Prism [Deluxe Edition]

by Katy Perry

Overview

Teenage Dream did its job. With its five number one singles, the 2010 album turned Katy Perry into a genuine superstar, the kind of musician whose image rivaled her music in popularity, the kind who could topline her own 3-D theatrical documentary, the kind whose name became shorthand for a sugar-pop sensibility. This meant there was only one thing left for her to do on its 2013 sequel, Prism: to make a graceful pivot from teen dream to serious, mature artist. Prism hits these marks precisely yet isn't stuffy, not with its feints at trap-rap, but even with the preponderance of nightclub glitz, there isn't a shadow of a doubt that Katy Perry has toned down her cheesecake burlesque, opting for a hazy, dreamy, sun-kissed hippie Californian ideal that quietly replaces the happily vulgar pinup of her earliest years. All the lingering nastiness of One of the Boys -- the smiling Mean Girl backstabbing of "Ur So Gay," for instance -- and the pneumatic Playboy fantasy of Teenage Dream are unceremoniously abandoned in favor of Perry's candy construct of a chipper, cheerful grown-up prom princess, the popular girl who has left all her sneering dismissals in the past. Perry remains a terminal flirt but she channels her energies into long-term relationships -- the sexiest song, "Birthday," is a glorious retro-disco explosion delivered to a steady boyfriend, while elsewhere she testifies toward unconditional love -- and the overall effect transforms Prism into a relatively measured, savvy adult contemporary album, one that's aware of the latest fashions but is designed to fit into Katy's retirement plan. Ultimately, this makes Prism a tighter, cleaner record than its predecessors -- there are no extremes here, nothing that pushes the boundaries of either good taste or tackiness; even when she cheers on excess on "This Is How We Do" she's not a participant but rather a ringmaster, encouraging her fans to spend money they don't have just so they can have a good time. Ultimately, this sense of reserve reveals just how canny Katy Perry really is: she's determined to give her career a dramatic narrative arc, eager to leave behind the bawdy recklessness of her early years in favor of something that's age appropriate. That's why the lead single from Prism was "Roar," an homage to Sara Bareilles so transparent that the singer/songwriter may deserve co-credit: the inspirational adult contemporary single signaled how Perry no longer views herself as a fluffy confection but rather a showbiz staple who'll be here for years and years, and Prism fully lives up to that carefully constructed ideal. [A Deluxe Edition added three bonus tracks.]

Product Details

Release Date:	10/22/2013
Label:	Capitol
UPC:	0602537532339
catalogNumber:	753233
Rank:	45038

Tracks

1. Roar
2. Legendary Lovers
3. Birthday
4. Walking On Air
5. Unconditionally
6. Dark Horse
7. This Is How We Do
8. International Smile
9. Ghost
10. Love Me
11. This Moment
12. Double Rainbow
13. By the Grace of God
14. Spiritual
15. It Takes Two
16. Choose Your Battles

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Katy Perry   Primary Artist,Vocals,Background Vocals
Alex Foster   Alto Saxophone
Ron Blake   Baritone Saxophone
Jonatha Brooke   Kalimba
Earl Gardner   Trumpet
Greg Kurstin   Bass,Guitar,Keyboards
Lenny Pickett   Tenor Saxophone
Steve Turre   Trombone
Greg Wells   Synthesizer,Piano,Drums
Max Martin   Background Vocals
Juicy J   Vocals
John Mayer   Guitar
Luke   Coral Sitar
Steven Wolf   Drums
Ava James   Vocals
Gingger Shankar   Double Violin
David O'Donnell   Horn Engineer
Aditya Kalyanpur   Tabla
Tensta Gospel Choir   Background Vocals
Sabina Ddumba   Background Vocals
Ronobit Lahiri   Sitar

Technical Credits

Jonatha Brooke   Composer
Greg Kurstin   Composer,Programming,Producer,Engineer
Lenny Pickett   Horn Arrangements
Greg Wells   Composer,Programming,Producer
Max Martin   Composer,Programming,Producer,Executive Producer,Instrumentation
Stargate   Programming,Producer,Instrumentation
Benny Blanco   Programming,Producer,Instrumentation
Jordan Houston   Composer
Sia   Composer
John Mayer   Composer
Michael Ilbert   Engineer
Klas Åhlund   Composer,Programming,Producer
Danny D.   Management
Luke   Programming,Producer,Executive Producer,Instrumentation
John Hanes   Engineer
Bonnie McKee   Composer
Camela Leierth   Composer
Ian MacGregor   Engineer
Mike Foster   Engineer
Jesse Shatkin   Engineer
Mikkel Storleer Eriksen   Composer,Engineer
Tim Blacksmith   Management
Katy Perry   Composer,Producer,Executive Producer
Vincent Pontare   Composer,Programming,Engineer,Instrumentation
Alex Pasco   Engineer
Tor Erik Hermansen   Composer
Sam Holland   Engineer
Christian Karlsson   Composer,Programming,Producer,Engineer,Instrumentation
Benjamin Levin   Composer
Mogollon   Art Direction
Emeli Sandé   Composer
Magnus Lidehäll   Composer,Programming,Engineer,Instrumentation
Adam Baptiste   Composer
Clint Gibbs   Engineer
Lukasz Gottwald   Composer
Cirkut   Programming,Producer,Instrumentation
Peter Carlsson   Engineer
Sarah Theresa Hudson   Composer
Henry Walter   Composer