Not sure what it’s been about the last couple
Katy Perry songs, but they took some time to grow on me. The very same thing happened with Perry’s latest smash, “
Part Of Me,” and I don’t know what it is. Perhaps it’s over saturation? Perhaps it’s because all of the songs all sound the same (*AHEM*
Dr. Luke)? Who knows?! For one reason or another, Perry’s music doesn’t instantaneously connect with me. Of course, after being hammered over the head with the songs for months and months, it’s only natural that you start to develop an affinity towards it. Perhaps that’s why after a few listens, Perry’s catchy brand of top 40 pop candy takes hold, bludgeoning me into STAN-DOM. I sure ain’t complaining.
“
Part Of Me” is the first single to be lifted off of
Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection, a special re-release of her best selling,
Grammy-nominated album. The song, written by Perry, alongside
Bonnie McKee,
Lukasz Gottwald (AKA
Dr. Luke) and
Max Martin, “
Part Of Me” was produced by
Dr. Luke, Martin and
Cirkut and serves as the followup to “
The One That Got Away.”
Perry’s seen considerable chart success with her sophomore album, with all but her previous single going straight to the top of the charts. Aside from “The One That Got Away,” which peaked at (a still very impressive) #3, every single released went straight to #1, including “Part Of Me,” becoming her sixth #1 since 2010. That’s quite the streak! Clearly Perry and Dr. Luke have found the right formula for a hit record.
Of course now we run the risk of every future Katy Perry song sounding EXACTLY the same. Not only that, but what if other artists jump on board with Perry’s hitmaking team in an effort to achieve commercial success. The result there would be a whole lot of pop monotony. Scary isn’t it? Hopefully Perry takes a nice long break and returns in a couple of years with a fresh new sound.
Check out the quite brilliant military-themed video for “Part of Me” below. Directed by Ben Mor, the video chronicles a woman scorned (Perry) who joins the United States Marines on a quest for self empowerment. The video was filmed on location at the Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, California. Premiering on March 21st on MTV, the video has mostly garnered positive feedback, with entertainment outlets such as E! Online, Entertainment Weekly and MTV offering up nothing but praise for Perry’s show of strength and gusto. James Montgomery from MTV reviewed the video, saying
“Over the years, Perry has been a California Gurl, a nerdy teenager, an alien and just about everything in between, but up until now, she’s never really been an actual person. ‘Part of Me’ is unlike any pop video in recent memory. Rihanna did military chic in her ‘Hard’ video (she even straddled a tank), and just about every one of Perry’s pop contemporaries have ventured down the same path. But they were never really in the military; they were just making it more fabulous. Perry takes the opposite tact: she cuts off her hair, she eschews makeup, she fights, crawls, suffers. It’s a commendable level of commitment. Your move everybody else.” (via MTV.com)
Well summarized, Mr. Montgomery. Unfortunately not ALL of the feedback was positive. One feminist, Naomi Wolf accused the video of being propaganda for the Marine Corps, releasing a statement and suggesting a boycott. Perry defended her use of military imagery, telling MTV that she felt it was the institution that best represented the song, which she called an “affirmation of strength.” Makes perfect sense to me. I think the video is a masterpiece and Perry really gives us a tour-de-force performance. Very impressive indeed.
Download “Part Of Me” on U.S. iTunes HERE and look out for remixes from Jaques Lu Cont, RAC, LA Riots, Freemasons, and DJ Skeet. The Jaques LuCont mixes are currently available on iTunes HERE.
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