While the world waits for Lady Gaga’s “Applause,” pop music fans will have to settle for the sound of fellow pop princess Katy Perry’s “Roar,” the lead single from Prism, the singer’s first album in over three years. The album reportedly marks an image shift for the Meow fragrance creator, who recently said goodbye to her “California Gurls” persona in a series of teasers. Produced by Dr. Luke and Max Martin, the team behind most of Perry’s past hits, the song itself is ultimately less of a departure than the new offerings on last year’s “Complete Confection” edition of Teenage Dream. “Roar,” which references Survivor’s 1982 hit “Eye of the Tiger” in its rather benign lyrics, leans more toward rock than Perry’s past hits, but it’s still got an unmistakable bubble-gum pop center. It’s more of a yelp than a roar.
Perry can currently be heard as the voice of Smurfette in Smurfs 2: Electric Boogaloo. Prism drops October 22nd.
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