Katy Perry 143
Katy Perry's 143 presents a calculated comeback that critics largely view as undercooked and inconsistent. Across 16 professional reviews the record earned a 36.56/100 consensus score, and reviewers repeatedly point to a handful of tracks that salvage an otherwise formulaic set. While the collection aims for retro dance-pop and maximalist club gloss, songs like “LIFETIMES”, “WONDER” and “NIRVANA” emerge as the clearest highlights, with critics naming them the best songs on 143 because they briefly recover Perry's melodic instincts amid dated production.
The critical consensus stresses recurring faults: vague, surface-level lyrics, synthetic and lifeless EDM textures, and collaborations that feel obligatory rather than inspiring. Reviewers from Pitchfork, Rolling Stone and The Los Angeles Times describe the album as practiced but hollow, citing guest features and controversial production choices as evidence of commercial calculation over artistic growth. At the same time outlets such as PopMatters, Variety and Slant concede moments of maternal sincerity and retro charm, especially on the closer “WONDER” and the house-tinged “LIFETIMES”. Critics consistently note nostalgia for Perry's earlier pop spark, even as many argue the record recycles past formulas without specificity.
Taken together, professional reviews paint 143 as a comeback with bright spots rather than a full return to form. Some critics find those pop highs enough to merit attention, but most expect more inventiveness and emotional clarity from an artist of Perry's stature. Below, the full reviews explore where the album's few standout tracks succeed and where the rest of the record falls short.
Critics' Top Tracks
The standout songs that made critics take notice
ARTIFICIAL (alt)
1 mention
LIFETIMES
14 mentions
"Yes, it may be more aligned with the dance-pop that commandeered the 2010s, but it executes that philosophy with precision."— Variety
WONDER
15 mentions
"Daisy opens the song with the refrain: "One day, when we're older/ Will we still look up in wonder?"— Consequence
It’s a particularly empty and insipid attempt at coopting feminism, its lyrics failing to add anything
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
WOMAN’S WORLD
GIMME GIMME (feat. 21 Savage)
GORGEOUS (feat. Kim Petras)
I'M HIS, HE'S MINE (feat. Doechii)
CRUSH
LIFETIMES
ALL THE LOVE
NIRVANA
ARTIFICIAL (feat. JID)
TRUTH
WONDER
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What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 19 critics who reviewed this album
Critic's Take
Katy Perry sounds like she aimed for pure pop on 143, but the best tracks - “LIFETIMES” and “WONDER” - are the only moments that hint at real sparkle. Peter Piatkowski writes with a dry, measured impatience, noting that songs like “WOMAN’S WORLD” feel empty and insipid while house-tinged “LIFETIMES” and the album-closing “WONDER” actually capture the breathless rush Perry used to muster. He emphasizes slick production that buries Perry’s charm, and yet praises the glimpses of diva house and 1980s synthpop that make those tracks the album’s highlights. The review reads as a steady, critical appraisal rather than fan gush, answering what are the best songs on 143 with clear backing in the album’s own faults and successes.
Key Points
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The best song is “WONDER” because it captures the breathless, heart rush reminiscent of Perry's earlier triumphs.
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The album’s core strengths are occasional house-inspired and 1980s synthpop moments that hint at creative growth amid slick production.
Themes
Critic's Take
The album is described as curiously dated overall, but these highlights show her melodic flair and Millennial camp in action. Ultimately the verdict frames the record as enjoyable in parts, but out of step with contemporary pop.
Themes
Critic's Take
Katy Perry returns with 143 and very little to say, a record that feels phoned in and repetitive rather than revelatory. The review singles out “Woman’s World” and “Lifetimes” as emblematic moments - the former a critically reviled single the crowd still sang, the latter a lullaby-leaning track whose choruses all say the same thing. Overall, 143 reads as confident but hollow, a dance-pop exercise stripped of the tuneful craft that made Perry a chart force.
Key Points
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“Woman’s World” stands out for being a controversial centerpiece that still drew crowd singalongs despite critical revilement.
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The album’s core strength is glossy production but it is undermined by hollow lyrics, repetitive choruses, and an overall lack of distinctiveness.
Themes
Critic's Take
Katy Perry sounds practiced but not particularly curious on 143, and the review singles out “WOMAN'S WORLD”, “CRUSH”, and “WONDER” as the clearest examples of what works - and what doesn’t. The critic’s voice is sharp and unsparing, noting that “WOMAN'S WORLD” felt "half-assed" and that “CRUSH” offers platitudes rather than real feeling. “WONDER” is praised as an interesting idea but critiqued for flattening Daisy’s moment with autotune. In short, the best tracks are those that almost reach emotional specificity, but the album rarely lets them land fully.
Key Points
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The best song moments almost achieve emotional specificity, but production gloss and vague lyrics keep them from landing.
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The album's core strengths are catchy, polished production and melodic familiarity, while its weaknesses are lack of lyrical specificity and emotional depth.
Themes
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Critic's Take
Katy Perry returns with 143, and the best tracks are the rare moments of emotional clarity rather than the clutch of club bops. Chief among them is “All the Love”, a stirring Eighties-tinged ballad, and to a lesser extent “Crush”, which attempts a plaintive pop flirt. Roisin O'Connor’s tone is unsparing: the record feels dated, weighed down by ill-fitting house beats and compromised by controversial production choices. This is a comeback that only occasionally recalls her former magnetism.
Key Points
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The best song is "All the Love" because it restores vocal warmth and emotional clarity amid a fatigued record.
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The album's core strengths are occasional strong vocals and retro-tinged balladry, undermined by dated production and controversial collaborations.
Critic's Take
In a wry, slightly scolding voice the reviewer notes that Katy Perry's 143 limps along with a handful of moments that work, rather than a clear best-track spectacle. The critic singles out “Wonder” as the best song on 143, praising its strong chorus and melodic payoff, while also finding “Lifetimes” and “Woman’s World” notable for their retro dancefloor ambitions and high-concept misfires. The tone is coolly amused and clinical: the album is not a disaster, but it often sounds out of time and only intermittently compelling. The narrative makes clear that the best tracks are those that escape the album’s dated EDM and half-hearted topical gestures, most notably “Wonder”.
Key Points
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The best song is "WONDER" because it has the strongest chorus and melodic payoff.
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The album’s core strengths are occasional melodic moments and retro dancefloor touches amid dated production and misjudged topical gestures.
Themes
Critic's Take
Katy Perry's 143 scrambles between limp missteps and the odd undeniable hook, so the best songs on 143 are the ones that actually stick. “Lifetimes” is a pretty on-the-nose house-pop stomper whose chorus burrows into your brain, and “Crush” functions as a satisfying club banger; those are the best tracks on 143, because they do what pop is supposed to do - they hook and they move.
Key Points
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Lifetimes is the album's best song because its hook genuinely burrows into your brain.
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The album's core strengths are catchy hooks and club-ready production, but controversial production credits and dated lyrics undercut impact.
Themes
Critic's Take
Katy Perry’s 143 betrays the comeback many hoped for, with the best tracks being the quieter melodic successes like “Lifetimes” and the sincere closer “Wonder”. Tom Williams writes with a clipped, critical voice that singles out how hooks still surface amid mostly lifeless EDM - he praises “Lifetimes” for its melodic hook and notes that “Wonder” feels sweetly sincere aimed at Perry’s daughter. Guest spots largely underwhelm, making those two songs the clearest answers to queries about the best tracks on 143.
Key Points
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“Lifetimes” is the best song because its melodic hook demonstrates Perry can still write earworms amid weak production.
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The album’s core strengths are occasional strong melodies and sincere personal themes, but these are undermined by lifeless EDM and poor lyrics.
Themes
Critic's Take
After a rocky rollout, Katy Perry's 143 feels drained rather than triumphant, with a few bright moments - chiefly “Lifetimes” and the closer “Wonder”. The record bristles with lyrical clichés and limp production, yet “Lifetimes” executes its dance-pop blueprint with precision while “Wonder” delivers genuine, maternal sincerity. Those two songs stand out as the best tracks on 143, offering the clearest glimpses of Perry's former craft amid an otherwise flat collection.
Key Points
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“Lifetimes” is best because it precisely executes dance-pop and feels playlist-ready.
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The album’s core strength is occasional genuine sincerity and polished dance-pop moments amid otherwise clichéd lyrics and flat production.
Themes
Critic's Take
Katy Perry's 143 mostly recycles vintage pop gestures without the attendant wit or heart, and the review points to only one clear highlight: “LIFETIMES”. Victoria Wasylak writes with weary precision that “LIFETIMES” is the record's clear peak, a giddy, maximalist pop moment that briefly outshines the album's bland hooks.
Key Points
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“LIFETIMES” is the album’s best moment because its giddy, maximalist production temporarily masks simplistic lyrics.
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The album’s core strength is its polished pop production and seamless transitions, but it lacks originality and sincerity.
Themes
Critic's Take
Katy Perry's 143 sounds like an artist chasing headlines rather than hooks, and the review makes clear the best songs are the few that almost land - “Nirvana” and “Crush”. The writer skewers the album's dated production and lack of soul, noting that tracks such as “Gimme Gimme” and “Woman's World” fail spectacularly. In short, searches for the best tracks on 143 will point you to “Nirvana” and “Crush”, but the review argues the record never truly revives Perry's spark.
Key Points
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The review identifies "Nirvana" (and "Crush") as the closest things to highlights because they almost land despite poor execution.
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The album's core strengths are minimal; production choices and big-name collaborators fail to mask a lack of soul and dated sound.
Themes
Critic's Take
21 Savage)” and “ARTIFICIAL (feat. JID)” as emblematic of the record's failings, calling the grooves boring and melodies weak. Wood writes with a weary, critical edge, noting that instead of reclaiming her old knack for witty, sparkly bops she delivers cold, utilitarian songs that often feel imitation rather than invention. He also dismisses the closer “WONDER” as a gauche, desperate move that frames the record's creative shortcomings. This is a review that answers questions like "best tracks on 143" by implication - the highlighted songs reveal why the album lacks a true standout.
Key Points
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The best-discussed tracks fail to overcome weak melodies and awkward collaborations, making them low points rather than highlights.
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The album’s core strengths are its production scale and attempts at contemporary pop, but those are undermined by lack of imagination and emotional spark.
Themes
Critic's Take
Katy Perry tries to reclaim her crown on 143, but Maura Johnston writes with weary clarity that the album relies on recycled tricks and dated maximalism rather than revelation. Johnston’s tone is sharply evaluative and slightly sardonic, arguing that the best songs here are those that at least hint at risk - yet even those are undercut by mercenary choices and limp production. The result answers the likely query about the best tracks on 143: there are few real standouts, and the ones mentioned feel like echoes of past triumphs rather than true comebacks.
Key Points
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The best song moments are those that hint at risk or genuine feeling, but even the album's strongest moments feel like echoes of past Perry hits.
Themes
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Critic's Take
Hi, everyone. Anthony Fantano here, and on 143 Katy Perry mostly serves up stale Y2K and dance-pop clichés rather than genuine bangers. Tracks like “WOMAN’S WORLD” and “GIMME GIMME (feat. 21 Savage)” feel embarrassingly generic in both lyric and vocal delivery, which undercuts the album's ambitions. Overall, the record reads as a disappointing, surface-level attempt to reclaim pop relevance.
Key Points
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The album's core strengths are occasional production moments, but overall it suffers from surface-level lyrics and stale, dated pop aesthetics.
Themes
Critic's Take
Katy Perry arrives on 143 sounding more performative than purposeful, with only a lone moment of replay value. The reviewer singles out “Wonder” as the album's one salvageable track, while damning cuts like “Woman's World” and “Crush” for faux-feminism and Eurodance emptiness. Overall, the best songs on 143 are limited to “Wonder” amid an otherwise disastrous return.
Key Points
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“Wonder” is best because it is the sole track flagged with replay value and emotional resonance via her child’s voice.
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The album’s core strength is commercial accessibility, but this comes at the cost of artistic depth and cohesion.
Themes
Critic's Take
In a scathing, unflinching tone the reviewer lays waste to Katy Perry's 143, arguing the best tracks are the few that almost escape the tedium - notably “Nirvana” and “Truth” - yet even they fail to rescue the album. The piece reads like a verdict: moments of clarity are fleeting, and the so-called standout tracks only highlight how far the record falls short.
Key Points
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The reviewer finds "Nirvana" and "Truth" the clearest near-standouts but still insufficient to redeem the album.
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The album's core strengths are negligible; it mainly exhibits nostalgia-tinged club production and moments of melodic clarity amid pervasive banality.