The two new titans of pop music released their new singles this weekend after being leaked online.
Katy Perry's "Roar" and Lady Gaga's "Applause" made their official launch on radio airwaves and iTunes as the first singles from their upcoming albums due out this fall. "Applause's" release came a week early because of the leak.
Their new albums, Perry's Prism and Gaga's ARTPOP, are due out on October 22 and November 11, respectively.
If these new singles are a taste of things to come, I'm not sure we can hold our breaths for anything spectacular on the albums, especially from Perry. Gaga seems to be pretty comfortable playing with genres and sounds that we may be able to take yet another album from her.
"Roar" is another inspirational track that sounds like Complete Confection leftovers. Lyrically and vocally weak, Perry's strain to sound like she is brand new is nothing refreshing or surprising. Sounding like she's still using her failed marriage to Russell Brand as material for her album, Perry could be slowly morphing into a pop (a second pop?) Taylor Swift. Both artists are weak singers and songwriters, and use relationships for songs. Perry, stick to the crappy bubble gum pop you're used to, even though that's not any better than what you're releasing now.
Gaga, on the other hand, has an OK single that, like Perry's, is lyrically weak. A rushing throwback to the '80s, "Applause" still seems to ride on Madonna's coattails, this new Madonna crap not the fun Madonna ("Give Me All Your Loving," anyone?). This track is like gum, the first minute is bursting with flavor and then you keep on chewing it hoping it gets better. Nope.
If Perry and Gaga are looking to prove themselves as good artists, they're new albums better be great. With the way things are going, they'll be received luke-warmly and get overblown Grammy nods for album of the year.
"Roar" and "Applause" will both be performed at the MTV VMAs on August 25.
