Katy Perry aimed for a triumphant return to music with her new album “143,” but critics have labeled it as “mindless” and “uninspired.”

This year, Perry stepped down from her role as a judge on “American Idol,” which features Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan, to focus on her music career again. However, the release of her sixth album has been plagued with issues, including backlash against her “Woman’s World” music video— which she claimed was intended to be satirical— and her partnership with controversial producer Dr. Luke.

Perry seems to be having difficulty recapturing the charm of her earlier pop hits like “California Gurls,” “Firework,” and “I Kissed A Girl,” which helped establish her career.

Recently, the singer of “Teenage Dream” was honored with MTV’s prestigious Video Vanguard Award at the 2024 Video Music Awards. However, alongside the album’s release last Friday, critics have come out against “143.” Here’s a glimpse at the criticism surrounding it.

Critics claim Katy Perry’s new album is ‘lackluster’ as she attempts to regain past fame

“143” is facing a wave of criticism from music reviewers. Variety has described the album as “lackluster,” noting that Perry is “struggling to reclaim past fame” with her new work.

Critic Steven J. Horowitz commented, “‘143’ eliminates the cheerful essence that launched Perry into superstardom in the early 2010s.”

Horowitz added, “Throughout its 11 tracks, Perry’s delivery comes off as disengaged and remote, as if she merely clocked in between ‘American Idol’ shoots,” mentioning a lack of the cleverness that characterized her earlier hits, which is disappointing.

According to Mark Kennedy from the Associated Press, the album is “forgettable,” “uninspired,” and “as disappointing” as her previous effort, the 2020 release “Smile,” with “none of her trademark cheeky humor and virtually no personality.”

The Independent gave “143” only two out of five stars, stating that Perry is still trying to rebound from a string of unsuccessful albums and a noticeable absence of major hits since 2013’s trap-inspired “Dark Horse.” Nonetheless, Music Editor Roisin O’Connor did praise Perry’s seemingly heartfelt song “All The Love,” directed at her partner Orlando Bloom, which also contained critiques of ex-husband Russell Brand.

In a review from The Guardian, Alexis Petridis described “143” as featuring “commercially unviable singles,” although he stated the album “comes close to utter disaster,” giving it two out of five stars.

Robin Murray from Clash noted both the strengths and weaknesses of the album, stating that “143” is “not a terrible pop album overall.”

“At times, her melodic flair and love for Millennial aesthetics shine through, indicating that her creative spark is still alive.” However, he emphasized a sentiment that the music scene has moved on, particularly with Chappell Roan experiencing Beatlemania-like popularity and Sabrina Carpenter dominating the charts.

Additional controversies stem from an investigation in the Balearic Islands

Leading up to the release of her album, Perry has also stirred up some trouble with various public relations stumbles.

In August, a press statement from the Balearic Islands’ Ministry of Agriculture announced an investigation into the filming of Perry’s music video for “Lifetimes,” due to the production company allegedly not obtaining permission to shoot at Ses Salines Natural Park in a restricted area.

Capitol Records, Perry’s label, provided a statement to YSL News expressing that they were assured by the local production team that “all necessary permits for the video were obtained.” The statement elaborated, “We discovered that one permit was pending, but we had been given verbal clearance to begin filming.”

“On July 22, our local crew submitted an application for a permit for this specific location to the Directorate-General For Coasts And Coastline. On July 26, our crew received verbal authorization to go ahead with the filming on July 27,” the statement read.

However, in a press release on September 5, the government clarified that the production team did not formally request permission authorization for filming from the regional ministry.

Perry faces criticism for collaborating with Dr. Luke

Recently, Perry found herself in hot water again when the “Wide Awake” artist sidestepped a query regarding her collaboration with Dr. Luke on an episode of “Call Her Daddy” hosted by Alex Cooper.

In 2014, Kesha initiated a lawsuit against the well-known music producer, claiming he had drugged and raped her nine years earlier during a severely abusive relationship. In turn, Dr. Luke filed a defamation lawsuit against the “Tik Tok” artist. The two reached a settlement last year, with Dr. Luke insisting he did nothing wrong, stating “nothing happened.”

“I recognize that it sparked a lot of discussions, and he was just one of many people I’ve worked with, but the truth is, (the music) originates from me,” Perry mentioned to Cooper. YSL News has previously attempted to get a comment from Perry’s representative.

Written by: KiMi Robinson