Katy Perry – “Rise” (Singles Going Steady)

Chris Ingalls: Like that unwieldy parachute Katy Perry is dragging around in the video, the song is bloated and heavy-handed, but it’s kind of hard to get too jaded about something that’s basically the unofficial theme song of the Rio athletes. In that sense, the song works nicely and all the proper “inspirational” boxes are checked, both in the composition, Perry’s emotional delivery, and yes, that “you can do it!” video. [7/10]

Steve Horowitz: Boy is this song dumb. Have faith and you will rise. Tell that to the vultures. The melodramatic music makes the lyrical shortcomings self-evident. Sure, we all could use some inspiration. Hope is a positive thing. But let’s be real. Just thinking one can fly doesn’t make one able to. The whole song comes off as exaggerated and phony. The video just reinforces the histrionics, which is not a good thing. [2/10]

Chad Miller: Not a great song for Perry to return with. It’s not bad, but it’s not something that will get people excited for her next album. Perry is no stranger to pop anthems, “Roar” and “Firework” were big successes for her, but “Still I Rise” does not compare to the aforementioned hits with its slow pace and subpar verses. Perry also doesn’t seem to have the vocal ability required to sell the song’s melodrama. [6/10]

SCORE: 5.00