Music Review Monday #9: Prism (Deluxe Edition)

Once again, I am going to talk about Katy Perry. Hopefully, this will be the last one for awhile. But after reviewing two of her new songs, I thought I must review her anticipated new album, Prism. (Just the album title. No song is actually called Prism)

Actually, Katy surprised me. After hearing 'Roar', hope filled me that, perhaps, this album would be worth listening to and enjoying. A few of her old songs (Teenage Dream, for instance), I only listen to once in awhile because of the tune. It's so good, but I know the song itself isn't worth listening to because of the lyrics

Thankfully, this album goes in a much different direction then the party-filled Teenage Dream. In fact, many of these songs are very serious and do have a point in them. Katy has come far since her divorce and this album proves it. These songs talk about love in a different way and definitely more meaningful than ever before

Many of you know Kay used to be a Christian artist. Since then, it is seemed her faith is a thing of the past. But this album actually has a lot of spiritually.

The question is: Is that good or bad?

Actually, a bit of both.

Wholesome Content

'Unconditionally' is definitely one of the album's highlights. The song talks about unconditional love in a way that could relate to any family relationship. "I will love you unconditionally... I will take the bad days with your good/I'll do it all because I love you," she sings sweetly.  'Love Me' is similar, in which Katy realizes that self-respect and self love is a key thing when it comes to a good relationship with the ones you love. She even confesses that she hates how she looks sometimes, but says, "But who I am is I'm meant to be."

A broken heart turns up on 'Ghost' (a song about her divorce), as Katy sings about the sudden disappearance of her beau. Through it all, though, she doesn't speak of anger or hatred for her ex. In fact, she sings of giving a second chance on friendship terms, "So rest in peace/I'll see you on the other side." Katy tries to make peace in 'Choose Your Battles.' Stopping her own fight, she sings that survival isn't everything and in the end, love conflicts never are worth it.. "Choose your battles.... stop digging your own grave... There's so much more to live for... I don't wanna be the last one standing."

On one of  the last tracks on the album, she admits to making her own mistakes. Confessing no one, even her, is blameless.  "It's so easy to throw you under the bus... I say these things to hurt you/But I'm only hurting myself... But let me be the first, baby to say 'I'm sorry." In 'Roar', she decides to call her own shots and take chances instead of letting everyone make decisions for her.

'Double Rainbow' is about a once-in a-lifetime relationship, which is not flawless, but worth it. She contemplates suicide in 'By the Grace of God', but in the end, she decides to stay and gives God the credit. She even quotes Scripture. "Yeah, the truth will set you free."

Unacceptable Content

Actually, other than 'By the Grace of God', all the spiritually mentioned is this album is not good. A lot of it is Eastern religion.

'Legendary Lovers' is the first track that is about this. The song starts out like this, "Under a sliver moon, tropical temperature." Quickly, she sings about karma. "Never knew that karma could be this rewarding... say my name like a scripture." Maybe I'm wrong, but a line in this song could hint that it's talking about a same-sex relationship. "You're my blushing Juliet," she sings.

'Walking on Air' rejoices over sex and Heaven. "Angels are jealous of our love," she coos. On that line, 'Birthday' is a song about physical love and sex. "If you want all/I'm the girl you should call... I'm going to catch you in your birthday suit/It's time to bring out the big, big balloons!"

'Dark Horse', definitely the song with the most sexual content, is the story of a man falling in love with a witch. Katy doesn't say anything terribly suggestive, but her guest rapper, Juicy J does. "UH, she's a beast/I call her Karma/She'll eat your heart out... She can be my Sleeping Beauty/I'll put her in a comma/D---, I think I love her/Turns the bedroom into a fair/Her love is like a drug."

The only other profanity turns up on one of the only party song's in this album, 'This is How We Do.' "Channel that/H--- yeah." In this song, she sings lazily and encourages kids using their rent money to buy bottle service and partying all day and night.

In 'This Moment', Katy convinces her guy to 'put her love into motion' because 'all we have is this moment'. 'Spiritual' takes Biblical things and turns them into sexual metaphors. "Lay me down at the altar/I'm a slave to this love/Your electric lips got me speaking in tongues."

Conclusion

Katy Perry definitely surprised me. I was expecting something far worse than 'Roar.' I had high expectations for this album, but I should have known with Perry, there's some strings attached.

A lot of this album was blasphemy and it disgusted me. The spiritually was totally twisted into a sexual fair. When I heard 'Dark Horse', I had yet to find out that was just a taste of how sexually and yet, spiritual this album was.

But the profanity was very mild and there were only a few party songs. This album is better than 'Teenage Dream', but it still really didn't impress me. I really like 'By the Grace of God' and 'Unconditionally.' Though she was divorced, most of these songs were happy love songs/

This album was very twisted, but I'm going to make a statement. Katy Perry seems really bad, but through everything that she's done, I think she'll still searching. She still hasn't decided what she believes about God and everything else. We must pray that God will show Himself to her in a different way then He did her childhood. I think her divorce has pushed her in the right direction.