There’s truly nothing new under the sun. It seems like every industry, from fashion to film, is consumed by remakes and sequels, obsessed with digging deep into the archives to excavate anything that can be rehashed and reoffered to modern audiences. The music industry is no different.

Youth culture’s obsession with the 2000s has us itching to bring back the stars and songs of that era. Who can blame us? Nostalgia provides comfort when the future fails to offer hope. A look in the rearview is deceivingly attractive, especially when current mainstream music offers a blurred picture of music’s future. But we’ve repeatedly seen how banking on nostalgia – without building upon it to offer something new – is a zero-sum game.

Katy Perry’s new album “143” is the latest example of pop’s nostalgia problem. The album was primed to be Perry’s major comeback. She teamed up with previous producers, even the controversial Dr. Luke, and retreaded old sonic landscapes in a futile attempt to recreate her iconic 2010 album “Teenage Dream” for a new decade.

What we got, however, was more akin to an adult nightmare. “143” suffers from a frustrating lack of inspiration, proven by its edgeless hooks and unclever samples.

Take, for example, “I’M HIS, HE’S MINE,” which features Florida-born rapper Doechii and samples “Gypsy Woman (La Da Dee)” by Crystal Waters, a staple in the house music lexicon. The track leans heavily........

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