As her Lifetimes tour hits the UK, we pick the high points from one of pop’s most successful vocalists, from angsty ballads to empowerment anthems
There’s no getting around the fact that Katy Perry’s breakthrough single has not aged well in some ways – the lyrics are like a lads’ mag reader’s idea of female bi-curiosity – but musically it’s an impressively fizzy retooling of the early-70s low glam sound, with crunchy guitars and glitterbeat drums.
German EDM producer Zedd is not renowned for the subtlety of his musical approach, which makes his Perry collab a pleasant surprise: low on big drops and the kind of synth riffs that get the Las Vegas bros waving their hands in the air, it’s got a sweet melody.
A Charlie Puth co-write that apparently documents a holiday Perry spent with her then beau Orlando Bloom. The lyrics are pretty frightful – it rhymes “hula-hula” with “take me to the jeweller” – but no matter: driven by acoustic guitar, the music is intriguingly misty and understated – and oddly charming.
Originally written by Perry with the intention of giving it to horrorcore rap pioneers Three 6 Mafia – truly, the mind boggles. In the end, she kept the rock/hip-hop hybrid for herself. The remix, with a star turn by 808s and Heartbreak-era Kanye, is the version to hear.
