It's no secret that Katy Perry's popularity has dropped in recent years. The singer stormed the scene in 2008 with her then-scandalous "I Kissed a Girl" and released bop after bop following the initial single, setting herself up for membership to the pop star club. Then that "feud" with Taylor Swift happened (the two have since made up), her music got less relatable ("Swish Swish" should never have seen the light of day) and her style got a little bit too much.
That being said, she might be heading back to her roots with her latest music video. Accompanying the holiday tune "Cozy Little Christmas," Perry's video finds her, Santa Claus and a menagerie of Christmas critters spending the holiday together. Her voice is pretty beautiful on the track, that husky deepness coming out to play, and her costumes in the video are sweet and quirky, just like the old days.
I can't help but point out the similarities to her chorus here and Swift's chorus from a track off her "Lover" album, "Paper Rings":
Perry: "I don't need diamonds, no sparkly things/ 'Cause you can't buy this feeling/ Nothing lights my fire or wraps me up, baby, like you do"
Swift: "I like shiny things, but I'd marry you with paper rings/ Uh huh, that's right/ Darling, you're the one I want"
Perry's older hits like "California Gurls," "Last Friday Night" and "Waking Up in Vegas" were uppity, whimsical tunes that masterfully never verged into frivolous territory. And her videos were always multi-colored and atmospheric; they just made you feel good! "Cozy Little Christmas" makes me feel like Perry is reverting back to what she did best.
That, and her latest single "Never Really Over," was the first song I've heard of Perry's in a while that didn't make me groan. Even the "This Is How We Do" video, while plenty of fun and full of life, didn't feel like the Perry we wistfully remember. Perhaps love (she recently got engaged to actor Orlando Bloom with the sweetest flower-shaped diamond ring) is inspiring her.
Dare I say we may be on the cusp of a Perry revolution? I, surprisingly, wouldn't be opposed.
Editor's Note: Upon some further investigation, we’ve realized that Perry’s song was written before Swift’s, in which case the above isn’t a fair assessment of the tracks. Cheers to two successful songs!