That is such a horrendous and sudden decline in sales and popularity. Really quite unexplainable and unexpected. I always thought she was unstoppable in terms of public appeal. Gah. The album deserves so much more but I'm not sure what will help the album recover now. Swish Swish may become a hit, but an album seller it is not.

It's not REALLY a surprise though. Prism was off the back of a MONSTER HIT in the form of 'Roar' and it struggled after the intitial buzz. She's never really been a massive album seller in the UK though and it's always been on the strength of the singles and it's ABUNDANTLY CLEAR (bar CTTR) there's about as much strength there as an arthritic granny.

Really, really terrible. Her team have always been so brilliant but they really dropped the ball with this one. As much as I adore it, Bon Appetit clearly wasn't a good choice to lead the album. Firstly, I think Rise should never have happened and killed a load of her momentum being one of her weakest singles after such a huge gap since her last release. I think she should have come back with Swish Swish which is such a statement and has quite an immediate song that would get people talking. Then I think she should have had the album lead single as the flawless Chained to the Rhythm which is such a big song and sounds like an album seller. I also think, give she is (well...was) so popular in the UK and we're one of her biggest markets worldwide, promo for the album release was needed, she's such a 'casual' draw, and needs to be a more visible than she has been, outside the media dragging her every move. Her past promos have done wonders for her. even when they are largely terrible tv performances.

 

I think all these things would have helped but she's clearly far from her peak and the social media and press bandwagon hate hasn't helped also.

 

Oh well, still a good album. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I'm gonna say the 3 main points...

 

A) Going away for too long, that's essentially a lifetime in today's pop world.

 

B) Bon Appétit

 

C) Maybe not adapting as well to the current climate? I mean, when she was last around it was pre-streaming/pre-OAOS and a different ball game. It felt like although CTTR was a decent sized hit that it never exactly hit the ground running.

 

Point B mainly though.

Disappointing debut! :( But I really think this is her equivalent to 'My December'/'Blackout'/'Try This' and basically the album she wanted to make, but the label weren't really bothered about it as much? So they probs asked her to record 'Bon Appetit' and 'Swish Swish' just so they had radio ready songs to release (and they weren't anticipating BA to backfire quite as much as it did!)

 

Didn't Kelly make a deal with her label and say that she'll do whatever they want her to do, as long as she gets to make 'My December' or something (and iirc the label got her to record 'Never Again' for the radio)? I imagine a similar scenario in all honesty. This album is a LOT more personable for Katy I feel and I reckon we'll be back to the big radio hits and her "career revival" in the next era. She'll be back with her 'My Life Would Suck...'/'Womanizer'/'Who Knew' I'm sure.

'Save As Draft' is officially my fave from the album. :wub:

Bigger Than Me has really hit me the last couple of days. So good!

I don't like the album but music quality aside, she was way for three whole years ignoring Rise and came back perfectly with Chained To The Rhythm. But then it feels like she just suddenly pushed two singles and a whole album out all at once. I know that wasn't quite the case but how on earth did it all feel so rushed in the end when she had a whole three years off?

 

While the music is of course a major factor, her label really should've have left the album until August. A new Katy album, arguably the world's biggest popstar during her last era, after three years away should have felt like a major occasion but it just didn't. Even Chained To The Rhythm which did very well and was very good still didn't feel like a momentous occasion that it should've been.

 

I'd agree with Joe that Rise could have ruined a bit of suspense but at the same time I feel like everyone forgot that after a couple of weeks anyway. I'd just file Rise under the same category as Sweeter Than Fiction was for Taylor in between two massive eras in Red and 1989, the equivalent of a soundtrack single.

'Save As Draft' is officially my fave from the album. :wub:

Along with 'Into Me You See' that's my least favourite! The only two I really can't stand 😷

Along with 'Into Me You See' that's my least favourite! The only two I really can't stand 😷

 

Those two and Mind Maze are my least favourite.

Ah I quite like 'Mind Maze'! Haven't seen a lot of love for it though.

Also quite like Mind Maze.

 

I also think Rise killed it a bit for her. It should never have seen the light of day worldwide. Don't sacrifice all your momentum and anticipation on trying to make a soundtrack song an international hit.

It is an awful album of tuneless BJSC filler track beige, and Swish Swish is the worst thing she's ever done. That's all. No big mystery to it really.

I don't like the album but music quality aside, she was way for three whole years ignoring Rise and came back perfectly with Chained To The Rhythm. But then it feels like she just suddenly pushed two singles and a whole album out all at once. I know that wasn't quite the case but how on earth did it all feel so rushed in the end when she had a whole three years off?

 

While the music is of course a major factor, her label really should've have left the album until August. A new Katy album, arguably the world's biggest popstar during her last era, after three years away should have felt like a major occasion but it just didn't. Even Chained To The Rhythm which did very well and was very good still didn't feel like a momentous occasion that it should've been.

 

 

I actually think the opposite: the album should've come out in March when she had performed at the Grammys and BRITs and Chained was in top ten

Edited June 17, 20178 yr by SKOB

Save As Draft and Mind Maze are the absolute worst, both hideous :puke:

 

This was a disaster I agree, it just feels a bit like.... everything was off. Some of it was just small stuff but there was no promo, the single preceeding the album didn't do well, there wasn't much of a window between us knowing about the album and it being released either. Plus whilst it's objective, the music just isn't good. Well, even if you do like it, it's not particularly accessible. I get that it's what she wanted to release and make, but this is a disaster of an era and I can't see that there is any song on the album that would save it. Swish Swish would probably do well I guess but it's not an album seller.

 

People have come back from eras like this though, it's not like she's over. She just needs the big pop moments that hit you like a truck back, not this 38th place BJSC blogpop shite.

Absolutely Liam!!

 

It really is low BJSC blog pop.

 

She can bounce back, but will she want to? She took years off to bake pies in the iamspamspamamilike NellyF. Will the big producers help her out as much? She will HAVE to come back soon and with bigger hits and more hard work. I'm not sure she has the ambition to do it.

I think this will drop out of the top 20 this week :/

ISTM that she's more like a celebrity personality these days than a pop star. Hope she won't start acting...

ISTM that she's more like a celebrity personality these days than a pop star. Hope she won't start acting...

 

She's got a slot on American Idol lined up for next year already. As a judge, not a musical guest.

I feel like I am the only one who likes Save as Draft :lol: It's a nice relatable track :wub: