We all know her — “California Gurls,” “Firework,” and “Last Friday Night” are only a few of the hit songs we’ve heard from this former Christian artist. We’ve seen her rise to fame from her first hit single in 2008 (“I Kissed a Girl”) and watched as she serenaded her way up to being one of the most known pop singers of our generation. Her album Teenage Dream topped the Billboard Hot 200 charts in the first week of sales. She also released a movie — Katy Perry: Part of Me.  PRISM was released October 22^nd, and Perry has claimed that this album would show a very different side of her music. Now, with its release, it’s time for her dedicated fans (also known as Katy Cats) to decide if this assertion is true or not.

Katy Perry launches the track list with a song we all know – “Roar,” which was in the Billboard Top 100 Singles and has had airplay on radio stations everywhere in the nation. Although some claim it slightly resembles Sara Bareilles’ “Brave,” the pounding beat and inspirational (and a bit feminist) lyrics made the entire nation sing along. Track two, “Legendary Lovers,” launches into a ballad with chirpy vocals and a strong beat that compliment her choir-ready voice. The next two songs reflect more of her pop past.  “Birthday” is fast-paced and has a sound frighteningly similar to “Last Friday Night” and “California Gurls.”  “Walking on Air” has a more dubstep/techno-meets-90s background; the beat and overall sound are somewhat similar in style to Avicii. After listening to the first few songs, fans may think they were being tricked into buying another album much like Teenage Dream, with no sense of anything more than the same pop radio feel as before.

Tracks five and six put a new spin on things, however. Both “Unconditionally” and “Dark Horse” give Perry a chance to really use her vocal talent, whereas the prior songs seemed to restrain her ability to hit those magnificent high notes. Both of these tracks are absolutely brilliant in their sense of beat and their spot-on vocals, but each portrays a very different piece of Katy Perry’s personality. “Unconditionally” is a lighter, more free-flowing song where she sings about a boy wanting to let himself love her, as she loves him. “Dark Horse’’ gives a much more sinister look in devotion. “Baby, do you dare to do this? Because I’m coming at you like a dark horse” the chorus croons with a thick, pulsing beat in the background, making her threats hidden inside the lyrics sound dark and intimidating.

“This is How We Do,” “International Smile,” and “Ghost” are all reminiscent of Perry’s old tunes, reflecting on her upbeat background music.  “Ghost” is much more soulful then the other two songs, which refer more to partying and fame than love. All three share the same deep and high range vocals that make these tracks seem more different from her past songs than they really are. Listening to the rest of the deluxe album, one might find that most of the songs share the same techno-esque beats. Despite this redundancy, Perry does not fail in creating powerful lyrics about love, about her life, and about what she has experienced. “By the Grace of God” and “Double Rainbow” are both slow, passionate songs with powerful subjects, one referring to heartbreak, and one dealing with finding love.

While none of Katy Perry’s songs will disappoint listeners, the question remains, did this album fulfill her promise? Does it show another side to Perry’s fame, or is it just a Teenage Dream repeat? PRISM may include the same beats and styles Perry has shown before, but there is no doubt that the lyrics explore different views of who the pop singer really is. Of course, all of this is just one reviewer’s opinion after listening to the album. It’s up to the Katy Cats to decide if this album is really all Perry says it’s cracked up to be.