One week out from the highly anticipated release of Katy Perry’s fifth studio album, Smile, the final single from the album has been released! “What Makes a Woman” is an interesting turn in music style for Perry, but it really works.
The song is an acoustic, soft pop ballad, with heavy acoustic guitar underneath Perry’s sweet vocals. It honestly surprised me when listening to this song for the first time as it really reminds me of songs from artists like Jackson Browne and Bonnie Raitt. It definitely sounds more mature than most of her other works, which is really nice to hear from Perry especially considering she is currently 35 years old.
The song keeps the acoustic vibe throughout the first verse and chorus, however the second verse adds a dubstep pop beat. This honestly ruins the production for me, I really think this song works better as a fully acoustic song. Luckily, Perry has provided us with a live acoustic version, which is far superior to the album version in my opinion!
Lyrically, Perry sings about what she thinks makes a woman, creating a feminist love letter to herself and the women around the world. She also revealed that this song is for her unborn daughter. I think this is an interesting topic for a song, and the lyrics are quite enjoyable to listen to. It was shocking to hear Perry say “fuck” though, what is it with all these ‘innocent’ artists swearing in their songs now! T Swift and now Katy Perry!
Overall, I really like this song. I think it’s probably the strongest single from Smile, only behind “Never Really Over”. I love this acoustic sound from Perry and I think it would be incredible if she did a Folklore style album for KP6. The style really fits her voice and allows her to gain a more mature sound.
My only complaint with this song is that it is only two minutes long! I really wish it was longer as again it’s one of her strongest songs so far. I also think that the acoustic sound should have been kept throughout the whole song. I could imagine it being an excellent acoustic album closer like Taylor Swift’s “New Year’s Day” on reputation.
Go and listen to “What Makes a Woman” and let me know what you think down below!
Happy Listening,
Check Out My Reviews of the Other Singles from “Smile”: