Walking to a random bus stop, Katy Perry presses a button and is collected by a white van, taking her to a psychedelic health and wellness retreat where Perry sings and dances to heal her mind and love wounds. Channeling a recruit turned heartbreak shaman, undisputed pop goddess Katy Perry brings us electro-pop 80’s vibes and 70’s hippie-chic visuals in “Never Really Over”.
Directed by Philippa Price, the music video presents Katy Perry sun-kissed and dancing in a field with other members of the psychedelic commune, wearing a weird ‘tear-collecting’ contraption to help grow a tree that fruits hearts, getting jeweled acupuncture done and basking in self-love and light – both physically and spiritually.
As an Australian, it is quite satisfying to hear that “Never Really Over” has a bit of the Aussie magic touch. Dreamlab helped co-produce the song alongside Zedd and Gino “Farrago” Baretta. Dreamlab being a songwriter and producer duo consisting of Dan Haywood and Australian singer-songwriter Leah Haywood. I distinctly remember in the early 2000’s as a kid being obsessed with her single “We Think It’s Love” which is still a catchy tune to this day. 2009 Australian Idol contestant Hayley Warner is also behind the co-writing credits. Zedd, although not Australian, is no stranger to Katy Perry having previously worked with the pop powerhouse in their collaborated underrated banger “365”. If you haven’t seen the music video for “365” already, you really should.
In “Never Really Over” Perry reminds listeners of her pop reign and songwriting skills with her incredible vocals and moving, relatable lyrics. In a bittersweet tone, the song shares the emotional thought that we never really get over our past relationships; from first love, to failed love, to great love. All our past romantic experiences, no matter how mutual or painful the way they ended, inspired our future life decisions, helped us learn valuable lessons and shaped us to become who we are today – in a way staying with us forever and essentially being ‘never really over’.
I undeniably love this track. While I am a very big fan of Katy Perry and a self-confessed die-hard ‘KatyCat’, I can still be constructive when it comes to things I don’t like or agree with. But with “Never Really Over” there really isn’t anything to critique. It is the perfect first single for her new era; refreshing, endearing and catchy as hell. It’s so catchy, I have been listening to it on repeat since the song dropped. The music video is also visually impressive, colourful, clever and one of her best (if not the best) music videos to date. If this is where KP5 is headed, I cannot wait to hear and see what else this creative queen has got up her sleeve.
Never Really Over is out now and available to stream on Spotify and Apple Music, is available to download on Google Play and iTunes, and you can check out the music video on Youtube. For more information visit: http://katy.to/NeverReallyOver
