Unconditionally
| "Unconditionally" | |
|---|---|
| Song |
"Unconditionally" is a song by American recording artist Katy Perry, serving as the second single from her fourth studio album Prism. The song was written by Perry, along with Dr. Luke, Max Martin, and Cirkut; It was produced by the latter three. "Unconditionally" is a mid-tempo synthpop and power pop ballad. Its lyrics address accepting the flaws of a loved one, through Unconditional love. The song debuted on October 16, 2013, and was released for digital download on October 22, 2013.
Composition
"Unconditionally" has a length of three minutes and forty-nine seconds.[1] Musically, it is a power pop, rock, and electronic ballad,[2][3] that contains elements of contemporary Christian music and EDM.[4] Perry described the track as a song about unconditional love that could come in all forms, including those from relationships, from parent-to-child, and from sibling-to-sibling.[5]
Reception
Upon release, "Unconditionally" received positive reviews. James Shotwell of Under the Gun Review reacted positively to the song, stating "Perry is making it incredibly hard to care about any upcoming pop release other than her own". Shotwell stated that "Unconditionally" was his favorite song released from Prism so far and that he was excited to hear the rest of the album. Shotwell also told readers that the song was "required listening".[6] Jeff Benjamin from Fuse felt that while Perry did not show "Diva-esque vocals", he noted that she looked "keen to prove her pipes" in the song.[7] Muumuse praised its melody and expressed eagerness for the iTunes release.[8] Carson Daly from AMP Radio stated "I love it. I think that's Katy Perry at her best." and that "There's a sense of urgency to it..... It sounds timeless."[9]
Promotion
Two days after the song's debut, a black-and-white lyric video was released onto VEVO and YouTube.[10][11] The video features actress Janell Shirtcliff and androgynous model Erika Linder expressing their unconditional same-sex love; it was directed by Aya Tanimura.[12] On October 22, 2013, she first performed "Unconditionally" along with her other Prism tracks at the iHeartRadio Theater in Los Angeles,[13] and also performed these songs the next day, where she hosted the "We Can Survive" concert along with Kacey Musgraves, Sara Bareilles, Ellie Goulding, and duo Tegan and Sara at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California.[14] On November 10, 2013, she will also perform "Unconditionally" at the 2013 MTV Europe Music Awards with Will Ferrell.[15] The song's official music video was filmed in October 2013 in London.[16]
Release history
| Country | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Worldwide | October 16, 2013 | Radio Premiere |
| United States | October 22, 2013 | Top 40/Mainstream radio[17] |
References
- ^ "Katy Perry — "Prism"". ITunes. Capitol Records. October 22, 2013. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|work=(help) - ^ "PRISMTHOUGHTS: An Account of The Katy Perry 'Prism' Listening Party in Los Angeles". MuuMuse. Buzz Media. September 13, 2013. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|work=(help) - ^ Benjamin, Jeff (October 16, 2013). "Listen: Katy Perry Wails on New Single "Unconditionally"". Fuse. The Madison Square Garden Company. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|work=(help) - ^ "Katy Perry Leaks New Album 'Prism', We Listen For You". The Inquisitr. The Inquistr News. October 15, 2013. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
- ^ "Katy Perry: Hanging with Stevie Nicks & Ariana Grande and Inspiration For "PRISM" - YouTube". YouTube. Retrieved 14 October 2013.
- ^ Shotwell, James. "Required Listening: Katy Perry – "Unconditionally"". Under the Ground Review. Retrieved 16 October 2013.
- ^ Benjamin, Jeff. "Listen: Katy Perry Wails on New Single "Unconditionally"". Fuse. Retrieved 16 October 2013.
- ^ "Listen to Katy Perry's New 'Prism' Single, "Unconditionally"". Muumuse. Retrieved 16 October 2013.
- ^ Daly, Carson. "Carson Daly Premieres Katy Perry's "Unconditionally" On AMP Radio". AMP Radio. Retrieved 16 October 2013.
- ^ Perry, Katy. "Unconditonally (Lyric Video)". VEVO. Retrieved 18 October 2013.
- ^ Perry, Katy. "Unconditonally (Lyric Video)". YouTube. Retrieved 18 October 2013.
- ^ Perry, Katy. "The #UNCONDITIONALLY lyric video". Twitter. Retrieved 18 October 2013.
- ^ Gundersen, Edna. "Live stream: Katy Perry's 'Prism' album release party". USA Today. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
- ^ Gundersen, Edna. "Citi stages Katy Perry's only 2013 show on Oct. 23". USA Today. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
- ^ Lopez, Korina. "Katy Perry, Will Ferrell to perform at MTV EMAs". USA Today. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
- ^ "Katy Perry Confirms She Filmed 'Unconditionally' Music Video In London Last Week". Captial FM. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
- ^ "Top 40/M Future Releases October 22, 2013". AllAccess.com. Retrieved 21 October 2013.