Should You "Let the Light in" on PRISM?

It's been 3 years since Katy released her monumentally successful sophomore album Teenage Dream. A lot has happened in her life since then. She became the first woman and the second person in history to have 5 number 1 singles off one album (Teenage Dream), she got married and divorced, started dating again, and has grown into one of the most famous people in the industry. With her sophomore album having a bubblegum-pop and party feel with nothing but silliness and fun, she takes a 180 on PRISM and features many heartfelt and emotional tracks. Let's see if they really do "let in the light" like she promised.

Roar (9.5/10)

The first single off of the album serves as an anthem of empowerment to her fans and for herself. With lines such as "I got the eye of the tiger" and "You held me down but I got up, already brushing off the dust," she's definitely showing that she's recovered from her divorce and has moved on. The song has a much lighter feel than many of her previous singles, but is in no way a ballad. The background synths and guitar during the chorus make you feel uplifted and puts you in a very optimistic mood. For the album opener, Katy is definitely showing us that she's ready for every battle that's addressed on the album.

Legendary Lovers- (10/10)

The mood of the album shifts slightly with this Middle Eastern influenced track. This song makes you feel like you just stepped foot in India and are riding on an elephant. The epic hook of the chorus is bound to be stuck in your head for eons as she coos "Take me down to the river underneath the blood-orange sun.” Lyrically, this song is a generic love song that talks about her lover’s potential to create a “legendary love.” The bridge breaks down into an Indian-tribal dance break and then explodes back into the chorus after a short guitar overlay. This song is a very possible third single as it would do extremely well on radio.

Birthday (10/10)

Katy takes a much dancier and groovier approach on “Birthday.” While the lyrics are very raunchy and risqué, the sound of the song is very upbeat and disco-esque. It sounds like something Prince would have done earlier in his career. It’s really a simple song about she will “make it like your birthday everyday” and urges her lover to stick around longer. It’s hard to stand still when listening to this club anthem. It’s generic; yes, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Her vocals are a stand-out on this track as well and are shown off in the chorus as she sings at a very high octave.

Walking On Air (6.5/10)

Katy literally goes disco on this track. Sadly, it lacks the luster that the preceding songs brought to the listener. The chorus repeats the same line “Tonight I’m walking on air” over and over again to the point where you want to move on to the next track. The bridge breaks down into a much slower pace before repeating the chorus and essentially, the same line as well. A very weak track compared to the stand-outs that came before it.

Unconditionally (8.5/10)

Wanting to take a deeper and more heartbreaking approach for the second single off the album, “Unconditionally” fits all the criteria. She calls to her lover and promises to love them “unconditionally.” Not quite a ballad, yet not mid-tempo either, this song is very emotional and you can hear the yearning in her voice. It is the perfect song to stray away from the dancy and upbeat feel the album had so far and makes the listener remember why they love Katy so much; as crazy as she can be, she can sing a hella good love song that packs in the emotion and tears.

Dark Horse (ft. Juicy J) (10/10)

Honestly, the strongest song on this entire album. I have zero complaints and it is extremely developed and brilliantly produced. “Are you ready for, ready for a perfect storm, perfect storm?” Katy sings over a rising beat and synths. The verses break down into a club hip-hop beat with an absolutely killer bass. As the chorus picks up, so does the music and leads into the subtler vibe of the verses perfectly. The rap from Juicy J fits perfectly (unlike many other pop songs on radio that feature raps on them). This might just be one of Katy’s strongest tracks she’s ever done and I know I’m addicted.

This is How We Do (8.5/10)

Oddly “Last Friday Night” sounding, it brings the party Katy from “Teenage Dream” back and does so in a way that shows her evolution as an artist. It shows that a party song doesn’t need to be upbeat and crazy as this is quite suttle and mid-tempo. Her soliloquy in the bridge is very comical and just solidifies this as a great party song. I very much like the end of the song where the music fades away, but Katy “brings it back” and the base music for the whole song plays for an extra 20-ish seconds. The one thing that I can’t seem to get past is how the chorus sounds extremely similar to the song “I Like it Like That” by Hot Chelle Rae. Other than that, this is a very solid song.

International Smile (9/10)

Another great mid-tempo song that is very easy to dance to. Katy seems to be redefining her outlook on dance music and making it like nothing else on radio. The hook in the chorus is very catchy and follows right into the verses that have a killer beat. The digitally morphed voice in the bridge is really trippy and goes perfectly with the song, making it stand out from many other songs on this album. The only thing I would take away is the extremely cheesy British woman talking at the beginning of the bridge. Other than that, this song is very catchy and something new from Katy.

Ghost (9.5/10)

An eerily haunting song about someone in her life who has strayed so far away, that their memory is just a ghost. While this is a very moody song, the lyrics are very enlightening and show that there’s still hope for this failed romance. This is one of the best songs on album lyrically, it is truly beautiful.

Love Me (5/10)

What I find to be the weakest track on the album, it lacks any originality or anything that makes it stand-out. The lyrics discuss her searching herself to figure out who she really is and working on her self-esteem. This track is extremely boring and is one of the most generic things I’ve ever heard.

This Moment (8.5/10)

This is a very odd song since the music is groovy and has a great bass while the lyrics and mood of the song stays emotional and power ballad-like. It has one of the best choruses on the album, but the verses take a step down and border on boredom.

Double Rainbow (10/10)

One of the most emotional songs Katy has ever done. It talks about true love and how her and her lover fit together like a “double rainbow.” This is emphasized on lyrics like “one man’s trash is another girl’s treasure, if it’s up to me gonna keep you forever” and “I understand you, we see eye to eye like a double rainbow in the sky.” The music is very low-tempo and basic but it totally fits the feel of the song. It really tugs on your heartstrings and makes you want to have what she’s explaining. Like she says, “a double rainbow’s hard to find” and so is a song this terrific.

By the Grace of God (9.5/10)

When I first heard her perform the acoustic version of this song at the iTunes Festival, I found it less than stellar and wasn’t very impressed but upon hearing the studio version, I fell in love. It shows just how broken and messed up she was after her divorce when she confesses “by the grace of god, I picked myself back up, I knew I had to stay.” Sonically, the verses are basically just her and a piano but the chorus picks up with a full band. I find this the perfect track to end the album since it sums up the core of every problem she discusses on the album. It also shows how she came full circle and managed to push through and see the light.

Overall, this is not Katy’s strongest effort, but it’s a damn good one. She shows her many sides whether they be crazy, funny, or desperate. It has something for everybody basically and I would give it a solid 8.5/10 altogether. I can’t wait to see how Katy promotes this album, how it does commercially, and which singles she chooses in the future. After looking everything over, Katy really has shown the light on who she is as a person in this point in her life and succeeded in everything she set out to do on this album.