Katy Perry and Nelly Furtado, two iconic pop stars, both attempted comebacks to the mainstream with new album releases last week and after listening, I think their best music is behind them. 

I’ll say it, Katy Perry is never gonna be ‘that girl’ again. This album was extremely mediocre and even bad in spots. Her inclusion of several rap artists, like 21 Savage, JID and Doechii is a half-hearted attempt to include some variety in the album’s sound but it was not nearly enough to cover up for the incredibly repetitive and seemingly flippant song-writing and production in every track of the album. 

As I am sure this album was supposed to be a glorious return for Perry, it is almost impressive how uninspired and surface-level the songs seem to be. Surface level is not always a bad thing, pop music has never been hailed as a genre full of deep and thought-provoking lyrics, but it is at least supposed to be enjoyable.  “143” is not an attempt to bring back the sound and vibe of her early 2010’s work that propelled her into superstardom. Nor is it an entirely fresh direction that leaves no signs of the artist she used to be. It somehow strikes a happy medium of both that leaves you feeling not much of anything at all. 

A few tracks like “ALL THE LOVE” and “WONDER” are enjoyable and do their best to lift up the rest of the tracklist but the good moments are too few and far between to make much of an impact. 

The production is boring and doesn’t take any chances. The lyrics are more of a mad-lib where the only category is words that relate to love. To take such a firm stance on making love and relationships the key themes of the project, there is not a deeply emotional or striking lyric to be found on the entire record. 

The album is not entirely without value as I am sure a future movie will need a cheap copyrighted song to score their ‘first high school party’ scene and this album can do that just fine. 

I was expecting more from this record and hoped that Perry would come with anthems for the newer generations that she provided so consistently early in her career, but it seems that Perry is more a product of her time than an icon who defined it. 

Nelly Furtado returned to music with her seventh studio album, “7” which is also her first album in seven years. It seemed that the stars had aligned for this record and we would be treated to some new hits to rival her mid 2000’s anthems like “Maneater” and “Promiscuous,” but sadly, this was not the case. 

Instead we were treated to surface-level dance-pop and a few piano ballads that neither delight nor surprise. “7” is no doubt better than “143” and firmly establishes Furtado as a more interesting and consistent pop-star than Perry but this album leaves a lot to be desired. 

“Ready For Myself” sounds like a pop song that is stuck in the past and highlights a key issue with the project as a whole; there is no risk. There is no single track or moment that made me stop and rewind to hear it again. It is a ‘safe’ album for lack of a better term. The harmonies, melodies and choruses can be fun and catchy but it ultimately makes the project forgettable, which is the last thing any musician wants to be. 

I would rather the songs have been poorly done attempts to innovate than reliable and formulaic pop songs that don’t make you feel a thing. 

I can confidently say that I will never seek out this album again and if I do ever happen to hear it in the future, it will be by accident or against my will. 

Ultimately, Furtado and Perry both are perhaps stars of yesterday that have no place in the current pop landscape now firmly occupied by new stars like Billie Eilish, Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan. 

The music industry has changed and also stayed the same in many ways, but it has without a doubt left Furtado and Perry behind. 

Categories: Arts & Entertainment