REVIEW #1: 86/100

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The one and only Katy Perry has returned! Beginning her career with the moderately successful “Dreams”, she became a household name when she released her 2nd album “Atlantis”, which set a new standard for her and became one of the biggest albums of the year as well as one of the most acclaimed, even winning her a GRAMMY award for Best Dance/Electronic Recording. Now, with little build up other than the lead single being released a couple of weeks ago, we get to see what Katy has been working on, which is probably her most honest work yet.

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The album starts off with King Of Deception, and what a flawless start it is. The production is powerful, ethereal and honestly absolutely flawless. Lyrically, the song holds the same qualities. I will say, while I love the consistent king imagery throughout the song, at times it feels like the whole song revolves around this idea and doesn’t really go anywhere? Lines like “We would rule together, I would love you forever” do see a bit of development beyond the whole king imagery though so I love that. At over 5 minutes, it’s also a fairly long track! It doesn’t feel as long as it actually is, but it can drag on a bit nearer the end. Still, other than those minor details, it’s an absolutely flawless start and an absolute highlight in Katy’s discography! Now onto the lead single, A Broken Heart Won’t Stop Me Now. First of all, the production is yet again absolutely stunning. Not quite as engaging as King Of Deception, but that’s a hard track to beat! Lyrically, the verses are incredibly well written and pass off a very empowering message without feeling basic and overdone. Unfortunately, the chorus falls a little bit flat here for me. The song feels like it’s building up to something and then lyrically doesn’t really meet that expectation for me. The production as we near the end of the song though is absolutely incredible and powerful, making an explosive finish.

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Sweet Symphony is probably one of the most atmospheric tracks lyrically on the album. The whole track follows Katy’s drive with her lover, and her desires to be taken away. The production is the clear highlight on this track though, bringing us something a little different to the tracks before us. My only gripe is that the song doesn’t really go anywhere for a song in which Katy is singing about being taken away. It’s all about the journey which is really nice, but I think it would’ve elevated the song if we found out about their destination. Either way, it’s still a really solid track! If You Still Love Me has some of the boldest and most impactful production so far, and I love the little switch up we get around the pre-chorus and chorus. It’s incredibly magical and atmospheric. Lyrically, the song is really repetitive unfortunately. The first verse is really pretty, but after that there’s really nothing interesting going on in the lyrics of the song which is a shame because the production really sets it up to be one of the biggest tracks on the album. The repetitive lyrics do cause it to drag on a bit too, but the production around the bridge keeps us engaged and really holds up the track. The track is still good, don’t get me wrong! It just doesn’t live up to the heights of the other tracks we’ve seen so far.

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Now onto the title track, A Wish In The Night. What starts as a simple ballad instantly switches up with this saxophone that adds a completely new layer to the track. Lyrically, the song is beautiful. There’s really not a single wrong note here, it all works so seamlessly together to create what is arguably Katy’s best ballad. The only minor flaw is that it does drag on a little bit but, like King Of Deception, it’s not a major deal that detracts from the song overall. Nightmare (Interlude) comes next and is potentially the production highlight of the whole album. It’s engaging, atmospheric and powerful. A little strange coming off from that ballad? Perhaps! But that doesn’t stop it from being perhaps the greatest production moment in Katy’s career. Part of me wishes it cut off just a little bit earlier but it’s still an interesting way of moving to the next track, Bloody Fingerprints. It’s very different from the previous track, and I think the interlude really helps with that transition. Still, this track confuses me a little bit. It’s incredibly upbeat for what one would imagine to be a fairly dark song. The song goes from talking about someone under the stars, to their bloody fingerprints and a crime, to something being buried underground (a body?), all while being sung over this bubbly, somewhat experimental instrumental. I definitely thought we were getting a murder anthem here! The song isn’t bad, but I think there is a bit of a conflict of ideas.

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I’ll Give You Space comes in as this atmospheric, galactical feeling track which is very fitting. The whole thing is slow, elegant and moving accompanied by lyrics that say a lot without trying too hard to say anything. This is closer to the kind of moodiness mixed with Katy’s signature production that I expected on the last track. Even when it picks up, it retains a similar feeling to it. I’m a massive fan of this one! Hiding Underneath is probably the most beautiful track on the album. It starts off a little awkwardly, but quickly ascends into Katy’s stunning plea for help. The piano moments in the song are downright gorgeous and add this whole new dimension to the track. Again, there’s really nothing I can fault here! When I said this may be Katy’s most honest project yet, this is the main track I was thinking off. It feels like a traditional ballad but with a Katy spin on it, in the best possible way.

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Right when I say Hiding Underneath is the most beautiful track on the album, Katy comes in with Not Quite This Time. Take every good thing I said about Hiding Underneath and multiply it. Lyrically, the song is absolutely breathtaking. So honest and vulnerable without feeling too rough or shaky. Production wise, the song feels quite simple and isn’t nearly as powerful as Hiding Underneath, but it gives some breathing room for Katy’s beautiful lyricism to shine through. Brighter Days is the album's closing track and, if i’m being honest, doesn’t quite live up to the standard set by the last couple of tracks. I think, after the last few ballad-esque tracks, this one just feels a little lost and doesn’t really feel like it does anything different. The song itself isn’t bad, the verses are incredibly well written, some of the best on the album, although i’m not a massive fan of the chorus. The production is a little repetitive nearer the beginning as well for how long the track is, but by the end of the track it really picks itself up! Still, to say it’s a bad track would be an absolute lie. Am I a little salty that Not Quite This Time isn’t the closer? Maybe! But I can’t detract from the pure emotion that has gone into this track and by extension the album as a whole.

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I’ve tried to balance some of the good and bad points throughout the review, but overall the album is an absolutely incredible body of work. Seriously, every moment feels purposeful, polished and heartfelt. Sure, there are a few moments that are a bit difficult to vibe with, that don’t work as well as intended. But when you release an album with some of the best songs of the year (Looking at you King Of Deception and Not Quite This Time), that can be forgiven. Katy’s growth from album to album has been nothing short of stunning to witness (see what I did there) and if this is where she’s gone after Atlantis, who knows where she’ll go for her next project. No matter what, Katy has set a high standard for herself with this album and has more than proved her capability to produce a pop masterpiece.

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REVIEW #2: 90/100

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Well established in the music industry with her debut album ‘Dreams’ and sophomore follow-up, the best seller ‘Atlantis’, Katy Perry is back in a flurry. Driven to create the most original, catchy dance music in the industry time after time again, the singer’s third album dropped this week. Titled ‘A Wish in the Night’, the record comes only weeks after the subtle drop of lead single ‘A Broken Heart Won’t Stop Me Now’. And by all means, the album comes to surprise.

 

The slow and some dramatic buildup of opener track ‘King of Deception’ delivers a high quality introduction to the album. Furthermore, the lyrical flow to the song rolls off the singer’s tongue, while still giving listeners room to breath at points with the gentle, slower beat. Intricate and memorable, ‘King of Deception’ demonstrates Katy’s mastery of the dance pop genre. Blending developed, yet memorizable lyrics with comfortable production make the song a somewhat safe, yet quality choice. 

 

Lead single ‘A Broken Heart Won’t Stop Me Now’ follows the opening track, picking the pace of the album with a snapping tempo sense of attitude to it. As Katy describes that she is “moving on” from a heartbreak, the singer does not fail to describe the emotional damage left on her. “Gasping out for air”, Ms. Perry emphasizes her feelings in a crisp and relatable way for listeners. By all means, ‘A Broken Heart Won’t Stop Me Now’ makes for a standout track in the singer’s discography, as Katy marches onwards. 

 

‘Sweet Symphony’ creates a somewhat hypnotic vibe with its production, as the song details the singer’s newfound love with descriptions of a ride into the sunset. Romanticizing their traditional style, with references to cigarettes and cologne, Perry takes a stab at mixing culture of the past with electronic music. And by all metrics, the singer succeeds. While ‘Sweet Symphony’ fails to out peak its predecessors, it defends itself as step towards lightening up the album.

 

‘If You Still Love Me’ taps into some nostalgia for dance music of the past, while blending in elements of Perry’s notorious electronic style. With perhaps the strongest pre-chorus and chorus moment on the album, the singer reassures her man that they are still in love on the strong lyrics. Lines like “wherever you are, know I’m near” developed a powerful story arc over the four minute track, and one that is deserving of praise.

 

Taking a step back, with piano and horn instrumentation, the title track slowly builds itself up throughout the song. Pouring it on with her personal experiences of a breakup, Katy shows her lyrical expertise on ‘A Wish in the Night’. Sharing powerful metaphors for her feelings, the stripped back production allows for her touching melodies and careful lyricism to shine through. By all regards ‘A Wish in the Night’ marks a peak on the album, 

 

Instrumental ’Nightmare’ picks up the speed of the album, marking a dark pop spin to the record and certainly re-emphasizing Katy’s producing skills. Following it comes the seemingly fan-favorite ‘Bloody Fingerprints’. Pushed by a kicking beat, one that can easily fit the radio, the track relies on a children’s chime reference in the beat and seemingly nursery rhyme structured lyrics to create an aura surrounding the song. Then, upon the explosion of the beat, the song lets loose with a catchy hook and strategic repetition use. While possibly not my favorite song, ‘Bloody Fingerprints’ marks highpoint on the album’s creativity.

 

Touching on the fears of losing her love, ‘I’ll Give You Space’ marks a step towards blending intergalactic dance pop, a style Katy has been known to master, with underlying influence from trap. Bolstered by the spectacularly written lyrics, which become memorable from a first listen, the singer confirms to reaffirms to album’s underlying theme of relationship uncertainty and struggles. 

 

‘Hiding Underneath’ ventures on its own path, with a piano instrumental which blends with electronic instrumentation and rhythmic additions. Continuing a lyrical theme from ‘Bloody Fingerprints’, Perry seems to reference some sort of figurative monster that is holding her down, likely her own anxiety. In using metaphorical references, the song shines in it’s storytelling qualities.

 

‘Not Quite This Time’ continues the storytelling strengths of ‘Hiding Underneath’ with a slightly more interesting beat and renewed sense of emotion. Opening up about the seriousness of her struggles and the newness of them, ‘Not Quite This Time’ shares the humanity of Katy Perry. In doing so, the track sheds new light on her relationship with being perceived as this always bold and brave pop star, while having her own internal struggles.

 

Rather than continuing her relationship tales, Perry closes the album on ‘Brighter Days’ with references to nature, seemingly connecting back her sophomore album ‘Atlantis’. Hoping for a better future, the songstress leaves listeners intrigued and wishing the singer the best. 

 

Overall, ‘A Wish in the Night’ is an emotionally-provoking, well-oiled album that serves as a peak for the singer. Outdoing her first two albums, the record shows the continued creative growth by the young star, setting up high expectations for Katy’s future.

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REVIEW #3: 86/100

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Katy Perry had a golden year in 2019 with the release of her blockbuster album Atlantis. The project took Katy from the promising upstart that her first album presented us with and turned her into a bonafide worldwide icon. After an abrupt end to the album’s tour, Katy went into a period of inactivity but recently it became clear that something was on the horizon. Now, that something has made it’s big entrance. Katy’s returned with her new album A Wish in the Night, and purely from the cover, it’s intentions are clear. The album is a darker edged, mature evolution for Katy, a total 180 from the light and breezy perfect pop of her first two albums. The project appears to be one of great passion for Katy and the passion is not misplaced. Christmas came early and the gift tag is signed by Katy Perry! 

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The album opens with the best foot forward and one of it’s standout tracks, “King of Deception”. The song is a five minute epic of a collapsing romance, wrapped around the narrative of a king and a queen. Right away the darker sensibilities of the production shine through as we’re treated to a synth and heavily drum led soundscape that’s topped by synthetic strings and what sounds like a processed choir. The production is a powerful mission statement for the album, matched only by Katy, Oscar Holter, and Stuart Price’s lyrical contributions. The song is tightly written and it’s evident how much Katy’s been working on honing in her skills. Lines like “It’s been awhile since I’ve seen the man underneath” and the contrasting deliveries of “You were fearless/ruthless, handsome, and tall” are simple on the surface but carry such deep meaning. There’s a lot happening below the surface in the lyrics which is a strong compliment to the more overt contributions of the production to the sound. It’s a powerful opener and one of the best songs in Katy’s discography to date. “A Broken Heart Won’t Stop Me Now”, the album’s lead, follows. The song is helmed production and lyric wise by Katy and Oscar Gorres and it makes sense as the lead. Though not as strong as the opening track, the song is nevertheless a wonderful ride to take. The production is it’s strongest asset, making use of a piano and strings which are contracted heavily by the hard trap beat. It’s a pairing that sounds messy on paper but in practice works remarkably well. The lyrics are solid, if not entirely remarkable. She leans into some of the cliches associated with the “growing up and moving on” mentality in songwriting but they don’t wrestle the song into submission. It’s a good lead candidate and did a good job of introducing what the album was going to be, and it can’t be denied it’s a fun time. “Sweet Symphony” continues down the path laid out by the previous track, leading with it’s strong production work. The dramatic synth work on this song makes it really standout as there’s been nothing that quite sounds like this released as of yet. The synths are dense and heavily layered which gives a deep and full sound to the song. The lyrics are stronger than the second track, though not quite as impressive as the first. She gets her point across quite effectively and there’s some real standout lines here (most notably “I hope this road leads us somewhere”) making this another great addition to the tracklist and another piece of evidence that Katy’s been working on her songwriting.

 

“If You Still Love Me” comes in as another peak for the album. Helmed production wise by Katy and the legend himself Stuart Price, this is one of the most impressive beats on the album. Moving from a delicate beat to a more pronounced and harder beat depending on where in the song we are gives the song a lot of energy which is only amplified by the gorgeous synth work. The song is a club ready anthem and leaves quite a lasting imprint when it finishes. Katy’s lyrics also reach that coveted level of the opening track. They, similarly to the opener, don’t sound immediately complex but the deeper you go, the more she’s saying. For example, the repetition in the chorus (“If you still love me, you still love me/Don’t let go of me, let go of me”, etc.) comes through as just repetition at first but when you play it back it represents a duality, an almost insecurity in the sentiments. “Don’t let go of me, let go of me” in particular is powerful; hold her but she says don’t. It’s a fantastic song and a clear single candidate moving forward. The album’s title track “A Wish in the Night” is unfortunately one of it’s weaker offerings, though certainly of no fault to the lyrics. Katy paints a vivid picture with the lyrics and they’re often quite effective in portraying genuine hurt and fear. She is let down somewhat by the production that backs it. There’s not really anything inherently bad about the soundscape, but it does feel as if it’s too repetitive for it’s own good, never really going anywhere beyond where it began. The piano and sax work is nice, but even the chorus doesn’t make many alterations to what happens in the verses. It’s far from a bad track, far from a skip, and it works thematically as the title track even if it’s sound doesn’t place it atop the pile. What followers is “Nightmare”, an instrumental interlude that offers a nice change up in the sound, boldly leaning into heavy techno. Because it’s an interlude, it can’t really be called an album highlight but it’s a tightly produced and interesting little curiou of sound that’ll no doubt get the blood rushing.

 

“Bloody Fingerprints”  has quite a title and it lives up to it. The production work by Katy, Vaugh Oliver, and Stuart Price is smooth and confident with one of the best beats on the album. The bells that root the synths down as well are quite a nice addition. Lyrically the song deals in mystery and suspicion in a lover. It’s not one of the strongest tracks lyrically but it does have clear stand out lines in “Looking at the stars like they have the answer” and “All the sounds are drowned in the echoes of rusting trees'' that really conjure up some stunning imagery. It’s a solid song and perfectly danceable as well. It may not be a peak, but it’s certainly unmissable. “I’ll Give You Space” is much stronger lyrically than it is production wise. The song deals with a lover wanting to give their partner some space in hopes of repairing what’s between them and it can be quite affecting as it goes along. However, the production side of things just isn’t as interesting. Similar to the title track, the production doesn’t really seem like it goes anywhere. It’s built around a fairly typical trap beat and little else. Though sparse production isn’t always a drectation, it feels a bit out of place on the album especially after the immediate two predecessors. Things do pick up in the outro but by then, you’ll be ready to move on. Though it’s likely on the weakest end of the album’s spectrum, it’s still far from bad and Katy’s lyricism keeps the ship afloat. “Hiding Underneath” comes through as an unexpectedly emotional offering. Delving into being at odds with something happening in one’s own body that you cannot control, the song really highlights desperation and the extent that physical pain can push someone’s mind to. The production is pretty simple here, but it needed to be. Katy’s lyrics are what needed to be the top priority and they are. It’s a deeply sad song if you dig deeply into it, but even on the surface it’s an emotional and quite personal ride. It’s a surprise inclusion thematically but a welcome one and it’ll no doubt resonate with many people who find themselves in similar positions. “Not Quite This Time” is another deeply personal and highly emotional track that hits deeper and resonates more than it may first appear. The song deals with crippling sadness and not being able to pick one’s self up despite having been able to do so in the past. The production is more simple, but again it needed to be. This is a lyrically driven song and my, what strong lyrics these are. She lays it out pretty bare, letting us in on more than anyone could’ve expected her to. The track is another brilliant addition and benefits from Katy’s willingness to let us see this play out. Brilliant. “Brighter Days” closes the album and, despite it’s quite a dark and heavy song. The song deals more with feelings of crippling sadness, though this one does have eyes forward to hope for something better eventually. The lyrics are quite strong, as most of the album has been, and some of it’s closing moments (namely “I don’t want to just survive”) leave the album’s final statement a quite powerful one. It is a bit longer than it needs to be and the production work doesn’t sustain itself the whole way through, but the lyricism is strong enough that it doesn’t become a particular hindrance, ending the album on a strong note. 

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A Wish in the Night came after a reportedly tough production period, but it seems that the struggle was worth the reward. The album is another fantastic entry into Katy’s discography. Far more personal and raw than anything she’s offered so far, the album feels like the moment where Katy ceases being a pop girl and becomes a genuine artist. Though the production is firmly rooted in pop, the honesty of the lyricism would not be out of place on a more anger-songwrtier style album. But it’s the fact that the lyrics are backed by this pop production that offers a unique and powerful thematic contrast. The production isn’t always bulletproof, but it more often than not hits the nail on the head. There’s  quite a bit of personality in here, even if personality is missing from a frew selections soundwise. Though it’s not perfect, that’s part of this album’s inherent charm. It’s purpose is to show things as they are and the willingness to not dress anything up for the sake of appearances. It’s a deeply moving body of work and her honesty sets this album apart from many of her peers. Katy did what she needed to do at this point in her career.