Katy Perry - Prism

I've always had a soft spot for Katy Perry. Her voice is silky smooth and her music is infectiously catchy. However, after looking back at Teenage Dream, I started to become less enamored with her because of her provocative lyrics. You see, I am very impressed when pop singers can break the mold of sex-filled lyrics and create wonderful music. At long last, I can add Katy Perry to that very small group. Does she still write about sex on Prism? Yes, but it is much more diminished and subtle than Teenage Dream was. Thematically, it worked; however, I'm not one that likes to hear "sex, sex, sex" in all my music. Thankfully, Prism distinguishes itself from almost all other pop music in that sense. The album's two highlights, "Unconditionally" and "By the Grace of God", are both astonishingly Christian in their values that they purport, which is a real surprise given how much Perry has denied her faith in the past few years. Musically, Prism deviates from the normal pop formula and has a darker feel to the music. Sure, there are still some poppy songs in there, but it is a very mature balance of bright and dark that is rare in the industry today. This maturity makes Prism Perry's best work to date and possibly one of the best mainstream pop albums of 2013.

Lyrics: 4/5
Music: 4.5/5
Overall score: 4/5

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