an "epic chorus".[21] Jason Lipshutz from Billboard noted that the song includes a "woodblock percussion" as well as "a dramatic bass line" and deemed it the album's "most mature offering". Furthermore, he called it "an ode to love that looks past all flaws" and stated that the song acts as a "compellingly grounded predicate" to the title track from Teenage Dream.[17] Perry herself described the song as a song about unconditional love that could come in all forms, including those from relationships, from parent-to-child, and from sibling-to-sibling.[22]
"Dark Horse" is a song with ample influences of trap,[23]grime, hip hop,[17][24] and "Southern rap-techno mashup" genres.[25] "This Is How We Do", produced by Max Martin and Klas Ahlund, was described as being the possible "song of summer" for 2014.[17] Shirley Halperin from The Hollywood Reporter described "This Is How We Do" as "a sunny 80s throwback", while Edna Gundersen from USA Today described it as a "buoyant pop blast with hip-hop underpinnings" and praised the song's recurring refrain ("It's no big deal!").[26] James Montgomery from MTV News called the song a "cocksure, club-ready banger".[18] With "Double Rainbow", produced by Greg Kustin and co-writer Sia, Perry was allowed to "dump pent-up emotions" and "get things off her chest".[27] The song was described as a "massive ballad".[26] Lipshutz deemed it as a "breathy love track" with a "powerful chorus that explodes upon impact" with lyrics that include "One man's trash is another man's treasure / so if it's up to me, I'm gonna keep you forever". He added that "Kurstin brings the pop sensibility he's flashed with artists like Kelly Clarkson and P!nk, while Sia's presence connects this sleek, shimmering pop track to [her David Guetta collaboration] 'Titanium'".[17] Elijah Sarkesian felt that "Some of Katy's finest vocals of the album are on this song".[21]
Perry described "Love Me" as a song "about loving yourself the way you want to be loved".[22] Gundersen called it "irresistibly catchy and energetic".[26] The song was produced by Bloodshy.[17] Sarkesian called it "an interesting mix – the lyrics are dark, but the music is very dance-centric. At the very least, it'll do well in clubs".[21] Montgomery stated that "Love Me" and "International Smile" both "seem destined for the dance floors".[18] The latter was inspired by Perry's friend Mia Moretti, and was compared to the songs on Perry's previous album. Lipshutz called it a "straightforward pop-rock offering" and described its guitar hook as "kicky", adding that the song also includes a "Melting Daft Punk-esque vocoder breakdown".[17] Halperin stated that in the song, Perry sings the "hooky" line: "Please fasten your seat belts and make sure your champagne glasses are empty".[27]
Halperin described "This Moment" and "Ghost" as "mid-tempo ballads that are closest in DNA to Perry's previous smashes".[27] Perry stated that she was inspired to write "This Moment" after she heard the audio book of The Power of Now; the song's lyrics talk about "living in the present"; with Perry "add[ing] a romantic spin" to it. Gary Trust described "Ghost" as a "mesmerizing ballad",[28] while Gundersen described it as "powerful, dark, and haunting".[26] Lipshutz felt that "Ghost" and "By the Grace of God" contain the album's "most somber moments".[17] While talking about each Prism track, Perry mentioned that "By the Grace of God" was the first song she wrote and recorded for the album back in November 2012 while she was in her "dark" phase.[29] Jody Rosen from Vulture described bonus track "Spiritual" as an inspirational song.[30] Kevin Fallon of The Daily Beast described "It Takes Two" as a "sweeping ballad" which allowed Perry to "show off a full-throated belt that so many of her more bubbly tracks mask".[31] In "Choose Your Battles", Perry "pounds her chest and spews venom at the man she cannot understand".[32]
Release and promotion
Promotion and countdown singles
Perry performing "Dark Horse" during The Prismatic World Tour in New Jersey on July 11, 2014
On July 29, 2013, a golden truck driving in Los Angeles revealed the album's title as Prism and that it would be released on October 22, 2013.[33] On August 9, the truck was hit by a drunk driver in Pennsylvania, but no injuries were reported.[34] On August 20, Pepsi revealed a partnership with Perry, in which fans were given the opportunity to unlock song titles, lyrics, and snippets from Prism by tweeting the hashtag #KATYNOW. Additionally, Pepsi provided previews of the songs "Dark Horse" and "Walking on Air", and fans could vote for which song they wanted to have an early release on music platforms.[35] The former song was declared the winner and was released onto iTunes on September 17, 2013.[36]
Three listening parties for Prism were hosted: on September 5, 2013, one was hosted in New York, open exclusively to an audience of 100 industry insiders and journalists, where twelve tracks were played.[17] A second Prism listening party took place the next day in Atlanta,[21] while a third took place September 12 in Los Angeles at the Hammer Museum.[citation needed] In a press release on August 20, 2013, Pepsi announced a partnership with Perry to promote her fourth studio album Prism: a social "tweet-to-unlock" voting program, encouraging fans to tweet the hashtag #KATYNOW in exchange for song titles and lyrics. The chosen tracks for the campaign were "Walking on Air" and "Dark Horse". After the samples were revealed, fans could vote for which one they wanted to have an early release on digital retailers.[37]
The winner was "Dark Horse", which was released on September 17, 2013, on the iTunes Store, serving then as the album's first promotional single.[38] It debuted at number 17 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and at number ten on the New Zealand Singles Chart.[39] Perry first performed "Dark Horse" three days later at the iHeartRadio Music Festival.[40] "Walking on Air" was released as the second promotional single on September 30.[41] The song peaked at number 34 at Billboard Hot 100 and at number 80 in the United Kingdom.[42][43]
Prism was released on October 18, 2013.[44] Its album cover was unveiled on September 6, 2013, on a Jumbotron during Good Morning America, and was shot by American photographer Ryan McGinley.[45] For the deluxe edition, 300,000 copies with an iridescent digipak package were printed, and came with the album's logo printed onto seed paper.[46]
Perry began the Prismatic World Tour on May 7, 2014, at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The first leg of the tour also featured performances in Scotland and England that month.[47][48] The second leg was announced on January 15, 2014, consisting of concerts in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The leg ran from June to October 2014.[49]
Singles
"Roar" was serviced to mainstream radio stations on August 10, 2013, as the album's lead single, and its digital release followed two days later.[50] It received mixed-to-positive commentary from music critics, who commended its "easy" and "poppy" beat, while some were ambivalent towards its clichéd lyrics.[51][52] Commercially, it was a success, topping the Billboard Hot 100 and charts in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.[53] It became Australia's best performing song of 2013 with 560,000 copies sold by the end of the year and spending 9 weeks atop the nation's charts.[54] The song was nominated for the Song of the Year and the Best Pop Solo Performance awards at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards.[55][56]
"Unconditionally" was released as the album's second single on October 16, 2013.[57] It received generally favorable reviews from critics, who praised it for being "soaring" and "effortless".[58] A lyric video for the song was released two days after its debut,[59] and its official music video was released on November 19, 2013.[60] To promote the single, Perry has performed on various occasions, including a geisha-themed performance of it on the American Music Awards of 2013, which attracted negative press, controversy and accusations of cultural appropriation.[61][62] "Unconditionally" has peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and has charted moderately worldwide, reaching the top 30 in the single charts of Canada and Germany [53] and the Top 10 in Italy.[63]
"Dark Horse" was released on December 17, 2013, as the album's third official single.[64][65] It had previously been released as the album's first promotional single exactly three months prior to its single release. The following week, the song leaped to number four due to topping the Hot Digital Songs, selling 243,000 copies. With "Dark Horse" topping the Hot Digital Songs chart, it became Perry's 10th digital number-one single.[66][67] The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart on January 29, 2014, becoming Perry's 9th number one single in the United States.[68] It was nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards.[69]
On April 3, 2014, "Birthday" was announced as the album's fourth official single. It debuted at number 91 on the Billboard Hot 100[70] and impacted mainstream radio in the U.S. on April 21, 2014.[71][72] This single peaked at number 17 in the US, becoming her 15th song to reach the top 20 in the nation.[53]
"This Is How We Do" served as the fifth official single from the album. A lyric video of the song was released on July 24, 2014.[73] One week later, its official music video premiered and the track was sent to French radio on the same day.[74] The song debuted at number 88 on the Billboard Hot 100 on August 9, 2014, and peaked at number 24.[53]
According to PopDust and Charts in France, "Legendary Lovers" was set to be released as a single, however its release was cancelled to unknown reasons.[75][76] However, the song received unofficial airplay in France.[77] Additionally track's producer Max Martin hinted possible remix release featuring Canadian rapper and singer Drake.[78]
Upon release, Prism received generally favorable reviews from music critics.[80] Jon Dolan from Rolling Stone gave the album three out of five stars, writing that "Perry and her longtime collaborators Dr. Luke and Max Martin often go for a darker, moodier intimacy à la high-end Swedish divas Robyn and Lykke Li. Perry has always done a great job of letting us know she's in on the joke of pop stardom. Sadly, she doesn't always bring that same sense of humor and self-awareness to the joke of pop-star introspection. The album's raft of ripe-lotus ballads is larded with Alanis-ian poesy she can't pull off".[87] Nick Catucci from Entertainment Weekly gave the album a B+ and stated that "Katy's superpower, now more than ever, is minting songs so relatable that their insights quickly scale up to inspirational..... Now she grasps that she's making the mainstream, not just swimming in it".[85]
Helen Brown from The Daily Telegraph gave the album five out of five stars, stating Perry "sounds like a woman, and an artist, who's finally found herself" and praised the "vulnerability" of the album.[90]Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic, Alexis Petridis from The Guardian, and Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine all also gave the album three out of five stars.[88] Erlewine dubbed Prism "a tighter, cleaner record than its predecessors".[81] Petridis called it "Katy Perry's most spiritual album to date".[86] Mesfin Fekadu from ABC News deemed the tracks "likable", but felt the album lacked "some of the fiery fierceness and excitement that dominated Teenage Dream".[91] James Reed from The Boston Globe felt Perry "always seemed like the pop star who knows precisely what she does best" and called the album "an unabashedly fun listen".[92] Chris Bosman from Consequence of Sound gave the album three and a half out of five stars, calling Perry "a champion of choruses".[84]Greg Kot from Chicago Tribune gave the album 2 out of 4 stars, commenting "Though not exactly spiritual, Prism does come off as a more serious—if no less formulaic—album than its predecessor".[83] Marah Eakin from The A.V. Club gave the album a C+, commenting "A lot of Prism is simply forgettable", though praised the tracks "Roar", "Birthday", and "This Is How We Do".[82] Rob Harvilla from Spin gave the album a 5/10 rating, and felt some of the material was not "all that desirable".[89]
Elysa Gardner from USA Today gave the album a 3/4 rating and found the album to be "genuine and endearing".[93] Trent Wolbe from The Verge gave an overall 4/4 rating and praised Perry's ability to "wrapping hyper-specific emotions into a new format that everyone can relate to". He particularly praised the tracks "International Smile" and "Birthday", declaring the chorus of "Birthday" to be "fucking perfect".[94] Jody Rosen from Vulture was disappointed with every track on the album except for "Roar".[30] Randall Roberts of Los Angeles Times gave the album a 3/4 rating, calling it "a shimmering, dynamic, heavy-duty modern pop album".[1] At the 57th Annual Grammy Awards, Prism was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album, but lost against Sam Smith's In the Lonely Hour.[95]
Prism made its official debut in Ireland, where it charted atop the charts. In the United States, the album opened at the top spot on the US Billboard 200, becoming her second consecutive number one album in the country. The album sold 286,000 copies in its first week. Prism acquired the largest first week sum by a female artist for 2013, surpassing Miley Cyrus' Bangerz (270,000 copies). However, this feat was surpassed by Beyoncé's self-titled fifth album, Beyoncé (617,213 digital copies), released in December 2013.[96][97] At the time of its release Prism had the fourth highest first week sales of the year for a pop record, trailing behind Daft Punk's May 2013 album Random Access Memories, which sold 339,000 copies and Justin Timberlake's The 20/20 Experience which debuted to 968,000 copies and its follow-up The 20/20 Experience – 2 of 2 which debuted to just 350,000 copies. The first week sales also marks Perry's highest weekly sales, with her previous album Teenage Dream selling 192,000 copies in its first week in August 2010. Prism has the highest first week sales for a female pop artist since Madonna's twelfth studio album, MDNA.[98]Prism sold 92,000 copies during its second week of availability, falling to number two on the Billboard 200. This represented the smallest sales dip for a number one album in the United States since the August 2013 release of The Civil Wars.[99]Prism spent 17 weeks in the top-ten on the chart.[100] The album has been certified quintuple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and has sold 1.74 million copies in the United States as of August 2020.[101][102] In June 2014, Billboard announced its Mid Year Top 20 Best-selling albums with Prism coming in at number 9 with sales of 453,000 in 2014 alone. Pharrell Williams and Perry were the only two people in to have an album and a single in the Mid Year Top 10 charts.[103] In February 2015, following Perry's performance at the Super Bowl XLIX halftime show, sales for the album increased by 85% and the album rebounded back into the Top 50.[104]
In New Zealand, the album became Perry's second consecutive number one album, and was certified gold by Recorded Music NZ, selling over 7,500 copies in its first week sales.[105]Prism opened atop the ARIA Album Charts, giving the singer her second number-one album in Australia after Teenage Dream. It was the nation's 688th album to top its charts overall and 342nd to enter at the summit.[106] The record received a Platinum certification from the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) during its second week of release,[107] and became the country's second highest-selling album of the year behind Pink's The Truth About Love with 179,000 copies sold by the end of 2013.[54]
In Europe, the album was a moderate success. In Switzerland, the album debuted at two, just behind James Blunt's Moon Landing and was certified Gold shortly after.[108] In Austria, the album debuted at number three and was certified Gold in its first week, achieving Platinum certification a month later. In France, Prism debuted in the Top 10, spending a dozen weeks in the Top 40, and has sold over 130,000 copies according to SNEP.[109] In the United Kingdom, it peaked at the top of the charts,[110] where it was certified Platinum[111] and went on to sell 433,000 copies by February 2017.[112] In The Netherlands and Denmark, the album debuted and peaked at number four.[113][114] As of August 2015, Prism has sold over 4 million copies worldwide.[115]
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
"This Is How We Do" is a song by American singer Katy Perry from her fourth studio album, Prism (2013). Perry co-wrote the track with its producers Max Martin and Klas Åhlund and recorded it in Stockholm, Sweden. The song was released as the album's fifth and final single along with its music video on July 31, 2014. "This Is How We Do" is a dance-pop song influenced by hip hop, having "synth squiggles" and "melodic dots" as its main instrumentation. Lyrically, it has Perry sing-talking about her hangout routine with her friends. The song's official remix featuring American rapper Riff Raff was released on August 25, 2014.
Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson, known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. Perry is one of the best-selling music artists in history, having sold over 143 million units worldwide. She is known for her influence on pop music and her camp style, being dubbed the "Queen of Camp" by Vogue and Rolling Stone.
One of the Boys is the second studio album by American singer Katy Perry. It was released on June 17, 2008, by Capitol Records. She collaborated on the album with producers Greg Wells, Dr. Luke, Dave Stewart, Max Martin, and Ted Bruner among others, and wrote most of the songs in collaboration with other producers and writers. However, the title track, "Thinking of You", and "Mannequin" were all written by Perry alone. The EP Ur So Gay, containing the song of the same name, was released in 2007 to generate interest in the singer and the album.
"I Kissed a Girl" is the debut single by American singer Katy Perry. It was released on April 28, 2008, by Capitol Records as the lead single from her second studio album, One of the Boys (2008). Perry co-wrote the song with Max Martin, Cathy Dennis, and its producer Dr. Luke, with additional production from Benny Blanco. "I Kissed a Girl" is a pop-rock, electropop and new wave song with elements of disco and glam rock. Perry stated its lyrics are "about the magical beauty of a woman". The song sparked controversy for its handling of bi-curious themes, but in retrospect has been credited with increasing LGBT awareness in pop music.
"Hot n Cold" is a song by American singer Katy Perry. The song was written by Perry, Dr. Luke, and Max Martin and produced by Luke and Benny Blanco for her second studio album, One of the Boys (2008). It was released as the album's second single on September 9, 2008. The lyrics address an unstable romantic relationship caused by a partner's mood swings.
American singer Katy Perry has released seven studio albums, seven extended plays (EP), 40 singles, and 11 promotional singles. According to Recording Industry Association of America, Perry has sold 121.5 million digital singles and 19 million albums in the United States. She is also the sixth best-selling digital singles artist in the United States. Throughout her career, Perry has sold 48 million album units and 135 million singles worldwide, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Billboard listed her as the fourth top female artist of the 2010s decade and the 61st greatest artist of all time. Perry has scored nine number one songs on Billboard Hot 100 and three number one albums on Billboard 200.
"California Gurls" is a song recorded by American singer Katy Perry. It served as the lead single for her third studio album, Teenage Dream (2010). The song features verses from rapper Snoop Dogg. Both artists co-wrote the song with Bonnie McKee and its producers Dr. Luke, Benny Blanco, and Max Martin. According to Perry, "California Gurls" is an answer song to "Empire State of Mind" (2009), by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys. Its mid-tempo production incorporates disco-pop and funk-pop with influences of new wave and electropop. Its lyrics are an ode to the state of California, in which both Perry and Snoop Dogg were born and raised.
"Firework" is a song by American singer Katy Perry from her third studio album, Teenage Dream (2010). Perry co-wrote the song with Ester Dean and the song's producers Stargate and Sandy Vee. It is a dance-pop self-empowerment anthem with inspirational lyrics, and Perry felt it was an important song for her on the record. Capitol Records released it as the album's third single on October 26, 2010.
"E.T." is a song by American singer Katy Perry from her third studio album, Teenage Dream (2010). She co-wrote the song with its producers Dr. Luke, Max Martin, and Ammo. "E.T." was serviced to radio stations as the album's fourth single on February 16, 2011. One version of the song features verses from American rapper Kanye West, and that version was included on the reissue of the album, Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection. Musically, it is an electronic and hip hop ballad which draws heavily from dubstep and techno, along with smaller amounts of drum and bass. According to Perry, the song lyrically speaks of "falling in love with a foreigner".
"Brave" is a song by American singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles, taken from her fourth studio album, The Blessed Unrest (2013). The song was written by Bareilles and Jack Antonoff from the band fun., as the singer was inspired from the struggles that a close friend dealt with in regard to coming out as gay. Bareilles requested Mark Endert to produce it with the explicit goal of radio airplay. "Brave" was released worldwide through digital download on April 23, 2013, as the lead single from the album, through Epic Records.
"Roar" is a song by American singer Katy Perry. It was released on August 10, 2013, by Capitol Records as the lead single from her fourth studio album, Prism (2013). Perry co-wrote the song with Bonnie McKee and its producers Dr. Luke, Max Martin, and Cirkut. It is a power pop song containing elements of arena rock and lyrics centering on standing up for oneself and self-empowerment.
"Dark Horse" is a song by American singer Katy Perry featuring American rapper Juicy J. It was originally released on September 17, 2013, by Capitol Records as the first promotional single from Perry's fourth studio album, Prism (2013). Three months later, it was released as the third official single on December 17. Both artists co-wrote the song with its producers, Max Martin, Cirkut, and Dr. Luke, alongside Sarah Hudson. It was conceived by Perry and Hudson during a writing session in Perry's hometown of Santa Barbara, California, and Juicy J was later commissioned for a verse on the song.
"Walking on Air" is a song recorded by American singer Katy Perry for her fourth studio album, Prism (2013), included as its fourth track. It was released to digital retailers on September 30, 2013, by Capitol Records, as the record's second promotional single, following the release of "Dark Horse". The song was part of a poll promoted by Pepsi, along with "Dark Horse", where fans could vote for which song they wanted to become the first promotional single from Prism. Inspired by CeCe Peniston and Crystal Waters, "Walking on Air" is a deep house and disco song influenced by 1990s Eurodance.
"Unconditionally" is a song by American singer Katy Perry. It was released as the second single from her fourth studio album Prism (2013) on October 16, 2013, two days before the album was released. Inspiration for the song came primarily from a humanitarian trip to Madagascar that Perry made in partnership with UNICEF. Having been surrounded by what she described as unconditional love, she co-wrote it with the song's producers Dr. Luke, Max Martin and Cirkut to reflect that feeling.
"By the Grace of God" is a song by American singer Katy Perry from her fourth studio album, Prism (2013), included as the standard edition's final track. The song was written and produced by Perry and Canadian record producer Greg Wells. It was conceived following Perry's divorce from English actor and comedian Russell Brand. This initially made Perry consider making a "darker" album, but instead was channeled into the song. Throughout its autobiographical lyrics, Perry is depicted finding her strength and standing up for herself.
"Birthday" is a song by American singer Katy Perry from her fourth studio album, Prism (2013). She co-wrote the song with Bonnie McKee and its producers Dr. Luke, Max Martin, and Cirkut. Critics, as well as Perry herself, have compared the track to the music of Prince and Mariah Carey. Through double entendres in the lyrics of "Birthday", Perry makes sexual references while celebrating a partner's birthday. Capitol Records sent the track to mainstream and rhythmic radio on April 21, 2014 as the album's fourth single.
"Black Widow" is a song by Australian rapper Iggy Azalea featuring British singer Rita Ora. Released through Def Jam Recordings, the song impacted on mainstream radio stations in the US on 8 July 2014, as the fifth single from her debut studio album, The New Classic (2014). It was written by Azalea, Katy Perry, Sarah Hudson, Benny Blanco, and duo Stargate, while the latter also produced the song. Lyrically, it addressed revenge after a failed romantic relationship. An accompanying music video for the song was released on 13 August 2014.
Witness is the fifth studio album by American singer Katy Perry. It was released on June 9, 2017, by Capitol Records. For the album, Perry worked with numerous producers, including Jeff Bhasker, Mark Crew, Duke Dumont, Jack Garratt, Oscar Holter, Illangelo, Ilya, Max Martin, Ali Payami and Shellback. Witness is an electropop album that delves into dance and EDM genres, with lyrics on self-empowerment and feminism. Perry described it as an album of "liberation" and "purposeful pop".
"Smile" is a song by American singer Katy Perry for her sixth studio album of the same name (2020). It was released on July 10, 2020, by Capitol Records as the second single from the album, along with the album's pre-order. Musically, it is a nu-disco song which samples Naughty by Nature's 1999 song "Jamboree". On the song, Perry talks about expressing her gratitude for changes in her life. A version featuring American rapper Diddy is featured on some vinyl versions of the album, while remixes of the song by Giorgio Moroder and Joel Corry have also been released to promote the song.
↑ "Exploring The Pop Field Nominees". National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. December 16, 2013. Archived from the original on December 17, 2013. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
↑ Copsey, Robert (December 5, 2013). "Katy Perry 'Unconditionally' single review: Soaring, effortless ballad". Digital Spy. Hearst Corporation.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
↑ "Czech Albums – Top 100". ČNS IFPI. Note: On the chart page, select 43.Týden 2013 on the field besides the words "CZ – ALBUMS – TOP 100" to retrieve the correct chart. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
