Smile

by Katy Perry

Overview

As an album title, Smile carries an air of determined pleasantry, and Katy Perry could use her share of good spirits in 2020. Witness, Smile's predecessor, found Perry pushing her artistic limits, an exercise that didn't find an audience, so she's chosen to retreat to safe territory for Smile. Mostly, this results in Perry devoting herself to dance-pop that's coolly glassy on the surface and vaguely positive underneath. It's dance music that's not intended for the club; rather, it's a soundtrack for everyday events, from work to exercise to relaxation. It's also music that tacitly acknowledges that Katy Perry is beginning her slow transition away from pop culture's center stage. She's not ready to yield the spotlight, yet there's a distinct sensation that she's following fashions on Smile, not setting them. Perhaps it's how the album's overall vibe is sunny and melodic, focused on songs, not beats. It's an aesthetic that's completely in line with Teenage Dream, an album that celebrated its tenth anniversary the week of Smile's release, yet everything on this 2020 record is a bit streamlined and mellow; there are no moments of exuberance, no dirty jokes, no hip-hop, no bubblegum, only affirmations, love songs, breezy trifles, and paeans to resilience. Without fleeting moments of bad taste, Perry does indeed sound mature, but she's also not quite as fun. That's a conscious choice, though. Smile is intended to evoke memories of her frivolous younger days while pointing toward a sustainable pop future. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	08/28/2020
Label:	Capitol
UPC:	0602508915499

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Katy Perry   Primary Artist,Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Lincoln Adler   Saxophone
Wojtek Goral   Sax (Alto)
Nils Petter Ankarblom   Synthesizer,Synthesizer Strings
Oscar Holter   Drums,Keyboards,Guitar (Bass),Bass
David Bukovinszky   Cello
Kamaria Ousley   Vocals (Background)
Leah Haywood   Vocals (Background)
Michael Pollack   Piano,Guitar,Synthesizer,Vocals (Background)
Peter Noos Johansson   Tuba,Trombone
Mattias Bylund   Synthesizer,Horn Engineer,Synthesizer Horn,Synthesizer Strings
Jacob Kasher   Vocals (Background)
Tomas Jonsson   Sax (Tenor),Sax (Baritone)
Andrew Goldstein   Bass,Drums,Guitar,Keyboards,Percussion,Guitar (Bass),Vocals (Background)
Sasha Alex Sloan   Vocals (Background)
Magnus Johansson   Trumpet
Mattias Johansson   Violin
Johan Carlsson   Guitar,Shaker,Keyboards,Synthesizer,Fender Rhodes,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background)
Pierre-Luc Rioux   Guitar
Rickard Goeransson   Guitar
Oscar Goerres   Bass,Drums,Keyboards,Percussion,Guitar (Bass)
Janne Bjerger   Trumpet
Hayley Warner   Vocals (Background)
Noonie Bao   Vocals (Background)
Brad Oberhofer   Organ,Piano,Fender Rhodes
Gino Barletta   Vocals (Background)
Dave Richards   Trumpet
Jon Bellion   Vocals (Background)
John Ryan   Guitar (Electric)
Madison Love   Vocals (Background)
Charlie Puth   Synthesizer,Vocals (Background)
Sophie Cooke   Vocals (Background)
John DeBold   Guitar,Vocals,Clapping,Percussion,Voice Loop,Synthesizer,Vocal Group
Lila Drew   Vocals,Clapping,Percussion,Vocal Group
Elvira Anderfjaerd   Bass,Drums,Organ,Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background)
Karisa Reynafarje   Vocals,Vocal Group
Sachi DiSerafino   Vocals,Clapping,Percussion,Vocal Group

Technical Credits

Daniel James   Composer,Programming
Benny Golson   Composer
John Hanes   Engineer,Mixing Engineer
Mikkel Storleer Eriksen   Composer,Engineer,Programming,Instrumentation
Vincent Brown   Composer
Nils Petter Ankarblom   Arranger,Programming,Horn Arrangements
Chris Anokute   A&R
Serban Ghenea   Mixing
Stargate   Producer
Oscar Holter   Composer,Producer,Programming
Leah Haywood   Composer,Programming
Anthony Criss   Composer
Manny Marroquin   Mixing
Dancin' Danny D   Producer
Michael Pollack   Composer
Andrew Jackson   Composer
Mattias Bylund   Editing,Arranger,String Engineer,Horn Arrangements
Josh Abraham   Composer,Producer
Oliver Goldstein   Composer
Keir Gist   Composer
Katy Perry   Composer,Producer,Executive Producer
G Koop   Producer,Additional Production
Chris Galland   Mixing Engineer
Jacob Kasher   Composer
Oligee   Producer
Andrew Goldstein   Composer,Producer,Programming,Vocal Engineer,Vocal Producer
David Kutch   Mastering,Mastering Engineer
Robin Florent   Assistant Engineer,Mixing Assistant
Sasha Alex Sloan   Composer
Brittany Hazzard   Composer
Dagny Sandvik   Composer
Gian Stone   Vocal Producer
Scott Desmarais   Mixing Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Ryan Shanahan   Mixing,Engineer
Tim Blacksmith   Producer,Executive Producer
Danny D.   Executive Producer
Sam Holland   Engineer
Thomas Warren   Engineer
Peter Karlsson   Vocal Editing,Vocal Producer
Ashley Newton   A&R
Nicole Frantz   Art Direction
Dreamlab   Producer
Johan Carlsson   Arranger,Composer,Producer,Programming,Vocal Producer,Drum Programming
Nick Steinhardt   Design
Jordan Johnson   Composer
Ian Kirkpatrick   Composer
Tor Erik Hermansen   Composer,Programming,Instrumentation
Sarah Hudson   Composer
Blake Harden   Engineer
Oscar Goerres   Producer,Programming
Jason Gill   Composer
Anton Zaslavski   Composer
Hayley Warner   Composer
Ferras Alqaisi   Composer
Cory Bice   Engineer
Svend Lerche   Vocal Producer
Michelle Buzz   Composer
Stefan Johnson   Composer
Noonie Bao   Composer
Zedd   Mixing,Producer,Programming
Louie Gomez   Engineer
Rachael Findlen   Engineer
Gino Barletta   Composer
Jon Bellion   Composer
Jonathan Bellion   Composer
John Ryan   Composer,Producer
Lauren Glucksman   A&R
The Monsters & Strangerz   Producer,Vocal Engineer,Vocal Producer
Madison Love   Composer
Charlie Puth   Composer,Producer,Programming,Drum Programming
Sophie Cooke   Composer,Producer,Additional Production
Jeremy Lertola   Engineer,Assistant Engineer
John DeBold   Arranger,Engineer,Producer,Filmmaker,Co-Director,Programming,Vocal Editing,Vocal Producer,Drum Programming,String Programming,Synthesizer Programming
Brian Cruz   Assistant Engineer
Darth "Denver" Moon   Mixing,Engineer
Elvira Anderfjaerd   Producer,Programming
CJ Mixed It   Engineer
Christine Hahn   Photography