Katy Perry - 'Firework'
What is up with Katy Perry's sense of timing? First she releases an album and a single on the same day, undermining the chart position of one with the success of the other; and now she's jumpstarted the release of this, the third single to be taken from that self-same album, by appearing on the X Factor and FORCING people to go out and buy it in droves, before the video is even FINISHED!
Now she's heading up the charts, as you would expect - the X Factor is quite a big show for promoting music, y'know - and the single's official release date isn't until November 15th. That's a MONTH from now.
I suggest we all ignore the song for the next few weeks. Just pretend it isn't there, no matter how hard Katy bellows in our ears. She has to sit back and wait for our attention, at the appropriate moment. She made the appointment in the first place, so we are just going to very calmly keep it, and not let her interrupt herself for once. She has to learn not to go off half-cocked.
You can go ahead and insert your own joke here, if you like.
(. It's stately.)
When the time is right, we shall commend Katy on her enjoyable dance-pop direction. We shall say that her decision to work with the Stargate production team has been a good one. We shall point out that 'Firework' is uplifting and joyous in the best possible way, and note that her trademark whinnymoo has been channelled into the choral enormity of the, erm, chorus rather well.
We shall also note that, for all that she is capable of writing popular silly songs, like the one about popsicles, it's the heart that rules music, not the funny bone. So we will be pleased to note how well sincerity suits her.
Oh, and on that issue of rushing things out before they're properly finished...would some kind of ending have been too much to ask? A repetitive fadeout, maybe, or a build-up towards a peak of some kind. What happens is the song just...stops. It was there, and now it's gone, leaving nothing behind but a planet filled with people who were dancing, and now suddenly are not.
It's like a global game of musical statues, only there's no prize.
And it begs the question; what if everyone was to take a similarly slapdash approach to their work? What if we were all in such a rush to get things out there that they didn't really bother to finish things off properly? What if we all promised a rocket ship ride to the stars, before suddenly dropping everyone off at the moon?
Yeah, I know, it'd be brilliant. Bad example. OK, let's call this one a draw.
Download: Out now
´óÏó´«Ã½ Music page
(Fraser McAlpine)
"A song about letting your inner awesomeness shoot across."
"It's hard to find a reason not to like her"
Comment number 1.
At 19th Oct 2010, OddOne wrote:I find it hard not to give this song five stars, but I comkpletley garee with Fraser about the bad sense of timing. As I've already said this song is looking likely to be the second highest new entry this week and it isn't even released for another month! AND there's no video.
It's a #5 on iTunes now, and is ahead of songs like Jay Sean and Nicki Minaj's '2012 (It Ain't The End)' and Taylor Swift's 'Mine'.
Quite odd that Travie McCoy's new single 'We'll Be Alright' is nowhere to be seen, neither is Christina's 'You Lost Me', which his FINNALY released after two months of postponing. Eliza Doolittle's 'Rollerblades' don't seems to have any wheels on (I know, bad pun) - she's stalled somewhere in the #80-#90 region.
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Comment number 2.
At 21st Oct 2010, SamuraisShadow wrote:Wow, it's up to number two on itunes!
Won't be able to stop bruno mars re-claiming number one though.
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Comment number 3.
At 26th Oct 2010, spirit wrote:Hey Bendtner !
Great finish on Sunday , for the third goal !
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Comment number 4.
At 28th Oct 2010, MassiveFlapJack wrote:Yeah great goal, whats your secret.
Baring in mind I'm a United fan.
Ok, back to my opinion
You know what, I think this a good song because it appeals to most ages and have you heard the strings in this song? I think they are excellent.
But its lacking something -
Oh!
I know
Its becuase its written by Katy Perry.
4 STARS.
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Comment number 5.
At 28th Oct 2010, OddOne wrote:How RUDE! :L:L
Katy Perry has more than proved her song-writing talents on her album 'Teenage Dream', it's just a shame rubbish like 'Peacock', and 'California Gurls' also made it onto it.
I think this song has massive appeal, and I can only commend Katy for writing a song that I could happily class as an 'anthem', without there being a huge amount of cheesiness on top.
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Comment number 6.
At 28th Oct 2010, kutox wrote:I am not a fan of this song. The chorus does stick in the head, but more in an annoying way than anything else. And Katy's voice is so whiny and screechy, especially when she tries to hit the big notes.
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Comment number 7.
At 30th Oct 2010, MassiveFlapJack wrote:Its a good song - Whats wrong with you?
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