Evasiveness and mumbled subtext has never been Katy Perry’s style (hi there, dancing sharks), but she leans into her personal challenges in thrilling fashion on this third record. It’s a fact that manifests most obviously in “Roar”—an air-punching power-pop anthem set amid the wreckage of a failed relationship—but there are signs of this darker palette elsewhere. “Unconditionally” is a bewitchingly raw ballad and “Dark Horse” (with an effervescent assist from Juicy J) drips with club-ready Southern swag.
Audio Extras
- Divorce, pain, therapy—all helped inspire one of Katy’s biggest hits.
- 2019
- Apple Music
- Apple Music
- Miley Cyrus
- Britney Spears
- Carly Rae Jepsen
- Selena Gomez & The Scene