On Aug. 5, international pop sensation Katy Perry spoke with moderator Madison Florence from the organization °1824 at a press conference for student journalists. °1824 is a network that focuses on connecting artists directly to fans. The topic of the press conference was Perry’s upcoming album “Smile.” 

This album marks a moment of growth in Perry’s career. Perry spoke candidly about how she wrote this record in darkest times of life, when she was very flatlined and clinically depressed. She claimed that working on “Smile” helped her get out of this negative loop. Perry reflected on her emotional ups-and-downs over the past few years and her ability to overcome it all in the album. 

“There’s a lot of hopefulness and resilience and joy as themes in the record,” Perry said.

Perry believes that the themes in “Smile” are more mature than themes in her previous work and that she has grown along with us throughout the course of her career.

“It’s like we’re raising each other,” Perry said of her relationship with her fans.

Still, the album is not entirely serious. Anybody who has listened to or watched the music videos of fun singles, like “California Girls,” knows that Perry enjoys incorporating humor in her works to bring levity to the seriousness of life. This trend continues with her album “Smile,” which is reminiscent of her other “pure pop” albums like “Teenage Dream” and “Prism.” 

In between more serious songs on her new album, like “What Makes a Woman,” are positive, lighthearted songs like “Cry About It Later.” On the album cover, Perry even embraces a clown aesthetic.

“I’m returning to more carefree pop roots,” Perry said.

In the future, Perry hopes to continue experimenting with different sonic landscapes. She already began changing up her sound more dramatically, with her most recent album “Witness” in 2017, which incorporated EDM elements. 

After “Smile,” Perry plans to try her hand in house music or perhaps produce more acoustic works.

The album “Smile” will be released Friday, Aug. 28. Listeners can find it on all major streaming services. The album’s singles “Daisies” and “Smile” are already out and available for streaming.