Banal yet brilliant, cutting yet corporate, Katy Perry occupies a strange place in the pop sphere. 2010's Teenage Dream was only her second album but it turned her into a chart juggernaut. From California Gurls through to Firework and then two huge hits from a reissue, Perry ended up with 6 number ones on the US' Billboard Hot 100, the kind of staggering feat that comes from a heady mix of big tunes, big marketing and a star relentlessly out to up their pop game.
I knocked this together around Christmas when I noticed that Katy Perry's "Part of Me" documentary was being flogged as Christmas gift idea. And even when the likes of Jessie Ware were saying how the film was like, well insightful. Eh, what? It wasn't. This is sort of a sister piece to the time I wasn't impressed with her Wide Awake video. I quite like KP, I just find her a bit disappointing sometimes. Like a wayward cousin I only see during big holidays. Anyway, enjoy!
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Katy Perry’s “Part Of Me” the 3D Concert Film Documentary
thing arrives on DVD this week. While it was a moderate success at the box
office it will likely be a “stocking filler” choice by many harassed parents as
they sail past bargain DVDs and One Direction merch in whatever
supermarket is doing a sideline in entertainment products this Christmas.
Unlike say Madonna’s infamous In Bed With Madonna (aka Truth Or Dare aka THE GREATEST FILM EVER) Perry’s
film never really gives you any sense of what she’s really like or allows
anyone other than her to speak about life on the road. Apart from the rather
upsetting sequence where she breaks down in Brazil after divorcing her husband
it’s all fluffy as can be, a 90 minute advert on LIVING UR DREAMZ!1!! and NEVAH
GIVN UP!1!. It’s a shame, because as bubblegum as her songs may be, Perry
regularly displays a sharp wit and a camp self-awareness that makes for
engaging interviews. Instead we’re left with a bargain basement E! True
Hollywood Story with a few pop songs scattered throughout.
How could we improve it then?
Below are 10 Ways In
Which Part Of Me Could Have Been A Bit Less Rubbish.
10: Less Whitewashing: The story arc of Katy’s struggle to
find stardom is a lynchpin to the film. There are some fun details about how
she barely made money but the mini controversy over her buzz single Ur So Gaythat
garnered blog attention both good and bad before I Kissed A Girl blew up is
never touched on. In fact discussing how Perry weathered this and how it could
have derailed her eventual big break is an interesting plot point completely
ignored for a chance to go WOW SHE JUST GO SO BIG SO FAST.
9: 3D Grandma: Katy’s surly 90 something year old grandma is
the highlight of the whole film and the fact that she never gets a moment to
loom out at you in 3D is a disgrace. A DISGRACE.
8: More Celebs: The bit where Adele turns up and says SHEZ
JUZ GOD A LODDA ‘ITS ‘ASNT SHE? Is so unexpected and delightful that you wish
that she’d been a talking head throughout. AH REMEMBAH AH KISSED A GIRL BIT UHV
A CATCHY SONG WUZN’T IT? And so on.
7: A Proper Performance of Part Of Me: Despite a sense of
fatigue with Katy’s never ending slew of chart smashes the film’s title track
is actually a solid gold stomper. How fun would it have been if there had been
an elaborate performance of it over the end credits? Feather boas, explosions,
glamour etc etc. It would certainly make up for that risible video she did for
it. Shudder.
6: A Proper Rihanna Cameo: We all know Katy and Riri are
best mates so why there isn’t a extended sequence where they braid each others
hair, have a sleepover and talk shit about boys is beyond me. Imagine a
documentary film that was basically a pop version of Thelma and Louise, with
Riri n KP prank calling Lady Gaga, eating too much junk food etc etc. It would
be incredible.
5: Wigs : A discussion of what it must be like for KP to
wear so many wigs and perhaps a gratuitous of her Wig Room (because she must
have one. She must) would have been nice. I’m just saying.
Here are some wigs. But not Katy wigs : (
4: Acknowledgement: The bit where a bunch of teen girls
singing the nursery rhyme hook of Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F) as if getting so
drunk you blackout is as casual as your morning Cheerios is oddly disturbing.
It would have been fitting for someone as self as aware Katy Perry to go “Um,
that’s weird, nervous laugh, oops, moving on” etc (This parody of the song kind of sums up my feelings on this)
2: “THE SPLIT” : LOOK KATY I DON’T MEAN TO SHOUT BUT YOU
SPENT ALL THIS TIME FLAPPING AROUND THE RED CARPET WITH YOUR FELLA AND SINGING
SONGS ABOUT HIM AND THEN WE GET A VAGUE NOT VERY CLEAR IDEA OF WHAT HAPPENED
BETWEEN YOU SO WHY DID YOU NOT LOOK AT IT PROPERLY I’M JUST SAYING EVEN AN E!
TRUE HOLLYWOOD STORY WOULD HAVE GONE INTO MORE DETAIL OK THANKS.
1: No, Really, Katy’s Grandma: Not only should have been in
3D she should have been in every scene. Katy’s Grandma is a Honey Boo Boo style
scene-stealer. Now there’s a reality
show we’d watch.
To sum up: Someone get Rihanna and Katy Perry their own
film, someone get Katy’s granny her own TV show and someone make sure they
don’t get me this DVD for Christmas.
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Disclaimer: I've bought both her albums so Katy Perry is basically laughing all the way to the bank/vault/whatever she uses to put all her money in
2 very different popstars and 2 different videos have come our way in the last day or two. Both are amazing in their own way but for completely different reasons.
First up we have M.I.A's video for XXXO. A slick mixture of clip art, alluring looks and sense of danger perfectly befitting the warped pop of Rusko's production it's a hypnotic peiece of work that demands repeat listens. It's also a perfect visual summation of the imagery M.I.A. has been using this album, dense layers of tacky web graphics and sharp colours. Great stuff.
Katy Perry meanwhile releases the video for Teenage Dream, the title track on her second album. Like California Gurls this is supremely catchy pop gold, with a heartfelt soaring chorus that will soundtrack a million high school proms. The video is fairly standard stuff enlivened by some knowing racy moments and a male model who'd clearly make even Russell Brand feel insecure.
The track itself is part of the masterplan to make Katy Perry an even bigger pop force, as evidenced by her recent Billboard magazine cover story. Other tracks from the record are being added to US iTunes a teaser including the lovely Not Like the Movies and the aggressive Circle The Drain. Teenage Dream meanwhile is filled with the just amount right of longing that befits it's title and gives it a charm some of recent Dr Luke/Max Martin work has lacked. And this video is a little less hard on the eyes compared to the candy cane overload of California Gurls. This interview with Bonnie McKee who co-wrote the track with Perry is also worth a look, as the process of piecing another hit track together comes to life.
M.I.A.'s second album MAYA is out now, while Katy Perry's album Teenage Dream is released here on the 30th of August.
