This morning at brunch, my friend goes, “So how’s that music blog going?” And I said, “…It’s going. I’m working on it.” But as you can see, I am kind of a slacker in the blogging department. I could say I’ve been taking some “mental health days,” but if that’s really the case then this is rapidly turning into a mental health semester, and that isn’t what I want. So blogging it is. (So here you go, KDB—hope you see this update!)
I have been listening to my favorite female artist a lot lately—Katy Perry. (Though for a side note, I have to say that I used to be a huge Avril Lavigne fan in 8th grade and high school. I still love her first album, but as of late I feel like she tried to change her style too much, just to fit in. Maybe she wanted the change—I don’t know. But I didn’t like her most recent album The Best Damned Thing. It didn’t have the same spunk and fighting spirit of Let Go or even Under My Skin.) Anyway, nowadays Katy Perry is my absolute favorite female singer. Her songs are so down-to-earth and real, but fun and “sing-able.” Obviously she has the standard radio hits “Ur So Gay,” “Waking Up In Vegas,” “I Kissed A Girl,” and of course “Hot N Cold.” Last fall, I was all about “Hot N Cold,” but all of her songs are so upbeat and catchy that you can’t help loving them. I was once addicted to her music video for “Hot N Cold,” and I still really love it—because really, who wouldn’t chase her husband-to-be around town for ditching her at the aisle? My favorite line is, “Someone call the doctor, got a case of the love bipolar / Stuck on a roller coaster, can’t get off this ride” because it sums up the very essence of commitment-fearing guys. Her playful use of words is what makes her songs so believable and fun.
I don’t just love her hits, either—I invested in her debut album One of the Boys and discovered that there is not a single song I dislike on the entire album. No song-hopping for me when it comes to Katy! My favorite non-hit songs are actually two of the more serious ones—“Lost” and “Fingerprints.” If you don’t have the album, you probably will not have heard them, but they’re very heartfelt and emotional. “Lost” is about being out on your own but feeling like you don’t belong anywhere: “So sick of this town pulling me down / My mother says I should come back home / But can’t find the way ’cause the way is gone / So if I pray, am I just sending words into outer space?” And then the refrain: “Have you ever been so lost? Known the way, and still so lost?” Those are words that I can really relate to, and I think it might be a feeling that a lot of young adults can sympathize with—once you get out on your own, you realize that freedom can be a lot harder and sometimes a lot more lonely than you ever anticipated.
“Fingerprints” is nowhere near as somber, but definitely has a note of seriousness to it, if only because it carries such distinct tones of defiance and pride. It is basically about being put down and told that you can’t make it and do what you want with your life, but rebelling and going for it anyway. (I do not know if it is a personal statement from Katy Perry in that way, but it’s relatable nonetheless.) Obviously, there are thousands of songs with the same message, but Katy’s catchy music and playful wording make it different somehow. My favorite line is, “’Cause I’m worth more than this / So stop writing prescriptions for my Ritalin / I can’t focus my attention,” because it really puts some individuality in there. The entire song, underlined by the refrain of, “I wanna break the mold, I wanna break the stereotype / Fist in the air, I’m not going down without a fight” and “I want you to remember me…I’m leaving my fingerprints on you,” is saying, “Don’t tell me what I can’t do, just watch and let me prove to you that I can.” I really like messages like that, especially in songs. Songs like that are really uplifting and empowering; even when you feel down, they make you think that maybe there is a reason to fight for what you want, no matter how hopeless it seems or how many people tell you can’t do it.
Now go out and buy One of the Boys—it’s so worth it! I love you, Katy Perry!
Thanks for reading!
Emily Noel
(Disclaimer: Credit for the post title - Katy Perry's "Fingerprints." All lyrics are copyright of Katy Perry.)
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