Katy Perry’s ‘Smile’ Gets Lost Looking for Life Lessons on the Dance Floor: Album Review

variety.com:

Chris Willman Music WriterWhen Katy Perry sings that it’s “Never Really Over” at the top of her “Smile” album — a year-old introduction to a brand new collection — you can hear it as an expression of romantic regret, as intended, or take that title for what it really means for Perry: a vow of career imperishability.

By just about anybody’s standards, she’s been on a cool streak, with seven years having transpired since the last No. 1 hit for the pop superstar who a decade ago was defined by her record-breaking streak of those.

But a new Perry album is not now, and not likely soon to be, going to be received as too much less than a event… a mini-event, maybe, but still a source of hope for believers in great pop singles that the rocketship.