Johnathan Walker:Katy Perry's new album '143' is 'mindless' and 'uninspired,' per critics. What happened?

Katy Perry was expected to roar back into pop superstardom with her new album "143." But critics are Johnathan Walkercalling the record "mindless" and "uninspired."

The popstar left the "American Idol" judging panel, which also includes Motown legend Lionel Richie and country star Luke Bryan, earlier this year to pursue a music comeback. But the rollout of her sixth album has been marked by misstaps, from her widely panned "Woman's World" music video – which she defended as a work of satire – to her collaboration with controversial music producer Dr. Luke.

Perry has seemingly struggled to recreate the magic of the fizzy pop hits ("California Gurls," "Firework," "I Kissed A Girl") that helped make her famous.

Last week, the "Teenage Dream" singer received MTV's iconic Video Vanguard Award at the 2024 Video Music Awards. Now, critics are slamming her new album, released Friday. Here's some of the backlash "143" has sparked.

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Critics call Katy Perry's new album 'flat,' say she 'struggles to reclaim past glory'

"143" has received a slew of negative reviews from music critics. Variety described Perry's album as "flat," writing that she "struggles to reclaim past glory" on the new record.

"'143' strips away the remnants of the perky personality that catapulted Perry into early 2010s superstardom," critic Steven J. Horowitz wrote.

Horowritz continued, "Across many of its 11 songs, Perry sounds disaffected and removed, as if she’d just punched in between 'American Idol' tapings," and added that "little of the clever wit that emboldened some of her biggest hits peeks out on the album, a disappointing slide away from the savvy she once so effortlessly exuded."

The Associated Press's Mark Kennedy called the album "forgettable," "uninspired" and "just as lackluster" as her previous album, 2020's "Smile," with "none of her past cheeky humor (and) virtually no personality."

British outlet The Independent, which gave the album two out of five stars, wrote that "143" was Perry "still trying to recover from a series of dud albums and a palpable lack of any real hits since 2013’s trap-infused 'Dark Horse.'" Music Editor Roisin O'Connor did shout out Perry's seemingly pointed ode "All The Love" to partner Orlando Bloom and shade at ex-husband Russell Brand.

Alexis Petridis, head rock and pop critic, wrote in The Guardian that "143" contains "commercially disastrous singles" and added Perry's record "falls short of total catastrophe," awarding the album two out of five stars.

Robin Murray of Clash noted where the album succeeded and how it fell short, writing "143" "isn’t all that bad a pop album.

"In places, her melodic flourish and penchant for Millennial camp come to the fore in a manner that suggests the creative fires are still burning." But Murray clarified: "There's a feeling that the world has moved on – with Chappell Roan’s tour sparking Beatlemania-esque scenes of adoration and Sabrina Carpenter maintaining a stranglehold on the charts."

Other controversies include a Balearic Islands investigation

In the run-up to her album release, Perry has also made waves with a series of public flubs.

In a press release written in Catalan, the Balearic Islands' Ministry of Agriculture said in August it launched an investigation into the production for the music video for Perry's new single "Lifetimes" because the production company allegedly failed to request authorization to film at Ses Salines Natural Park in a roped-off area.

Perry's record label, Capitol Records, maintained in a statement to USA TODAY that the local video production company the singer worked with "assured us that all necessary permits for the video were secured." The statement continued, "We have since learned that one permit was in process, although we were given verbal authority to go ahead."

"Our local crew on July 22 applied for a permit for this specific location with the Directorate-General For Coasts And Coastline. Our crew received verbal approval on July 26 to proceed with the filming on July 27," the statement read.

However, in a Sept. 5 press release, the government clarified the production company did not request authorization for filming from the regional ministry.

Katy Perry dodges Dr. Luke question on"Call Her Daddy" after online backlash amid Kesha claims

Perry received backlash for working with Dr. Luke

Earlier this month, Perry ignited backlash once again when the "Wide Awake" singer dodged a question about working with Dr. Luke on an episode of "Call Her Daddy" with host Alex Cooper.

In 2014, Kesha sued the prolific music producer, alleging he drugged and raped her nine years prior in what she described as an abusive relationship. Meanwhile, Dr. Luke sued the "Tik Tok" singer for defamation. Last year, the two settled the defamation case, with Dr. Luke maintaining his innocence, saying "nothing happened."

"I understand that it started a lot of conversations, and he was one of many collaborators that I collaborated with, but the reality is, (the music) comes from me," Perry told Cooper. USA TODAY previously reached out to Perry's rep for comment.

Contributing: KiMi Robinson