Katy Perry
"Witness"
(Capitol (ASTERISK)(ASTERISK))
It doesn't exactly drop through the net with the grace of a Steph Curry three-pointer: "Swish, swish, bish, another one in the basket / Can't touch this, another one in the casket." That taunting chorus from "Swish Swish," the Nicki Minaj-featuring, Taylor Swift-dissing single on Katy Perry's ungainly new album is an "I'm-awesome-and-you're-not" song that lands with a thud. "Your game is tired, you should retire / You're about as cute as an old coupon expired." Such a burn!
"Witness" means to be soul-searching, self-enlightening, and socially conscious while transporting Perry into funkier territory. An expansive promotional campaign has taught us much: Perry has discussed cultural appropriation with Black Lives Matter activist DeRay Mckesson and revealed to James Corden that the sexual prowess of DJ-producer and former Philadelphian Diplo ranks third behind that of John Mayer and Orlando Bloom. But the album largely robs Perry's music of the bubblegum thrills of past empowerment anthems like "Firework" and "Roar." "Witness" is still sure to be an enormous success, but on tracks like "Save as Draft," which takes great pains to comment on how we communicate in the digital age, fun is absent. The exception that proves the rule is the genuinely grooving "Pendulum," which features producer Jeff Bhasker (who also helmed Harry Styles' breakout solo effort) and super-bassist Pino Palladino.
_Dan DeLuca
