Katy Perry, Harleys in Hawaii | Track Review 🎵

Grammy-nominated pop star Katy Perry continues to try to reclaim her mojo on single “Harleys in Hawaii,” co-written and co-produced by Charlie Puth.

Once upon a time, Katy Perry was definitely ‘a big deal.’ Hit after hit arrived courtesy of the pop star, including the likes of “I Kissed a Girl”, “Teenage Dream”, and “Roar”.  The thing is, her 2017 album, Witness, saw Perry drop the first faux pas of her career.  While Witness had its moments, the same caliber of hits of previous LPs were totally M.I.A. Post-Witness, Perry has released a couple of singles, but there’s been little traction for “Never Really Over” or “Small Talk”.  Can “Harleys in Hawaii” break the trend? Um…

“Harleys in Hawaii” once more pairs Katy Perry with Grammy-nominated pop musician Charlie Puth, who co-writes and co-produces.  Is it a match made in heaven? Umm… Puth co-produces this urban-pop number with Johan Carlsson. Clearly, the modus operandi of “Harleys in Hawaii” for Perry is to give her a record with enough swagger to propel her back atop the charts.  The gimmicky, repetitive chorus is a perfect example, with its flirty, carefree sentiment, with L-O-V-E being prominent.

“You and I, I
Ridin’ Harleys in Hawaii-i-i
I’m on the back, I’m holdin’ tight, I
Want you to take me for a ride, ride
When I hula-hula, hula
So good, you’ll take me to the jeweler-jeweler, jeweler
There’s pink and purple in the sky-y-y
We’re ridin’ Harleys in Hawaii-i-i.”

Vocally, Perry is true to self, singing respectfully, yet not giving a ‘powerhouse’ performance by any means.  Of course, we don’t think of powerhouse when we think of Perry, so that’s no knock there.  She is suggestive at times, such as “I’m revvin’ up your engine,” which is honestly, where she excels at.

Final Thoughts

So, how does “Harleys in Hawaii” stack up for Katy Perry? It’s okay at best, but nothing game changing by any means.  This record falls short of the gems of her glory days.

Katy Perry • Harleys in Hawaii [Single] • Capitol • Release: 10.16.19

Photo Credit: Capitol