Katy Perry, LIFETIMES | Song Review 🎵

Following the disastrous “WOMAN’S WORLD,” Katy Perry improves on “LIFETIMES.”  Still, the second single from 143 feels average, not dynamic.

“I’ll love you for, I’ll love you for life / Lifetimes.” Fair enough, Katy Perry.  First things first.  The Grammy-nominated pop artist makes a stronger showing with “LIFETIMES” compared to the disastrous single, “WOMAN’S WORLD”.  “LIFETIMES” is the sixth track from her seventh studio album, 143.  This dance-pop cut was penned by Perry, Lunchmoney Lewis, Rocco Valdes, Ryan Ogren, Sarah Hudson, Theron Thomas, and producers Dr. Luke and Vaughn Oliver.  Lots of cooks in the musical kitchen.  Were all those chefs effective in making a decadent pop song? Well…

To reiterate, “LIFETIMES” is heads and tails above the first single from 143.  This is a dance-pop cut, so, the production is sleek.  No qualms there. Is it a groundbreaking electronic sound? No – been there, done that – but, it’s respectable and will make you move your body.  Vocally, Perry sings respectably, too. She doesn’t give a powerhouse, ‘second coming’ performance, nor do we expect such.  The melody is relatively tuneful, particularly the pre-chorus (excerpted above) and the chorus:

“I know you feel it

Can you believe it?

I’m gonna love you ‘til the end and then repeat it.”

The refrain and post-chorus sections are sound too.  Notably, there is only one verse, and typical of dance songs, lyrically, it’s uncomplicated (“Like the sun is always rising / Like the stars are in the sky / You and I will find each other / In every single life”).  The theme is admirable and fitting for a middle-aged pop artist – NO SHADE. All in all, “LIFETIMES” is – wait for it – RESPECTABLE.  Is this a go-to summer bop? For somebody, maybe, but for most, NO. The main rub is that this song feels flat.  At this point, I’d like to hear Katy Perry step up her game. Sure, she’s long ago proven herself as a pop superstar, but it feels like she’s no longer trying to innovate or push the envelope.

Katy Perry // 143 // Capitol // 9.20.24

[📷: Brent Faulkner/The Musical Hype; Capitol; Clker-Free-Vector-Images, Królestwo Nauki, OpenClipart-Vectors, Pete Linforth, Tumisu from Pixabay]