Katy Perry’s ‘143’ doesn’t have a single redeeming song

Even if you set aside the allegations against Dr. Luke, “143” doesn’t make a strong case for his input. This is nowhere near the inventive, charismatic pop that made him an in-demand producer in the aughts.

Back in the day, Perry’s alliance with Dr. Luke yielded two hits on her 2008 debut album with Capitol Records (“I Kissed a Girl” and “Hold n Cold”), then five hits on her seminal sophomore album in 2010 (“Teenage Dream,” “Last Friday Night,” “California Gurls,” “The One That Got Away,” and “E.T.”).

Those songs were designed to be fun and radio-friendly, of course, but they were also endearingly weird.

At that time, no one could’ve accused Perry of being boring. She arrived in the pop pantheon as one of one, gleefully equipped with cherry chapstick, candy-colored wigs, whipped cream bras, and alien-sex fantasies. Her producers managed to match her freak with climactic beat drops, swelling choruses, and sticky melodies.

However, none of those aforementioned songs were solo endeavors for Dr. Luke. His name was always joined in the credits by Max Martin, Benny Blanco, or both — which now, in retrospect, seems like a crucial piece of information.

Without them, Dr. Luke and his new associates have created a pop vacuum, completely devoid of heart and personality.

“143” sounds like an AI bot was asked to make a Katy Perry parody album. These songs are mind-numbingly repetitive, aiming for nostalgia and landing somewhere in between stale and imitative.

“Gimme Gimme,” the second track featuring 21 Savage, immediately recalls the plinky snoozefest of Justin Bieber’s “Changes,” particularly the Quavo duet “Intentions.”

Perry’s next track, “Gorgeous,” somehow sounds exactly the same, even though it swaps the rap feature for routine harmonies, courtesy of longtime Dr. Luke disciple Kim Petras.

“Crush” is a blatant Kylie Minogue knockoff. “Artificial,” another collab featuring JID, attempts to clone the cyber-sultriness of “Dark Horse” and largely succeeds — except it’s 2024, not 2013, so it’s not interesting anymore.

For an artist like Perry, who’s made motherhood and “feminine divine” energy a cornerstone of her brand, it’s difficult to justify crawling back to Dr. Luke under any circumstances — but especially if it was just to make something this unimaginative.

Flat synths and anonymous lyrics dominate the “143” landscape. Perry was never considered a lyrical mastermind, but her signature humor, once warm, wet, and wild, has melted like a popsicle. We’re left with syrupy slop like, “Kitty, kitty, wanna come party tonight / Trippy, trippy, daddy, take me on a ride,” and “Yeah, I got those palpitations / Those boom-boom-booms.”

“I wanna know the truth, even if hurts me,” Perry repeatedly sings in the penultimate track, “Truth,” no fewer than eight times.

Well, if that’s what she wants, then I’m happy to oblige.

Final grade: 1.8/10

Worth listening to: N/A

Background music: “I’m His, He’s Mine,” “Lifetimes,” “All The Love,” “Nirvana”

Press skip: “Woman’s World,” “Gimme Gimme (featuring 21 Savage),” “Gorgeous (featuring Kim Petras),” “Crush,” “Artificial (featuring JID),” “Truth,” “Wonder”

*Final album score based on songs per category (1 point for “Worth listening to,” .5 for “Background music,” 0 for “Press skip”).