Katy Perry is not going to let that pesky "Dark Horse" copyright lawsuit keep her from dropping summer bops. Fresh off her excellent new release "Never Really Over," — which although it didn't have quite the impact expected this summer, is one of her best in years — she's shared a new offering: "Small Talk."
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It's a break-up track. What else? Even when you're happily married to Orlando Bloom. "Small Talk" is a hi-res portrait of a post-break-up minefield, that cleverly conjures those awkward encounters and the quietly tragic realization that you're obligated to talk about the weather with someone you used to know everything about. "Isn't it weird that you've seen me naked/ We had conversations 'bout forever/ Now it's 'bout the weather," Katy trills. "We've gone from strangers to lovers to strangers." Her lyricism is straightforward, but sharp (minus that backing vocal singing "blah blah blah blah" in the second half).
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The song takes a step back from the sugary, explosive pop formula Katy invented, then recently updated, plus notes of Carly Rae Jepsen and HAIM on "Never Really Over." It's altogether a milder Katy sound, though it has nice vocal moments over its a cute, staccato beat, listening in the realm of her friend Taylor's "ME!" — AKA like the soundtrack a birth control commercial, or a teaser for The Bachelor.
Listen for yourself, and watch the cute accompanying lyric video about an office romance gone wrong.
Photo courtesy of Capitol Music