Many people doubted Perry's ability to last in the industry. The former Christian singer and daughter of two evangelical pastors caused controversy in 2008 with her breakout single "I Kissed a Girl" which reached #1 and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Critics were divided on the performer. She had earned fame at the tail-end of a decade dominated by more respected pop-stars. To them, she was just a wanna-be. Flash forward a few years, Perry has nine #1 hits, 11 Grammy nominations (including Record of the Year, Album of the Year, and Song of the Year), and in 2011 she became the first artist to tie Michael Jackson's record for most number one hits off of one album. The star least likely to succeed took over the world.
To everyone's surprise, Perry gracefully transformed from pop's most controversial newcomer to the genre's most mature, self-empowering performer. Thanks to hits like "Roar," "Part of Me," "Wide Awake" and her signature song "Firework," Perry and self-empowerment have become synonymous, and the singer once known for her dirty mouth and irreverent lyrics is singing to little kids and teeny-boppers. She went from crowd-surfing at the Warped Tour and screaming "It's my f***ing quinceanera" on MTV latinoamerica to bringing toddlers on stage with her and giving them pizza.
Her Prismatic World Tour is the best medicine to any Perry-doubters. From the minute she stepped on stage at the TD Garden in Boston, she captivated the audience with her humor, talent, and stage presence. She sang, danced, and sweated for two hours, constantly engaging with audience members as she changed from Egyptian clothes to a sunflower dress to a neon, smiley-face skirt. Her hair also changed, going from black to pink to green, and back to black. She sang all the classics---"Teenage Dream," "California Gurls," "Firework"--and impressed with her vocals on beautifully written ballads---"By the Grace of God," "The One That Got Away" and "Thinking of You."
No other star has her versatility. She can bop around the stage to the party anthem "This is How We Do," powerfully belt on the bridge of "Walking on Air," and take out a guitar and play "Thinking of You" as if at a coffeehouse in LA. Perry's voice can at times get lost in the chaos, but when it's just her and the guitar, you hear the raw beauty of it.
Perry is a hard worker. Whether you like her or not, this can't be denied. And this hard work has certainly paid off. She gives it her all on stage, and whether you buy the hype or brush her off, she'll keep doing what she's doing. She is an exceptional entertainer who has far exceeded anyone's expectations and has raised the bar for what a pop-star can do and what a pop-star can mean.
5/5
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