Prism (Katy Perry Album)
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''Prism'' is the fourth studio album by American singer Katy Perry. It was released by Capitol Records on October 18, 2013. While the album was initially planned to be "darker" than her previous material, ''Prism'' ultimately became a prominently dance-inspired record. Perry worked with several past collaborators, while enlisting new producers and guest vocals. Much of ''Prism'' revolves around the themes of living in the present, relationships, and self-empowerment. The album garnered generally positive reviews with critics praising its lyrics for being more "mature" and personal, while others considered ''Prism'' to be more formulaic than her previous material. The album debuted atop the US ''Billboard'' 200 with 286,000 copies sold, becoming Perry's best opening week to date. The album also peaked at number one in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. ''Prism'' became Perry's fastest-selling album, the second best-selling album in Australia in 2013, and the second best-selling album released by a woman in the United States in 2013. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) reported that ''Prism'' was the sixth best-selling album in the world in 2013, the best-selling album in the world in 2013 released by a woman, and labeled Perry "a global phenomenon." It has sold over 4 million copies worldwide. The album's success continued throughout 2014, ranking within the top 10 of the annual charts for 2014 in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, and earned Perry a Grammy Award nomination for
Best Pop Vocal Album The Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality vocal pop music albums. Awards in several ...
at the
57th Annual Grammy Awards The 57th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 8, 2015, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The show was broadcast live by CBS at 5:00 p.m. PST ( UTC−8). Rapper LL Cool J hosted the show for the fourth consecutive time ...
. The release of the album was preceded by the release of two singles. " Roar" was released on August 10, 2013, as the album's lead single and topped the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. " Unconditionally" debuted on October 16, 2013, as the record's second single. In between the release of these two tracks were the releases of promotional singles "
Dark Horse A dark horse is a previously lesser-known person or thing that emerges to prominence in a situation, especially in a competition involving multiple rivals, or a contestant that on paper should be unlikely to succeed but yet still might. Origin Th ...
" on September 17 and " Walking on Air" on September 30, 2013. "Dark Horse" was released as the album's third single three months later on December 17, 2013, and also reached number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. "
Birthday A birthday is the anniversary of the birth of a person, or figuratively of an institution. Birthdays of people are celebrated in numerous cultures, often with birthday gifts, birthday cards, a birthday party, or a rite of passage. Many relig ...
" and "
This Is How We Do "This Is How We Do" is a song recorded by American singer Katy Perry for her fourth studio album, ''Prism'' (2013). Perry co-wrote the track with its producers Max Martin and Klas Åhlund and recorded it in Stockholm, Sweden. The song was rele ...
" were the fourth and fifth singles, respectively. ''Prism'' was further promoted through the
Prismatic World Tour The Prismatic World Tour was the third concert tour by American singer Katy Perry, in support of her fourth studio album, ''Prism'' (2013). The tour began on May 7, 2014, in Belfast, Northern Ireland at the Odyssey Arena, concluding on October ...
.


Background

After concluding her
California Dreams Tour The California Dreams Tour was the second concert tour by American singer Katy Perry, in support of her third studio album '' Teenage Dream''. The tour played 124 shows beginning February 20, 2011 in Lisbon, Portugal and concluding on January 22 ...
, Perry stated that she intended to "live a little" before recording any new material that was "worth listening to". When ex-husband
Russell Brand Russell Edward Brand (born 4 June 1975) is an English comedian and actor known for his flamboyant, loquacious style and manner. Brand has received three British Comedy Awards: Best Newcomer (2006), Best Live Stand-Up (2008), and the award for ...
left her on December 30, 2011, she felt devastated and contemplated
suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...
. Perry revealed to ''
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'' in June 2012 that she planned to record a "darker" album than her previous records. She stated: "It was inevitable, after what I went through. If I had a time machine and could go back in time, I would. But I can't, so, you'll discover another part of me." To ''
Interview An interview is a structured conversation where one participant asks questions, and the other provides answers.Merriam Webster DictionaryInterview Dictionary definition, Retrieved February 16, 2016 In common parlance, the word "interview" ...
'', she mentioned that she aspired to include a more acoustic vibe to the record. Perry also said that her music would be getting "real fucking dark" and "
shoegazing Shoegaze (originally called shoegazing and sometimes conflated with "dream pop") is a subgenre of indie and alternative rock characterized by its ethereal mixture of obscured vocals, guitar distortion and effects, feedback, and overwhelming volu ...
", though also stated that her fans would be able to relate to it. "I imagine that maybe my next record would be a little bit more of an artistic venture," she said. "Not that I'm going to self-sabotage either and be like, 'I'm going to make a crazy record that nobody really understands.'" That fall, she later told ''
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'' about her plans for the album, saying she already envisioned several aspects of it. Perry told the magazine that she already had songs and ideas, and knew the type of record she would make next. She also said that although she had not started recording yet, she already knew how the artwork, coloring and tone of the album would turn out. Perry further detailed: "I have to let the music take shape first. I even know what type of tour I'm doing next. I'll be very pleased if the vision I have in my head becomes a reality. But I have to honor the music."


Recording

The development of ''Prism'' started when Perry was embarking on the
California Dreams Tour The California Dreams Tour was the second concert tour by American singer Katy Perry, in support of her third studio album '' Teenage Dream''. The tour played 124 shows beginning February 20, 2011 in Lisbon, Portugal and concluding on January 22 ...
. She began with a process she deemed "slow cooking", which consisted of recording random "fragments of ideas" into her mobile phone's
dictaphone Dictaphone was an American company founded by Alexander Graham Bell that produced dictation machines. It is now a division of Nuance Communications, based in Burlington, Massachusetts. Although the name "Dictaphone" is a trademark, it has bec ...
application. A member of Direct Management Group, Ngoc Hoang, then transcribed the audio files, which he inserted into what Perry described as a "treasure chest"; such object was consulted by Perry later on during the album's recording sessions. While Perry started recording the album officially in November 2012, accompanied by
Greg Wells Greg Wells is a Canadian musician, record producer, songwriter and audio engineer. Wells has songs on over 130 million albums sold. He has worked with John Legend, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ariana Grande, Jazmine Sullivan, Kid Cudi, Adele, Rufus Wai ...
and
Greg Kurstin Gregory Allen Kurstin (born May 14, 1969) is an American record producer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter. He has won nine Grammy Awards, including Producer of the Year, Non-Classical in 2017 and 2018, and written and produced four songs t ...
, she noted she was still in a "dark place", and that she had not "let the light in". The sessions began again in March 2013, following a trip to Madagascar which Perry credited as having "put erpriorities in perspective", thus leading her to "do more work on erelf". Perry also viewed a video made by
Eckhart Tolle Eckhart Tolle ( ; ; born Ulrich Leonard Tölle, February 16, 1948) is a German-born spiritual teacher and self-help author of ''The Power of Now'' and '' A New Earth''. After being recommended by Oprah Winfrey, his first book, ''The Power of No ...
, which discusses loss. She commented: "When you lose something, all your foundations crumble—but that also leaves a big hole that's open for something great to come through." After feeling prepared to record again, she reunited with her team from ''Teenage Dream''—
Dr. Luke Lukasz Sebastian Gottwald (born September 26, 1973), known professionally as Dr. Luke, Tyson Trax, and Made in China, is an American record producer and songwriter. His professional music career began in the late-night television sketch comedy ...
,
Bonnie McKee Bonnie Leigh McKee (born January 20, 1984) is an American singer and songwriter. Her debut album, ''Trouble'', was released in 2004 under Reprise Records. After underperforming, McKee was dropped by her label and took a musical hiatus before es ...
, and
Cirkut Henry Russell Walter (born April 23, 1986), known professionally as Cirkut, is a Canadian record producer and songwriter. He has co-produced and co-written for Dr. Luke, Katy Perry, Becky G, Ava Max, Nicki Minaj, R. City, The Weeknd, Kesha, Ciar ...
—in Perry's hometown of
Santa Barbara, California Santa Barbara ( es, Santa Bárbara, meaning "Saint Barbara") is a coastal city in Santa Barbara County, California, of which it is also the county seat. Situated on a south-facing section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coas ...
, where they spent a month recording at Playback Recording Studio among others. After those sessions, she went to
Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...
, where she worked with Scandinavian record producer
Max Martin Karl Martin Sandberg (; born 26 February 1971),Max Martin
allmusic.com
known profess ...
, to do what Perry called "put
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the ice on the cake". She also recruited other collaborators, such as Norwegian team
Stargate ''Stargate'' (often stylized in all caps) is a military science fiction media franchise based on the Stargate (film), film directed by Roland Emmerich, which he co-wrote with producer Dean Devlin. The franchise is based on the idea of an alien E ...
, Bloodshy,
Benny Blanco Benjamin Joseph Levin (born March 8, 1988), known professionally as Benny Blanco (stylized in all lowercase), is an American record producer. He is the recipient of the 2013 Hal David Starlight Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He is also ...
,
Jonatha Brooke Jonatha Brooke (born January 23, 1964) is an American folk rock singer-songwriter and guitarist from Massachusetts, United States. Her music merges elements of folk, rock and pop, often with poignant lyrics and complex harmonies. She has been a ...
and
Sia Sia Kate Isobelle Furler ( ; born 18 December 1975) is an Australian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Adelaide, she started her career as a singer in the acid jazz band Crisp in the mid-1990s. In 1997, when Crisp disbanded, she rel ...
. By April 2013, recording for the album was halfway complete, and Perry revealed to
ASCAP The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadca ...
how was working with such collaborators. She affirmed that Wells allowed her to "vomit words"; with Martin, she picked the melodies of the songs; Luke mostly helmed the production and she worked with "topline and melody". Perry described writing sessions with McKee as "emotional abuse", adding that they argue over the "best lyric", as if they were fighting in a boxing ring. McKee, who wrote four songs for ''Prism'', spoke with
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
on the effort, describing it as "a little bit more grown up" and "interesting".


Composition

The album opens with " Roar", a midtempo synth-driven
power pop Power pop (also typeset as powerpop) is a form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. It typically incorporates melodic hooks, vocal harmonies, an energetic performance, and ch ...
track. Musically, it contains elements of
arena rock Arena rock (also known as AOR, melodic rock, stadium rock, anthem rock, pomp rock, corporate rock and dad rock; ; ) is a style of rock music that originated in the mid-1970s. As hard rock bands and those playing a softer yet strident kind of po ...
and
glam rock Glam rock is a style of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s and was performed by musicians who wore outrageous costumes, makeup, and hairstyles, particularly platform shoes and glitter. Glam artists drew on diver ...
, while lyrically it is an empowerment anthem. Comparisons were established between "Roar" and " Brave" by
Sara Bareilles Sara Beth Bareilles (, ; born December 7, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She has sold over three million albums and over 15 million singles in the United States. She has earned various awards and nominations including nin ...
. "Legendary Lovers", a bhangra-based song, deals with the concepts of karma and infinity. "
Birthday A birthday is the anniversary of the birth of a person, or figuratively of an institution. Birthdays of people are celebrated in numerous cultures, often with birthday gifts, birthday cards, a birthday party, or a rite of passage. Many relig ...
" was described by Perry as her own attempt at "writing something
Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the whi ...
would have put on her first record". Musically, it is a "fluffy" pop song that is primarily styled in the genre of
disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...
. " Walking on Air", the album's second promotional single, is an early
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-inspired
deep house Deep house is a subgenre of house music that originated in the 1980s, initially fusing elements of Chicago house with the lush chords of 1980s jazz-funk and touches of soul music. Its origins are attributed to the early recordings of Larry Heard ( ...
-
Eurodance Euro-Dance (sometimes referred to as Euro-NRG, Euro-electronica or Euro) is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1980s in Europe. It combines many elements of hip hop, techno, Hi-NRG, house music, and Euro-Disco. This ...
-
disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...
song, inspired heavily by
CeCe Peniston Cecilia Veronica "CeCe" Peniston (; born September 6, 1969) is an American singer and former beauty queen. In the early 1990s, she scored five number one hits on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot Dance Music/Club Play. Her signature song "Finally" rea ...
and
Crystal Waters Crystal Waters (born November 19, 1961) is an American house and dance music singer and songwriter, best known for her 1990s dance hits " Gypsy Woman", " 100% Pure Love", and 2007's " Destination Calabria" with Alex Gaudino. All three of her s ...
. It was produced by
Klas Åhlund Klas Frans Åhlund (born 11 April 1972) is a Swedish songwriter, record producer, and guitarist. He is the founding member of the Swedish rock band Teddybears. As a songwriter and producer, he has worked with artists such as Robyn, Sugababes, Jor ...
and
Max Martin Karl Martin Sandberg (; born 26 February 1971),Max Martin
allmusic.com
known profess ...
. " Unconditionally", Perry's personal favorite song on the album and second official single, is a "soaring"
power ballad A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, politics and religion, usually in a poignant but solemn manner.J. M. C ...
with an "epic chorus". Jason Lipshutz from ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' noted that the song includes a "woodblock percussion" as well as "a dramatic bass line" and deemed it the album's "most mature offering". Furthermore, he called it "an ode to love that looks past all flaws" and stated that the song acts as a "compellingly grounded predicate" to the
title track A title track is a song that has the same name as the album or film in which it appears. In the Korean music industry, the term is used to describe a promoted song on an album, akin to a single, regardless of the song's title. Title track may al ...
from '' Teenage Dream''. Perry herself described the song as a song about
unconditional love Unconditional love is known as affection without any limitations, or love without conditions. This term is sometimes associated with other terms such as true altruism or complete love. Each area of expertise has a certain way of describing uncon ...
that could come in all forms, including those from relationships, from parent-to-child, and from sibling-to-sibling. "
Dark Horse A dark horse is a previously lesser-known person or thing that emerges to prominence in a situation, especially in a competition involving multiple rivals, or a contestant that on paper should be unlikely to succeed but yet still might. Origin Th ...
" is a song with ample influences of
trap A trap is a mechanical device used to capture or restrain an animal for purposes such as hunting, pest control, or ecological research. Trap or TRAP may also refer to: Art and entertainment Films and television * ''Trap'' (2015 film), Fil ...
,
grime Grime may refer to: * Dirt, in the form of black, ingrained dust * Grime (music genre), a genre of music * ''Grime'' (album), a 2001 album by Iniquity * ''Grime'' (video game), a 2021 Metroidvania video game * "Grime", a 2022 song by Dallas Woo ...
, hip hop, and "Southern rap-techno mashup" genres. "
This Is How We Do "This Is How We Do" is a song recorded by American singer Katy Perry for her fourth studio album, ''Prism'' (2013). Perry co-wrote the track with its producers Max Martin and Klas Åhlund and recorded it in Stockholm, Sweden. The song was rele ...
", produced by Max Martin and Klas Ahlund, was described as being the possible "song of summer" for 2014. Shirley Halperin from ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' described "This Is How We Do" as "a sunny 80s throwback", while
Edna Gundersen Edna Gundersen is an American journalist who was a longtime music writer and critic for ''USA Today''. Gundersen grew up in El Paso, Texas. She attained a degree in journalism from the University of Texas at El Paso and then wrote features and en ...
from ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'' described it as a "buoyant pop blast with hip-hop underpinnings" and praised the song's recurring refrain ("It's no big deal!"). James Montgomery from
MTV News MTV News is the news production division of MTV. The service is available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network. In February 2016, MTV Networks confirmed it would refresh the MTV News brand in 2016, to compete with the likes ...
called the song a "cocksure, club-ready banger". With "Double Rainbow", produced by Greg Kustin and co-writer
Sia Sia Kate Isobelle Furler ( ; born 18 December 1975) is an Australian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Adelaide, she started her career as a singer in the acid jazz band Crisp in the mid-1990s. In 1997, when Crisp disbanded, she rel ...
, Perry was allowed to "dump pent-up emotions" and "get things off her chest". The song was described as a "massive ballad". Lipshutz deemed it as a "breathy love track" with a "powerful chorus that explodes upon impact" with lyrics that include "One man's trash is another man's treasure / so if it's up to me, I'm gonna keep you forever". He added that "Kurstin brings the pop sensibility he's flashed with artists like
Kelly Clarkson Kelly Brianne Clarkson (born April 24, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter, author, and television personality. She rose to fame after winning the first season of ''American Idol'' in 2002, which earned her a record deal with RCA. Her debu ...
and
P!nk Alecia Beth Moore Hart (born September 8, 1979), known professionally as Pink (stylized as P!nk), is an American singer, songwriter, actress and dancer. She was originally a member of the girl group Choice. In 1995, LaFace Records saw potential ...
, while Sia's presence connects this sleek, shimmering pop track to er_
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'". Elijah Sarkesian felt that "Some of Katy's finest vocals of the album are on this song". Perry described "Love Me" as a song "about loving yourself the way you want to be loved". Gundersen called it "irresistibly catchy and energetic". The song was produced by Bloodshy. Sarkesian called it "an interesting mix – the lyrics are dark, but the music is very dance-centric. At the very least, it'll do well in clubs". Montgomery stated that "Love Me" and "International Smile" both "seem destined for the dance floors". The latter was inspired by Perry's friend Mia Moretti, and was compared to the songs on Perry's previous album. Lipshutz called it a "straightforward pop-rock offering" and described its guitar hook as "kicky", adding that the song also includes a "Melting
Daft Punk Daft Punk were a French electronic music duo formed in 1993 in Paris by Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. Widely regarded as one of the most influential acts in dance music history, they achieved popularity in the late 1990s as p ...
-esque vocoder breakdown". Halperin stated that in the song, Perry sings the "hooky" line: "Please fasten your seat belts and make sure your champagne glasses are empty". Halperin described "This Moment" and "Ghost" as "mid-tempo ballads that are closest in DNA to Perry's previous smashes". Perry stated that she was inspired to write "This Moment" after she heard the audio book of ''
The Power of Now ''The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment'' is a book by Eckhart Tolle. It presents itself as a discussion about how people interact with themselves and others. The concept of self reflection and presence in the moment are presented ...
''; the song's lyrics talk about "living in the present"; with Perry "add nga romantic spin" to it. Gary Trust described "Ghost" as a "mesmerizing ballad", while Gundersen described it as "powerful, dark, and haunting". Lipshutz felt that "Ghost" and "
By the Grace of God By the Grace of God ( la, Dei Gratia, abbreviated D.G.) is a formulaic phrase used especially in Christian monarchies as an introductory part of the full styles of a monarch. For example in England and later the United Kingdom, the phrase was fo ...
" contain the album's "most somber moments". While talking about each ''Prism'' track, Perry mentioned that "By the Grace of God" was the first song she wrote and recorded for the album back in November 2012 while she was in her "dark" phase. Jody Rosen from ''Vulture'' described bonus track "Spiritual" as an inspirational song. Kevin Fallon of ''
The Daily Beast ''The Daily Beast'' is an American news website focused on politics, media, and pop culture. It was founded in 2008. It has been characterized as a "high-end tabloid" by Noah Shachtman, the site's editor-in-chief from 2018 to 2021. In a 20 ...
'' described "It Takes Two" as a "sweeping ballad" which allowed Perry to "show off a full-throated belt that so many of her more bubbly tracks mask". In "Choose Your Battles", Perry "pounds her chest and spews venom at the man she cannot understand".


Release and promotion


Promotion and countdown singles

On July 29, 2013, a golden truck driving in
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
revealed the album's title as ''Prism'' and that it would be released on October 22, 2013. On August 9, the truck was hit by a drunk driver in
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
, but no injuries were reported. On August 20,
Pepsi Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by PepsiCo. Originally created and developed in 1893 by Caleb Bradham and introduced as Brad's Drink, it was renamed as Pepsi-Cola in 1898, and then shortened to Pepsi in 1961. History Pepsi was ...
revealed a partnership with Perry, in which fans were given the opportunity to unlock song titles, lyrics, and snippets from ''Prism'' by tweeting the hashtag #KATYNOW. Additionally, Pepsi provided previews of the songs "
Dark Horse A dark horse is a previously lesser-known person or thing that emerges to prominence in a situation, especially in a competition involving multiple rivals, or a contestant that on paper should be unlikely to succeed but yet still might. Origin Th ...
" and " Walking on Air", and fans could vote for which song they wanted to have an early release on music platforms. The former song was declared the winner and was released onto iTunes on September 17, 2013. Three listening parties for ''Prism'' were hosted: on September 5, 2013, one was hosted in New York, open exclusively to an audience of 100 industry insiders and journalists, where twelve tracks were played. A second ''Prism'' listening party took place the next day in
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
, while a third took place September 12 in
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
at the
Hammer Museum The Hammer Museum, which is affiliated with the University of California, Los Angeles, is an art museum and cultural center known for its artist-centric and progressive array of exhibitions and public programs. Founded in 1990 by the entrepreneur- ...
. In a press release on August 20, 2013,
Pepsi Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by PepsiCo. Originally created and developed in 1893 by Caleb Bradham and introduced as Brad's Drink, it was renamed as Pepsi-Cola in 1898, and then shortened to Pepsi in 1961. History Pepsi was ...
announced a partnership with Perry to promote her fourth studio album ''Prism'': a social " tweet-to-unlock" voting program, encouraging fans to tweet the hashtag #KATYNOW in exchange for song titles and lyrics. The chosen tracks for the campaign were "Walking on Air" and "Dark Horse". After the samples were revealed, fans could vote for which one they wanted to have an early release on digital retailers. The winner was "Dark Horse", which was released on September 17, 2013, on the
iTunes Store The iTunes Store is a digital media store operated by Apple Inc. It opened on April 28, 2003, as a result of Steve Jobs' push to open a digital marketplace for music. As of April 2020, iTunes offered 60 million songs, 2.2 million apps, 25,00 ...
, serving then as the album's first promotional single. It debuted at number 17 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and at number ten on the
New Zealand Singles Chart The Official New Zealand Music Chart ( mi, Te Papa Tātai Waiata Matua o Aotearoa) is the weekly New Zealand top 40 singles and albums charts, issued weekly by Recorded Music NZ (formerly Recording Industry Association of New Zealand). The Music ...
. Perry first performed "Dark Horse" three days later at the
iHeartRadio iHeartRadio (often shortened to just "iHeart") is an American freemium broadcast, podcast and radio streaming Computing platform, platform owned by iHeartMedia. It was founded in August 2008. , iHeartRadio was functioning as the national umbr ...
Music Festival. " Walking on Air" was released as the second promotional single on September 30. The song peaked at number 34 at Billboard Hot 100 and at number 80 in the United Kingdom. ''Prism'' was released on October 18, 2013. Its album cover was unveiled on September 6, 2013, on a Jumbotron during ''
Good Morning America ''Good Morning America'' (often abbreviated as ''GMA'') is an American morning television program that is broadcast on ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends with the debut of a Sunday edition on January 3, 1993. Th ...
'', and was shot by American photographer
Ryan McGinley Ryan McGinley (born October 17, 1977) is an American photographer living in New York City. McGinley began making photographs in 1998. In 2003, at the age of 25, he was one of the youngest artists to have a solo show at the Whitney Museum of Ameri ...
. For the deluxe edition, 300,000 copies with an iridescent
digipak Optical disc packaging is the packaging that accompanies CDs, DVDs, and other formats of optical discs. Most packaging is rigid or semi-rigid and designed to protect the media from scratches and other types of exposure damage. Jewel case A ...
package were printed, and came with the album's logo printed onto
seed paper Seed paper is a type of handmade paper that includes any number of different plant seeds. The seeds themselves can still germinate after the papermaking process and they can sprout when the paper is planted in soil. Papermakers have been produc ...
.


Prismatic World Tour

Perry began the
Prismatic World Tour The Prismatic World Tour was the third concert tour by American singer Katy Perry, in support of her fourth studio album, ''Prism'' (2013). The tour began on May 7, 2014, in Belfast, Northern Ireland at the Odyssey Arena, concluding on October ...
on May 7, 2014, at the
Odyssey Arena The Odyssey Complex, formerly Odyssey Centre, is a sports and entertainment complex located within the Titanic Quarter in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The complex originated in 1992 and came into fruition in June 1998. It opened in December 2 ...
in
Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...
, Northern Ireland. The first leg of the tour also featured performances in Scotland and England that month. The second leg was announced on January 15, 2014, consisting of concerts in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The leg ran from June to October 2014.


Singles

" Roar" was serviced to mainstream radio stations on August 10, 2013, as the album's
lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release s ...
, and its digital release followed two days later. It received mixed-to-positive commentary from music critics, who commended its "easy" and "poppy" beat, while some were ambivalent towards its clichéd lyrics. Commercially, it was a success, topping the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and charts in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. It became Australia's best performing song of 2013 with 560,000 copies sold by the end of the year and spending 9 weeks atop the nation's charts. The song was nominated for the Song of the Year and the
Best Pop Solo Performance The Grammy Award for Best Pop Solo Performance is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. According to the 54th Grammy Awards description guides, the Best Pop So ...
awards at the
56th Annual Grammy Awards The 56th Annual Grammy Awards presentation was held on January 26, 2014, at Staples Center in Los Angeles. The show was broadcast on CBS at 8 p.m. ET/PT and was hosted for the third time by LL Cool J. The show was moved to January to avoid comp ...
. " Unconditionally" was released as the album's second single on October 16, 2013. It received generally favorable reviews from critics, who praised it for being "soaring" and "effortless". A lyric video for the song was released two days after its debut, and its official music video was released on November 19, 2013. To promote the single, Perry has performed on various occasions, including a
geisha {{Culture of Japan, Traditions, Geisha {{nihongo, Geisha, 芸者 ({{IPAc-en, ˈ, ɡ, eɪ, ʃ, ə; {{IPA-ja, ɡeːɕa, lang), also known as {{nihongo, , 芸子, geiko (in Kyoto and Kanazawa) or {{nihongo, , 芸妓, geigi, are a class of female ...
-themed performance of it on the American Music Awards of 2013, which attracted negative press, controversy and accusations of cultural appropriation. "Unconditionally" has peaked at number 14 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and has charted moderately worldwide, reaching the top 30 in the single charts of Canada and Germany and the Top 10 in Italy. "
Dark Horse A dark horse is a previously lesser-known person or thing that emerges to prominence in a situation, especially in a competition involving multiple rivals, or a contestant that on paper should be unlikely to succeed but yet still might. Origin Th ...
" was released on December 17, 2013, as the album's third official single. It had previously been released as the album's first promotional single exactly three months prior to its single release. The following week, the song leaped to number four due to topping the Hot Digital Songs, selling 243,000 copies. With "Dark Horse" topping the Hot Digital Songs chart, it became Perry's 10th digital number-one single. The song topped the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart on January 29, 2014, becoming Perry's 9th number one single in the United States. It was nominated for
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance The Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. According to the 63rd Grammy Awards category rules, "this category ...
at the
57th Annual Grammy Awards The 57th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 8, 2015, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The show was broadcast live by CBS at 5:00 p.m. PST ( UTC−8). Rapper LL Cool J hosted the show for the fourth consecutive time ...
. On April 3, 2014, "
Birthday A birthday is the anniversary of the birth of a person, or figuratively of an institution. Birthdays of people are celebrated in numerous cultures, often with birthday gifts, birthday cards, a birthday party, or a rite of passage. Many relig ...
" was announced as the album's fourth official single. It debuted at number 91 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and impacted
mainstream Mainstream may refer to: Film * ''Mainstream'' (film), a 2020 American film Literature * ''Mainstream'' (fanzine), a science fiction fanzine * Mainstream Publishing, a Scottish publisher * ''Mainstream'', a 1943 book by Hamilton Basso Mu ...
radio in the U.S. on April 21, 2014. This single peaked at number 17 in the US, becoming her 15th song to reach the top 20 in the nation. "
This Is How We Do "This Is How We Do" is a song recorded by American singer Katy Perry for her fourth studio album, ''Prism'' (2013). Perry co-wrote the track with its producers Max Martin and Klas Åhlund and recorded it in Stockholm, Sweden. The song was rele ...
" served as the fifth official single from the album. A lyric video of the song was released on July 24, 2014. One week later, its official music video premiered and the track was sent to French radio on the same day. The song debuted at number 88 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 on August 9, 2014, and peaked at number 24. According to PopDust and Charts in France, "Legendary Lovers" was set to be released as a single, however its release was cancelled to unknown reasons. However, the song received unofficial airplay in France. Additionally track's producer
Max Martin Karl Martin Sandberg (; born 26 February 1971),Max Martin
allmusic.com
known profess ...
hinted possible remix release featuring Canadian rapper and singer
Drake Drake may refer to: Animals * A male duck People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name * Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * ...
.


Critical reception

Upon release, ''Prism'' received generally favorable reviews from
music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...
. Jon Dolan from ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' gave the album three out of five stars, writing that "Perry and her longtime collaborators
Dr. Luke Lukasz Sebastian Gottwald (born September 26, 1973), known professionally as Dr. Luke, Tyson Trax, and Made in China, is an American record producer and songwriter. His professional music career began in the late-night television sketch comedy ...
and
Max Martin Karl Martin Sandberg (; born 26 February 1971),Max Martin
allmusic.com
known profess ...
often go for a darker, moodier intimacy à la high-end Swedish divas
Robyn Robin Miriam Carlsson (born 12 June 1979), known as Robyn (), is a Swedish pop singer, songwriter, record producer, and DJ. She arrived on the music scene with her 1995 debut album, ''Robyn Is Here'', which produced two Billboard Hot 100, ''Bil ...
and
Lykke Li Li Lykke Timotej Zachrisson (born 18 March 1986), known as Lykke Li (), is a Swedish singer. Her music often blends elements of indie pop, dream pop and electronic. Her debut studio album, ''Youth Novels'', was released in 2008, and has been fol ...
. Perry has always done a great job of letting us know she's in on the joke of pop stardom. Sadly, she doesn't always bring that same sense of humor and self-awareness to the joke of pop-star introspection. The album's raft of ripe-lotus ballads is larded with Alanis-ian poesy she can't pull off". Nick Catucci from ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' gave the album a B+ and stated that "Katy's superpower, now more than ever, is minting songs so relatable that their insights quickly scale up to inspirational..... Now she grasps that she's making the mainstream, not just swimming in it". Helen Brown from ''
The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was fo ...
'' gave the album five out of five stars, stating Perry "sounds like a woman, and an artist, who's finally found herself" and praised the "vulnerability" of the album.
Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, occ ...
from
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
, Alexis Petridis from ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'', and Sal Cinquemani from
Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York ...
all also gave the album three out of five stars. Erlewine dubbed ''Prism'' "a tighter, cleaner record than its predecessors". Petridis called it "Katy Perry's most spiritual album to date". Mesfin Fekadu from
ABC News ABC News is the news division of the American broadcast network ABC. Its flagship program is the daily evening newscast ''ABC World News Tonight, ABC World News Tonight with David Muir''; other programs include Breakfast television, morning ...
deemed the tracks "likable", but felt the album lacked "some of the fiery fierceness and excitement that dominated '' Teenage Dream''". James Reed from ''
The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
'' felt Perry "always seemed like the pop star who knows precisely what she does best" and called the album "an unabashedly fun listen". Chris Bosman from
Consequence of Sound ''Consequence'' (previously ''Consequence of Sound'') is an independently owned New York-based online magazine featuring news, editorials, and reviews of music, movies, and television. In addition, the website also features the Festival Outlook ...
gave the album three and a half out of five stars, calling Perry "a champion of choruses".
Greg Kot Greg Kot (born March 3, 1957) is an American music journalist and author. From 1990 until 2020, Kot was the rock music critic at the ''Chicago Tribune'', where he covered popular music and reported on music-related social, political and busines ...
from ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
'' gave the album 2 out of 4 stars, commenting "Though not exactly spiritual, ''Prism'' does come off as a more serious—if no less formulaic—album than its predecessor". Marah Eakin from ''
The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'' gave the album a C+, commenting "A lot of ''Prism'' is simply forgettable", though praised the tracks "Roar", "Birthday", and "This Is How We Do". Rob Harvilla from ''
Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...
'' gave the album a 5/10 rating, and felt some of the material was not "all that desirable". Elysa Gardner from ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'' gave the album a 3/4 rating and found the album to be "genuine and endearing". Trent Wolbe from ''
The Verge ''The Verge'' is an American technology news website operated by Vox Media, publishing news, feature stories, guidebooks, product reviews, consumer electronics news, and podcasts. The website launched on November 1, 2011, and uses Vox Media' ...
'' gave an overall 4/4 rating and praised Perry's ability to "wrapping hyper-specific emotions into a new format that everyone can relate to". He particularly praised the tracks "International Smile" and "Birthday", declaring the chorus of "Birthday" to be "fucking perfect". Jody Rosen from ''Vulture'' was disappointed with every track on the album except for "Roar". Randall Roberts of ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' gave the album a 3/4 rating, calling it "a shimmering, dynamic, heavy-duty modern pop album". At the
57th Annual Grammy Awards The 57th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 8, 2015, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The show was broadcast live by CBS at 5:00 p.m. PST ( UTC−8). Rapper LL Cool J hosted the show for the fourth consecutive time ...
, ''Prism'' was nominated for
Best Pop Vocal Album The Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality vocal pop music albums. Awards in several ...
, but lost against
Sam Smith Samuel Frederick Smith (born 19 May 1992) is an English singer and songwriter. After rising to prominence in October 2012 by featuring on Disclosure's breakthrough single "Latch", which peaked at number eleven on the UK Singles Chart, they ...
's ''
In the Lonely Hour ''In the Lonely Hour'' is the debut album by English singer and songwriter Sam Smith. It was released in the United Kingdom on 26 May 2014 via Capitol UK and Method Records. In the United States, it was released on 17 June 2014 through Capitol ...
''.


Commercial performance

''Prism'' made its official debut in Ireland, where it charted atop the charts. In the United States, the album opened at the top spot on the US ''Billboard'' 200, becoming her second consecutive number one album in the country. The album sold 286,000 copies in its first week. ''Prism'' acquired the largest first week sum by a female artist for 2013, surpassing
Miley Cyrus Miley Ray Cyrus ( ; born Destiny Hope Cyrus on November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her distinctive raspy voice, her music spans across varied styles and genres, including pop, country, rock, hip hop ...
' ''
Bangerz ''Bangerz'' is the fourth studio album by American singer Miley Cyrus. It was released on September 30, 2013, by RCA Records. It is her first studio album since 2010's ''Can't Be Tamed''. Opting to re-establish her musical career instead of f ...
'' (270,000 copies). However, this feat was surpassed by
Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...
's self-titled fifth album, ''
Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...
'' (617,213 digital copies), released in December 2013. At the time of its release ''Prism'' had the fourth highest first week sales of the year for a pop record, trailing behind
Daft Punk Daft Punk were a French electronic music duo formed in 1993 in Paris by Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. Widely regarded as one of the most influential acts in dance music history, they achieved popularity in the late 1990s as p ...
's May 2013 album ''
Random Access Memories ''Random Access Memories'' is the fourth studio album by the French electronic music, electronic duo Daft Punk, released on 17 May 2013 through Columbia Records. The album pays tribute to late Music history of the United States in the 1970s, 197 ...
'', which sold 339,000 copies and
Justin Timberlake Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is one of the world's best-selling music artists, with sales of over 88 million records. Timberlake is the recipient of numerous awards and ac ...
's ''
The 20/20 Experience ''The 20/20 Experience'' is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Justin Timberlake. It was released on March 15, 2013, by RCA Records, as the follow-up to his second studio album ''FutureSex/LoveSounds'' (2006). It is considered ...
'' which debuted to 968,000 copies and its follow-up '' The 20/20 Experience – 2 of 2'' which debuted to just 350,000 copies. The first week sales also marks Perry's highest weekly sales, with her previous album '' Teenage Dream'' selling 192,000 copies in its first week in August 2010. ''Prism'' has the highest first week sales for a female pop artist since
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
's twelfth studio album, '' MDNA''. ''Prism'' sold 92,000 copies during its second week of availability, falling to number two on the ''Billboard'' 200. This represented the smallest sales dip for a number one album in the United States since the August 2013 release of ''
The Civil Wars The Civil Wars were an American musical duo composed of Joy Williams (singer), Joy Williams and John Paul White. Formed in 2008, The Civil Wars won four Grammy Awards prior to their 2014 breakup. History 2008–2010 Both Williams and White h ...
''. ''Prism'' spent 17 weeks in the top-ten on the chart. The album has been certified quintuple platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA), and has sold 1.74 million copies in the United States as of August 2020. In June 2014, ''Billboard'' announced its Mid Year Top 20 Best-selling albums with ''Prism'' coming in at number 9 with sales of 453,000 in 2014 alone.
Pharrell Williams Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (; born April 5, 1973) is an American record producer, rapper, singer, and songwriter. Alongside close colleague Chad Hugo, he formed the hip hop and R&B production duo the Neptunes in the early 1990s, with whom he ...
and Perry were the only two people in to have an album and a single in the Mid Year Top 10 charts. In February 2015, following Perry's performance at the Super Bowl XLIX halftime show, sales for the album increased by 85% and the album rebounded back into the Top 50. In New Zealand, the album became Perry's second consecutive number one album, and was certified gold by
Recorded Music NZ Recorded Music NZ (formerly the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ)) is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell recorded music in New Zealand. Membership of Recorded Mus ...
, selling over 7,500 copies in its first week sales. ''Prism'' opened atop the ARIA Album Charts, giving the singer her second number-one album in Australia after ''Teenage Dream''. It was the nation's 688th album to top its charts overall and 342nd to enter at the summit. The record received a Platinum certification from the
Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing th ...
(ARIA) during its second week of release, and became the country's second highest-selling album of the year behind
Pink Pink is the color of a namesake flower that is a pale tint of red. It was first used as a color name in the late 17th century. According to surveys in Europe and the United States, pink is the color most often associated with charm, politeness, ...
's '' The Truth About Love'' with 179,000 copies sold by the end of 2013. In Europe, the album was a moderate success. In Switzerland, the album debuted at two, just behind
James Blunt James Blunt (born James Hillier Blount; 22 February 1974) is an English singer, songwriter and musician. A former reconnaissance officer in the Life Guards regiment of the British Army, he served under NATO during the 1999 Kosovo War. After l ...
's ''
Moon Landing A Moon landing is the arrival of a spacecraft on the surface of the Moon. This includes both crewed and robotic missions. The first human-made object to touch the Moon was the Soviet Union's Luna 2, on 13 September 1959. The United St ...
'' and was certified Gold shortly after. In Austria, the album debuted at number three and was certified Gold in its first week, achieving Platinum certification a month later. In France, ''Prism'' debuted in the Top 10, spending a dozen weeks in the Top 40, and has sold over 130,000 copies according to SNEP. In the United Kingdom, it peaked at the top of the charts, where it was certified Platinum and went on to sell 433,000 copies by February 2017. In The Netherlands and Denmark, the album debuted and peaked at number four. As of August 2015, ''Prism'' has sold over 4 million copies worldwide.


Accolades


Track listing

Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''Prism''.


Personnel

The following people contributed to ''Prism'': *
Klas Åhlund Klas Frans Åhlund (born 11 April 1972) is a Swedish songwriter, record producer, and guitarist. He is the founding member of the Swedish rock band Teddybears. As a songwriter and producer, he has worked with artists such as Robyn, Sugababes, Jor ...
production Production may refer to: Economics and business * Production (economics) * Production, the act of manufacturing goods * Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services) * Production as a stati ...
, programming * Cory Bice – assistant * Tim Blacksmith – management * Ron Blake – saxophone *
Benny Blanco Benjamin Joseph Levin (born March 8, 1988), known professionally as Benny Blanco (stylized in all lowercase), is an American record producer. He is the recipient of the 2013 Hal David Starlight Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He is also ...
– instrumentation, production, programming * Delbert Bowers – assistant * Peter Carlsson – engineer *
Cirkut Henry Russell Walter (born April 23, 1986), known professionally as Cirkut, is a Canadian record producer and songwriter. He has co-produced and co-written for Dr. Luke, Katy Perry, Becky G, Ava Max, Nicki Minaj, R. City, The Weeknd, Kesha, Ciar ...
– instrumentation, production, programming * Bradford Cobb – management * Danny D. – management * Sabina Ddumba – background vocals *
Dr. Luke Lukasz Sebastian Gottwald (born September 26, 1973), known professionally as Dr. Luke, Tyson Trax, and Made in China, is an American record producer and songwriter. His professional music career began in the late-night television sketch comedy ...
– coral
sitar The sitar ( or ; ) is a plucked stringed instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent, used in Hindustani classical music. The instrument was invented in medieval India, flourished in the 18th century, and arrived at its present form in ...
, executive producer, instrumentation, production, programming * Eric Eylands – assistant * Rachael Findlen – assistant * Justin Fox – assistant recording engineer * Alex Foster – saxophone * Mike Foster – engineer * Chris Galland – assistant * Earl Gardner – trumpet *
Chris Gehringer Chris Gehringer (born May 27, 1962) is an American mastering engineer, known for having mastered recordings such as Gwen Stefani's '' Love. Angel. Music. Baby.'' (2004), Rihanna's '' Loud'' (2010), Lady Gaga's '' Born This Way'' (2011) and Drake' ...
– mastering *
Serban Ghenea Șerban Ghenea (born October 13, 1969) is a Grammy award-winning Romanian-Canadian audio engineer and mixer. Early life and education Ghenea was born in Bucharest, Romania in 1969. In 1976 he moved to Montreal with his family. He later attended ...
– mixing * Clint Gibbs – engineer * John Hanes – engineer * Ngoc Hoàng – management * Sam Holland – engineer * Ian Mcgregor – engineer * Michael Ilbert – engineer * Ava James – vocals * Steven Jensen – management *
Juicy J Jordan Michael Houston III (born April 5, 1975), known professionally as Juicy J, is an American rapper and record producer. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, he is a founding member of the Southern hip hop group Three 6 Mafia, established i ...
– featured artist, vocals * Aditya Kalyanpur – tabla * Christian Karlsson – engineer, instrumentation, production, programming * Martin Kirkup – management *
Greg Kurstin Gregory Allen Kurstin (born May 14, 1969) is an American record producer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter. He has won nine Grammy Awards, including Producer of the Year, Non-Classical in 2017 and 2018, and written and produced four songs t ...
– engineer, guitar, keyboards, production, programming * Ronobit Lahiri – sitar * Tucker Bodine – engineer * Andrew Luftman – production co-ordination * Magnus – engineer, instrumentation, programming *
Manny Marroquin Manny Marroquin (born September 21, 1971) is an American mixing engineer.Daley, Dan (May 2005).Manny Marroquin. ''Sound on Sound''. Retrieved February 10, 2007 He has received ten Grammy awards for his professional audio work. Life and career M ...
– mixing *
Max Martin Karl Martin Sandberg (; born 26 February 1971),Max Martin
allmusic.com
known profess ...
– executive producer, instrumentation, production, programming, background vocals *
John Mayer John Clayton Mayer ( ; born October 16, 1977) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Born and raised in Fairfield County, Connecticut, Mayer attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, but left and moved to Atlanta in 1997 with ...
– guitar * Dan McCarroll – A&R *
Ryan McGinley Ryan McGinley (born October 17, 1977) is an American photographer living in New York City. McGinley began making photographs in 1998. In 2003, at the age of 25, he was one of the youngest artists to have a solo show at the Whitney Museum of Ameri ...
– photography * Mogollon – art direction, design * Dave O'Donnell – horn engineer * Alex Pasco – engineer * Katy Perry – executive producer, primary artist, production, lead vocals, background vocals *
Lenny Pickett Lenny Pickett (born April 10, 1954) is an American saxophonist and musical director of the ''Saturday Night Live'' band. From 1973 to 1981 he was a member of Tower of Power. He is known for his skill in the altissimo register (executed by using ...
– horn arrangements, saxophone *
Vincent Pontare Fred Vincent Pontare (born 13 May 1980) is a Swedish songwriter, producer, and singer. He is also known by the mononym Vincent. He regularly collaborates with Salem Al Fakir as songwriting, producer, and duo Vargas & Lagola. Together, they have w ...
– engineer, instrumentation, programming * Irene Richter – production co-ordination *
Saturday Night Live Band The Saturday Night Live Band (referred to in the closing credits as The Live Band) is the house band of the NBC television program ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL''). Role on ''Saturday Night Live'' The band consists of mostly jazz, R&B, and ...
– main personnel * Chris Sclafani – assistant * Gingger Shankar – double violin * Jesse Shatkin – engineer *
Stargate ''Stargate'' (often stylized in all caps) is a military science fiction media franchise based on the Stargate (film), film directed by Roland Emmerich, which he co-wrote with producer Dean Devlin. The franchise is based on the idea of an alien E ...
– instrumentation, production, programming, composition, engineering * Tensta Gospel Choir – background vocals *
Steve Turre Stephen Johnson Turre (born September 12, 1948, in Omaha, Nebraska) is an American jazz trombonist and a pioneer of using Conch (instrument), seashells as instruments, a composer, arranger, and educator at the collegiate-conservatory level. For ...
– trombone *
Greg Wells Greg Wells is a Canadian musician, record producer, songwriter and audio engineer. Wells has songs on over 130 million albums sold. He has worked with John Legend, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ariana Grande, Jazmine Sullivan, Kid Cudi, Adele, Rufus Wai ...
– drums, piano, production, programming, synthesizer *
Steven Wolf Steven Wolf (aka Wolf) is a drummer, programmer, songwriter and music producer. His discography includes numerous gold, platinum, and Grammy winning records. He has worked with a range of artists including Alicia Keys, Katy Perry, Beyoncé, ...
– drums * Scott "Yarmov" Yarmovsky – production co-ordination * Kenta Yonesaka – assistant


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Decade-end charts


Certifications and sales


See also

*
Album era The album era was a period in English-language popular music from the mid-1960s to the mid-2000s in which the album was the dominant form of recorded music expression and consumption. It was primarily driven by three successive music recording ...


References

{{good article 2013 albums Capitol Records albums Katy Perry albums Albums produced by Klas Åhlund Albums produced by Dr. Luke Albums produced by Max Martin Albums produced by Benny Blanco Albums produced by Bloodshy & Avant Albums produced by Cirkut Albums produced by Greg Kurstin Albums produced by Greg Wells Albums produced by Stargate Albums involved in plagiarism controversies