Who didn’t grow up listening to all of Katy Perry’s hits on the radio? Born Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson, Katy Perry rose to fame in 2008 with her second album, One of the Boys. This pop-rock record included her controversial U.S. number one song “I Kissed a Girl” and the radio hit “Hot n Cold.” Perry went on to release her second album, disco-influenced Teenage Dream in 2010. In line with the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), Teenage Dream sits at 8x Platinum and her third single from the album, “Firework,” is now at 12x Platinum.
To celebrate the album that defined a decade, Perry recently shared a video compilation on Instagram to pay tribute to its ten-year anniversary on August 24th, 2020. Just four days after, the singer became a new mother, giving birth to Daisy Dove Bloom and released her sixth album, Smile. Although her music hasn’t garnered as much success compared to the earlier parts of her career, Perry’s newest album contains a few songs that induce nostalgia and some that will ultimately make you smile.
With twelve tracks, Perry tells a story of resilience and empowerment from start to finish. The first three songs on her album, “Never Really Over,” “Cry About It Later” and “Teary Eyes” describe heartbreak and the sadness that follows it. However, the songs’ choruses are upbeat and happy, which the singer does to remind her listeners to stay positive no matter what. Perry also alludes to her 2010 hit “The One That Got Away” in the song “Cry About It Later.” In the second verse, she sings, “I think I’m ready to be someone’s new muse / I think I’m ready for a brand new tattoo.” This could be a reference to her ex-husband Russell Brand removing their matching tattoo and finding her new love, Orlando Bloom.
There are other songs in Smile that remind me of Perry’s biggest hits from 2010, such as “Smile” and “Harleys in Hawaii” but my favorites are “Daisies” and “What Makes a Woman.” Although “Daisies” is about following your dreams when everyone is unsupportive, Daisy is also the name of Perry’s first-born which signifies a maturing point in her music and career. This shines through in her last track, “What Makes a Woman.” Smile is classified as pop, but this song is very much an indie ballad.
The concluding line in it – and to the entire album – is Perry telling herself, “There it is, Katheryn.” With her newfound confidence and triumph in a different genre, Perry has listeners excited about what she has in store with KP7.