break-up songs are hard to do

My inner feminist says I shouldn't criticize Katy Perry's latest single Part of Me, but it is such a blatant, sophmoric stab at her recently minted ex-husband Russell Brand that it just comes off not as a paegn to female empowerment, but a whiny high school girl trashing her boyfriend on Facebook. The pounding disco beat and dopey lyrics don't help. Is Part of Me supposed to be an anthem?

Throw your sticks and stones
Throw your bombs and blows
But you're not gonna break my soul

And she (and co-songwriter Bonnie Mckee) can't even resist a reference and plug of her earlier hit, Firework.

Now look at me I'm sparkling
A firework, a dancing flame
You won't never put me out again
I'm glowing oh whoa

You go, girl — far away, please.

Breaking up is hard to do. Been there. I don't doubt that Katy is going through some tough times. as, probably, is Russell. Good luck to both of the injured parties. But I also can't help feeling that the pop star's post-break-up ditty is nowhere near as catchy or fun as any of Brand's alter-ego Aldous Snow's "singles," like Bangers, Beans and Mash or Furry Walls.

Pin It