Surprised by Katy Perry

Ever since Katy Perry plopped on the music scene, I've had a weird love/hate thing for her. I adore some of her songs, like "Thinking of You", "Firework", and "The One That Got Away". Others, I want to poke a pencil in my eye when I hear them, like "Last Friday Night", "California Girls" and "Roar".  Don't get me wrong, I like the message of Roar, but find the song itself totally annoying.

I knew her new album, Prism, was coming out this week but I was already a little bitter about it, before even listening. In an interview I stumbled on she went on this long explanation about the meaning behind her album title. It's almost identical to the explanation Sara Barielles gave for the title of her album "Kaleidoscope Heart" back in 2010. And since "Roar" is almost identical to Sara's "Brave", I got all mad at Katy for stealing my girl Sara's creative juices.

But then I heard the new single from Katy, "Unconditionally".  Before I go on, take a few moments out of your day to listen to it. As you listen, close your eyes, and imagine it's God talking to you, and to you specifically.

 

With what I told you in mind, this song feels more like a Christian worship song than a pop song. It's absolutely gorgeous. I truly hope that others can get the same meaning from the song that I did, because if you can listen to that and imagine God is saying those words to you, some peace will shine upon you.

 

There's another song on the album that really hits home for me. And really surprised me that it came from Katy. It is called "By The Grace of God". I am taking a guess that the song is directly related to Katy's divorce from Russell Brand. It's a deeply emotional tune that really allows listeners to understand the pain that Katy went through at the time, but that somehow, she made it through. The words are very powerful. I'll let you listen before I go on.

 

 Hearing this song gave me chills. As many of you know from reading this I have dealt with bouts of depression and anxiety for several years, and this song was a big reminder of how far I have come since those times. It pretty much exactly describes how I felt once I snapped out of it and started to heal. It is really a beautiful song.

 

I have never owned a Katy Perry album and don't think I've ever listened to one the entire way through. But Prism, despite my doubts, really impressed me, especially with these two songs. There are a few more I like on the album, and some I could do without, but overall it's an album worth listening to.

 

Let me know what you thought of the songs.