Katy Perry released a new album called “143” on Sept. 20 with 11 new tracks. Her last album “Smile” came out in 2020. What “143” means, the kind of music on this album and more will be discussed.
“143” meaning
According to Cosmopolitan, Perry shared on Apple Music’s series “The Zane Lowe Interview Series” about what “143” means. This is what Perry said:
“It’s called 143. It’s my angel number. It’s my symbol. It’s my sign. You know, couple years ago, we were going through a little bit of a hard time medically in our family, and it was a little bit scary. And I started seeing 143 in many different ways, not just, like, on the phone. It was just like trippy, almost. And I looked it up, and it’s code for ‘I love you,'” Perry said.
Type of music on “143”
When listening to “143,” the songs feel like ones people would listen to when dancing, when at a club or even blasting music when someone is driving. The genre of “143” sounds like EDM Pop, which stands for electronic dance music. Looking back to some of Perry’s previous songs such as “Dark Horse,” “E.T.,” “Hot N Cold,” “This Is How We Do,” “Last Friday Night” and “California Gurls” are just some songs that remind me of “143” because they all have at least some parts that feel like you could dance to due to the beat. But overall, “143” is more EDM than anything else she has made.
According to Billboard, Perry said the following:
“I set out to create a bold, exuberant, celebratory dance-pop album with the symbolic 143 numerical expression of love as a throughline message,” Perry said.
The first songs from “143” released
“Woman’s World” was the first song of “143” that Perry released. This song was stuck in my head after hearing it for the first time. Additionally, the next track she released is called “Lifetimes,” which was also stuck in my head. Perry has a 4-year-old daughter, Daisy Dove Bloom who was the inspiration of “Lifetimes.” It’s a very catchy song that has a sweet meaning to it. According to People at an album listening event when Perry talked about how “Lifetimes” came to be, she said the following about the nighttime routine with her daughter:
“Every night, before we go to sleep, I say, ‘I love you,’ and then I ask, ‘Will you find me in every lifetime?’ and she says, ‘Yes,'” Perry said.
Some of the lyrics in “Lifetimes” are: “I’ll love you for / I’ll love you for life / Lifetimes / I’ll love you for / I’ll love you for life / Lifetimes / I know you feel it / Can you believe it? / I’m gonna love you ’til the end and then repeat it.”
“Crush”
“Crush” is about how one feels when they have a crush. In the song, Perry sings “Is it a crush / Making me blush / Here I go again, I’m falling in love.” She also sings, “My heart goes / La dada dee dee / La da dee dee / La dada dee dee” which adds something extra to the song. “Crush” is another song that has been playing in my head.
“Wonder”
“Wonder” is a sweet song. At the beginning and end of the song, Perry’s daughter is singing the lyrics. This song is about growing up. Something that stood out to me was the following lyrics: “‘Cause time is gonna fly / Beauty’s gonna fade / Life will let you down / ‘Cause time is gonna fly / Beauty’s gonna fade / Don’t let growing up bring you down” Additionally, Perry sings Daisy’s name in this song which adds a sweet touch.
More songs
Furthermore, other songs on “143” include “All The Love,” “Gimme Gimme” feat. 21 Savage, “Gorgeous” feat. Kim Petras, “I’m His, He’s Mine,” feat. Doechii, “Nirvana,” “Truth,” and “Artificial” feat. JID.
Charts
According to Billboard, Perry’s song “Woman’s World” was on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached its peak at number 63 for one week. To add, according to Forbes “Woman’s World” is on the Official Vinyl Singles chart which is the United Kingdom’s chart. According to the Official Vinyl Singles Chart, as of Sept. 28, “Woman’s World” is at number nine with this song peaking at number two and has been on these charts for four weeks.
Controversy
A lot of fans did not like the “Woman’s World” music video, with one person leaving a YouTube comment saying, “Why is this entire video designed for the male gaze?” There are a lot of other negative reviews in the comment section. To add, according to Perry’s Instagram account, she posted a behind-the-scenes video on July 13 with a caption that says, “YOU CAN DO ANYTHING! EVEN SATIRE.”
Additionally, one of the producers of “Woman’s World” and most of “143” is Dr. Luke. His real name is Lukasz Gottwald. According to Forbes, Kesha brought allegations against Dr. Luke for sexual assault and sued him. Dr. Luke denies Kesha’s allegations.
Writers, producers and collaborators
According to the credits Perry has listed on YouTube, some of the producers of this album include Dr. Luke, Aaron Joseph, and Vaughn Oliver. In addition, some of the composers are Joseph, Chloe Angelides, Oliver, Dr. Luke, Theron Thomas, Petras, Mikkel Eriksen and of course Perry.
Recommendation
People should listen to Perry’s album. She has catchy tunes and relatable topics, from having a crush to growing up. All of her songs have interesting beats and would be great for dancing and good for a club as well as turning the music up in the car.
Kayla Kramer, ’25, is a fan of Perry’s and grew up listening to Perry’s music, including listening to hits like “Roar” and “Last Friday Night.”
Kramer said the vibe this album gives is EDM Pop. When talking about if she would recommend “143” Kramer had her thoughts.
“I would definitely recommend it for a night out and even club music. I feel like most of the songs would go really well in remixes too! It’s a change from her old music but it’s more modern and fun!” said Kramer.
Overall, take a listen to Perry’s new album and see if you have a new favorite song or album.
