Single: Katy Perry – “Unconditionally” (2013)

It took a while, but I ended up quite liking “Roar“, even if I certainly didn’t end up thinking it was the best comeback single of the year. I always felt like Katy Perry was at her best when she had a bit more spark in her music. But despite all the big talk, I thought “Roar” was a bit too heavy on the intent and didn’t really ring true. Still, it’s only pop music, it was fun.

But “Prism” is out now, and it’s sounding fairly good so far. I’ll try to get an album review sorted out sooner rather than later (EDIT – here it is! review). But for now we’ve got a second single. Ignore those ‘promotional’ singles that seem to be thrown out willy-nilly, it’s evidently got the reaction the label were after, and they’ve raised it to full-blown single status.

Except this last-minute decision tactic means we have to do with a painfully earnest lyric video. Remember when these were just lyrics in a video? Now it seems like these can be as big a production as the video itself. They try to make black & white look expensive and a bit like a fragrance advert, as a young girl pours her heart out to a pouting androgynous creature.

Katy’s not particularly famed for her ballads, but I suppose this could at least be a decent attempt at one (though for my money, “Thinking of you” was great). It’s laid on a bit thick but it’s just the right side of sentimental. The emphasis when she sings the title is distractingly strange, but it’s a memorable enough chorus.

Ugh that pouting boygirl is getting on my nerves a bit now. Still, she’s done worse songs and I understand why she didn’t want to go for a cheap hit with one of the more EDM tracks on “Prism”, I guess it will do for now.

UPDATE: Video has been release and it’s rather good! Very expensive-looking and dramatic, love the visuals. No idea what any of it means though, was she dead all along? TWIST! Though I’d update since I’m getting a shocking amount of traffic for this review, no idea how so many people are finding it! Look at my other stuff while you’re here then, I’m amazing.

Oh and I decided this is a brilliant song, love the big drum beats and melodramatic vocals. She’s stressing the word ‘unconditionally’ really strangely but I’m totally won over.