Katy Perry - Chained To The Rhythm

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I listen to only NPR and I often scrubbed you-tube looking for unique music. However, my kids have a little stereo going on in their playroom and my daughter often play these artist which introduced me to the song: Chained To The Rhythm:

 

The message is extremely powerful but unlike John Lennon's Imagine, the message in Chained To The Rhythm is highly abstracted.

The video is what really caught me, just really powerful stuff in-terms of where and what we are as people.

 

Who are we as people? My neighborhood is like a big theater stage and we are all actors with our true selves buried underneath conversations about the weather and cabin trips.

 

Being around this forum for a long time, I am not certain there are lots of Perry's fan here but this song is something I find difficult to describe.

 

Just wondering what others my think.

 

 

[Bucksstudent]

Her first two albums are actually pretty good. Katy was even playing Warped Tour when "I Kissed a Girl" came out, so she was walking a fine line between Pop and Pop-Punk, and her songwriting was better than Ashlee Simpson, who the record execs modeled her after. Plus, she's actually a talented singer.

 

However, the more her producers get involved, the less appealing she sounds to me. Teenage Dream was a good album because it was the perfect mesh of her early style with contemporary production. "Last Friday Night," for example, still holds up as a well produced and executed song. Her next album, Prism, was a disaster. The songwriting was weaker and less original, her producers couldn't figure out if they wanted her to be Beyonce or Lady Gaga, and her original style just wasn't there.

 

When "Chained to the Rhythm" came out, I listened to it several times. The structure is strange, and the actual instrumentation is unappealing. People point out the lyrics, and I point out the irony. She's singing about lack of originality and how the puppetmasters string us along, yet she's going along with them. Beyond the message, I don't find anything redeeming in it.

 

My wife made a valid point about her when this song came out. She's trying to remain relevant, but she's getting older and doesn't have the musical chops of Gaga. When "Perfect Illusion" dropped, I was floored by how Gaga made a 180 and not only created a valid Pop statement, but also sounded so different from her previous work. Mind you, I do not like a lot of Lady Gaga's older material, though I hear some snippets of her deep tracks and love when other artists like Grum remix her. Anyway, Katy Perry only has a few more years of riding her image before newcomers take her place. I don't like Taylor Swift, but she's a perfect example of someone remaining relevant and reinventing herself. Katy's misguided attempts to change are actually burying her. Taylor's voice isn't all that great, she takes songwriting credits for minimal contributions, and she's a bit of a diva. In contrast, Katy has a good vocal range, she's been writing decent songs for most of her life, and she's known for a positive attitude. She has all of this on her side, yet her music is growing bland.

 

If I were her producer, I'd lock her in a room with a notepad for a month, bring back the more organic sounds of her early material, and stop compressing everything. Hell, I'd even hire Skrillex because he reinvented Justin Beiber into a viable musician.

 

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Her first two albums are actually pretty good. Katy was even playing Warped Tour when "I Kissed a Girl" came out, so she was walking a fine line between Pop and Pop-Punk, and her songwriting was better than Ashlee Simpson, who the record execs modeled her after. Plus, she's actually a talented singer.

 

However, the more her producers get involved, the less appealing she sounds to me. Teenage Dream was a good album because it was the perfect mesh of her early style with contemporary production. "Last Friday Night," for example, still holds up as a well produced and executed song. Her next album, Prism, was a disaster. The songwriting was weaker and less original, her producers couldn't figure out if they wanted her to be Beyonce or Lady Gaga, and her original style just wasn't there.

 

When "Chained to the Rhythm" came out, I listened to it several times. The structure is strange, and the actual instrumentation is unappealing. People point out the lyrics, and I point out the irony. She's singing about lack of originality and how the puppetmasters string us along, yet she's going along with them. Beyond the message, I don't find anything redeeming in it.

 

My wife made a valid point about her when this song came out. She's trying to remain relevant, but she's getting older and doesn't have the musical chops of Gaga. When "Perfect Illusion" dropped, I was floored by how Gaga made a 180 and not only created a valid Pop statement, but also sounded so different from her previous work. Mind you, I do not like a lot of Lady Gaga's older material, though I hear some snippets of her deep tracks and love when other artists like Grum remix her. Anyway, Katy Perry only has a few more years of riding her image before newcomers take her place. I don't like Taylor Swift, but she's a perfect example of someone remaining relevant and reinventing herself. Katy's misguided attempts to change are actually burying her. Taylor's voice isn't all that great, she takes songwriting credits for minimal contributions, and she's a bit of a diva. In contrast, Katy has a good vocal range, she's been writing decent songs for most of her life, and she's known for a positive attitude. She has all of this on her side, yet her music is growing bland.

 

If I were her producer, I'd lock her in a room with a notepad for a month, bring back the more organic sounds of her early material, and stop compressing everything. Hell, I'd even hire Skrillex because he reinvented Justin Beiber into a viable musician.

 

 

Great post! You definitely see a lot of stuff I don't. I do not follow closely, But I have to agree with everything you mentioned.

I think I am going to have you give me some advise on my new recording endeavors.

 

I still think the message in that song, apart from everything else is what gets me.

 

Interesting that you mentioned Skrillex, and in my opinion he did not re-invent Beiber, he actually saved him from total destruction, musically, that is.

 

Your response reminds me of the dangers musicians faced when the process of reinventing is taking place.

One of my favorite artist, Brian McKnight, has tried and failed miserably.

 

Thanks for the insight.

.

 

[Bucksstudent]

 

 

Great post! You definitely see a lot of stuff I don't. I do not follow closely, But I have to agree with everything you mentioned.

I think I am going to have you give me some advise on my new recording endeavors.

 

I still think the message in that song, apart from everything else is what gets me.

 

Interesting that you mentioned Skrillex, and in my opinion he did not re-invent Beiber, he actually saved him from total destruction, musically, that is.

 

Your response reminds me of the dangers musicians faced when the process of reinventing is taking place.

One of my favorite artist, Brian McKnight, has tried and failed miserably.

 

Thanks for the insight.

.

 

Ha! You flatter me. I have over a decade of production experience, but only in my house and non-professionally. I'm sure Dr. Luke and Max Martin know what they're doing, though they understand what makes a hit album rather than a good song. I've yet to figure out either.

 

I still don't get Skrillez, because he was in a metal band, then made some of the most obnoxious music ever, and is now a top producer. Imagine Marty Friedman of Megadeth producing Selena Gomez. It's just weird.

 

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Ha! You flatter me. I have over a decade of production experience, but only in my house and non-professionally. I'm sure Dr. Luke and Max Martin know what they're doing, though they understand what makes a hit album rather than a good song. I've yet to figure out either.

 

Well my friend! You appeared to have your ears to the street, many musicians I know live within the confines of their genre.

For me it's not about making what people want but rather understanding people's reaction and enjoying the facts that you made something you truly enjoyed and others are sharing that experience.

 

I still don't get Skrillez, because he was in a metal band, then made some of the most obnoxious music ever, and is now a top producer. Imagine Marty Friedman of Megadeth producing Selena Gomez. It's just weird.

 

My wife loves to cook with recipes verbatim. Sometimes she'll say, "It does not taste right, but I followed the recipe."

From a mile away, I often tell her, maybe you can deviate a bit, put a spin on it. Add some siracha!

 

My point is, different people bring new dimensions and experiences. A perfect example is Daft Punk's RAM album, I mean look at the range of artist on that record.

 

Sometimes weird works!

 

I do mostly R&B/Rap but I have all new songs that are rock and heavily guitar driven. I won't be singing any of these songs and I am getting all players to play actual instruments.

 

 

 

[philboking]

I sort of liked her early singer-songwriter stuff, where she played guitar and sang. The hollywood machine then turned her into 'product', and all soul and feeling vanished from her releases. Now when she comes on it is a cue to immediately tune elsewhere...

[Zooey]

Chained to the Rhythm packs about 2 minutes of ideas into a 4 minute song and the production is completely unremarkable. I say this as someone who likes dance music and is a fan of some of Perry's hyper-produced songs like "Dark Horse."

 

If you are interested in the intersection between pop vocals and dance music production, you might like Yellow Claw:

 

[video=youtube;wYgdURkEn_o]

 

[Bucksstudent]

Chained to the Rhythm packs about 2 minutes of ideas into a 4 minute song and the production is completely unremarkable. I say this as someone who likes dance music and is a fan of some of Perry's hyper-produced songs like "Dark Horse."

 

If you are interested in the intersection between pop vocals and dance music production, you might like Yellow Claw:

 

[video=youtube;wYgdURkEn_o]

 

"Dark Horse" had the potential to be an even better song had they gotten a better rapper. 2 Chainz would've knocked it out of the park.

[Anderton]

Your response reminds me of the dangers musicians faced when the process of reinventing is taking place.

 

At my workshops, when people ask for advice on how to "make it," the first thing I emphasize is that only a few can truly make it to the point of having a career for life. And if you expect to have even a chance at that, you have to be yourself. If what you are clicks with the public, you're good to go because you can always be genuine. If you succeed as a result of calculation, it's only temporary and then you're faced with the dilemma of what to calculate next. At some point, the calculation will fail...but if who you are always comes from inside, then whatever got you to where you were will always be available.

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I sort of liked her early singer-songwriter stuff' date=' where she played guitar and sang. The hollywood machine then turned her into 'product', and all soul and feeling vanished from her releases. Now when she comes on it is a cue to immediately tune elsewhere...[/quote']

 

 

Ouch!! That's a 360.

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At my workshops, when people ask for advice on how to "make it," the first thing I emphasize is that only a few can truly make it to the point of having a career for life. And if you expect to have even a chance at that, you have to be yourself. If what you are clicks with the public, you're good to go because you can always be genuine. If you succeed as a result of calculation, it's only temporary and then you're faced with the dilemma of what to calculate next. At some point, the calculation will fail...but if who you are always comes from inside, then whatever got you to where you were will always be available.

 

 

Yeah, I strongly believe its mostly talent but partial luck. There are people out there with great talent, e.g. Brian McKnight, I was surprised to see that he's doing mini shows on YouTube. Recently saw him in concert, the venue was very small and intimate.

 

But he is one of those artist who tried very hard to reinvent himself, he did all kinds of songs but ultimately returned to his roots.

I guess you answered my question without me asking, because I always feel it's better to be yourself and hold on to the people who respect and enjoy your work then to reinvent. Especially if you already have a strong fan base.

 

Brian McKnight almost lost me as a fan but I simply stayed with his older work.

 

If Bob Marley was alive today, I can't imagine him doing rock and roll, maybe it will work but I wont be listening.

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I sort of liked her early singer-songwriter stuff' date=' where she played guitar and sang. The hollywood machine then turned her into 'product', and all soul and feeling vanished from her releases. Now when she comes on it is a cue to immediately tune elsewhere...[/quote']

 

 

Wide Awake is one of my favorite of hers.

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"Dark Horse" had the potential to be an even better song had they gotten a better rapper. 2 Chainz would've knocked it out of the park.

 

 

The rap in that song is one of the worst that I have ever heard. They should have just used the sound from the dentist machine sucking up the saliva, that would have sounded better.

[Bucksstudent]

 

 

The rap in that song is one of the worst that I have ever heard. They should have just used the sound from the dentist machine sucking up the saliva, that would have sounded better.

 

 

The producers wanted a "faded" sound, like the dude was high, which is the sound 2Chainz, Future, and Designer have done well with. I prefer 2Chainz because he's not a one trick pony.

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The producers wanted a "faded" sound, like the dude was high, which is the sound 2Chainz, Future, and Designer have done well with. I prefer 2Chainz because he's not a one trick pony.

 

 

I would have used Twista:

He has a way of flowing in very tight beats or lyrically putting fast flow in slow beats.

 

But you are right, they wanted to do something else.