Review of Katy Perry's new album Smile | MarkMeets | Celebrity News, Music, Movies, TV, London Film Premieres

Following the exciting news that Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom had welcomed their first child into the world will come the release of Perry’s fifth studio album, Smile. Awesome timing to make your debut Daisy Dove Bloom; you’re now playing the round of showbusiness flawlessly, kid!

Perry’s relationship with Bloom is one that has prompted the formation of miles of newspaper title ink, so much so that the singer herself decided to delve into everything she felt during their brief split in this album’s lead single, Never Really Over. “I can’t even go on the internet / Without even checking your name”, she croons. In the age of social media and endless obsession, who CAN’T relate to such lyrics? Fortunately for Perry, all has worked out well and she seems to be in one of the best places on a personal level her fans have ever seen.

Electro-pop is something that has seen a tremendous ressurgence in the past few years thanks to some of the biggest female names in the industry, and Perry takes full advantage with the instantly-infectious Teary Eyes. Once we’re all back sharing sweat on the dancefloors of gay clubs across the country, it’s a sure thing that this will be an ‘everybody to the floor!’ hit.

Not The End Of The World is perhaps the most experimental track on the record, borrowing from 1969 Steam hit Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye and adding a twist of pure modernised pop. Like the vast majority of the tracks here, it’s an earworm that you’ll want to put on repeat straight after your first listen.

Champagne Problems comes a close second when it comes to experimentation, with some stunning string work bringing a rush of drama and suspense to proceedings; ideal for a track which details exactly how she and Bloom worked through their issues before reuniting and coming out of the other end stronger than ever before.

That theme of reflection is one that runs deep. Those who are simply looking to enjoy some bubblegum pop will be able to look the other way and enjoy the slick production, but if you are somebody who enjoys scratching below the surface, Perry’s lyrics give you plenty of material to chew through.

Despite all her garbled platitudes, she remains a master at executing proven chart-topping formulas. The Charlie Puth co-write “Harleys in Hawaii” is standard, breezy pop: a gently writhing beat, the word “baby” breathed over synths, vowels contorted so that “hula” rhymes with “jeweler.” “Tucked” is an understated highlight, a bass-blasted track about summoning the memory of a lover whenever she wants. Katy Perry has always excelled at packaging small moments of intimacy; it’s what animates the fleeting moments of post-party panic in hits like “Last Friday Night” and makes “Teenage Dream” one of the best songs of the last decade.

The world of pop is one that’s inundated with performers, but there are just a handful as important to the movement of the genre as Perry. Whilst Smile isn’t exactly reinventing the wheel, she remains an incredibly special artist whose music will live forever and for that, she must be celebrated.

Smile is officially released to purchase, download and stream from Friday, August 28th, 2020.