I Can't Make You Love Katy Perry If You Don't

I can't make your heart feel something it won't

I said in my last newsletter (October’s. In November I left newslettering until the last minute and then got COVID so spent the week in bed gagging on Paxlovid and watching three seasons of Only Murders in the Building instead) I mentioned that I am always on the brink of writing about Katy Perry. I reign myself in because I’m sure I’ve already pushed the envelope of some readers’ patience (hello, Mike Faloon) by talking about Wham and Linda Ronstadt.

But some loves are too strong to go unsaid and so here it is, my newsletter ode to problematic fave, American Idol judge, and too-risque-for-Sesame-Street popstar, Katy Perry.

It’s not just Katy Perry though, I want to talk specifically about something that has been bringing me musical joy over the last few months, namely Perry’s episode of a TV show called CMT Crossroads, which aired almost a decade ago. In this series, two seemingly disparate performers are paired up for a live concert, in which they sing each other’s songs as well as some mutually selected covers. Perry is matched with Kacey Musgraves, another artist who I have spent countless hours listening to over the past few years. Like Perry, who I came to love after my son brought her to my attention, Musgraves came into my life through someone else’s enthusiasm. In this case, it was my friend Jim Bryson who posted on social media about her (flawless) love song “Late to the Party”.

I don’t think I’ve ever told Jim what a jumping off point for musical obsession that post was for me, but it led to the purchase of Musgraves’ full discography on vinyl. She became one of the artists that I listened to during the early days of pandemic lockdown, a small window into a world where joy and creativity still existed. The first romance novel that I wrote, in the dire days of late 2020, had “Late to the Party” as its working title and I used the story of the lyrics as inspiration for one of the scenes.

So naturally, the scary robots behind the YouTube algorithm eventually started recommending videos of this 2014 Crossroads episode featuring Katy Perry and Kacey Musgraves. And I watched them all. More than once. But YouTube didn’t have the full episode anywhere and neither did any other video hosting sites that my rudimentary Google searches brought me to. I checked various streaming services to see if there was any way I could just throw money at the problem and pay to watch the episode. Nope. If it actually was available anywhere, it didn’t seem to be accessible in Canada, for free or otherwise.

But we all have people in our lives who are just good at finding obscure things on the internet, and so eventually, after I’d mentioned this on Instagram, my Dad came through and sent me a video of the full episode.

Of the two cover songs they do, the only one available on YouTube is “Here You Come Again” by Dolly Parton, which is disappointing because it is their cover of Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me” which is the real stunner. The harmonies between the two of them and their incredible back up singers gave me chills for the duration of the performance.

But there was something poignant about them covering Dolly Parton, a person who, though currently enjoying a lot of popularity and respect, was the punchline of a million late-night jokes for years. Like Perry, and to a lesser extent Musgraves, Parton got her revenge on the people who underestimated her by consistently writing great songs. Perry and Musgraves write incredible songs and have built careers based on doing what they want with their songs and their performances. And watching them perform together, with a lot of joy and talent and jokes, is fantastic. Katy Perry’s frenetic energy clashes with Kacey Musgraves’ more chill persona in a way that is occasionally awkward. But the overall feeling is that they had a great time doing this.

There’s been a lot of talk in the last couple years about the revolutionary nature of women’s joy. A lot of that relates back to Taylor Swift and her massive following. But it applies in other contexts as well, when things that are popular with women seem so easy to deride. I think often about how High Fidelity is a romance novel that no one calls a romance novel because a dude wrote it. And about how genres where women often get murdered (thrillers, horror, mystery) are more respected than a genre where women end the stories happily (romance). And yes those are simplified statements and if you want to be one of the men who like to send me Instagram DMs telling me that I’ve got it all wrong then have at it, I guess. I’ll be over here listening to my Katy Perry records.

December 2023 Songs

As mentioned above, I think Kacey Musgraves song “Late to the Party” is one of the best love songs going. If you have ever enjoyed the moment in a new relationship when you and your new person show up together at an event and spark a bunch of raised eyebrows, then this is your tune.

It’s December! I like Christmas music a lot and this year I am really enjoying Nathaniel Rateliff’s version of “Santa Baby” (I like that he didn’t change the gender in the lyrics, so burly, bearded Nathaniel Rateliff is singing about being “an awful good girl…”) I also enjoy Kathleen Edwards’ “It’s Christmas Time (Let’s Just Survive)” and Hawksley Workman’s “Common Cold” which both evoke some of the realistic annoyances of the season.

December 2023 Feelings

I met my reading goal this year and even exceeded it by two books, which felt good. Instead of recommending anything specific this month, here’s a visual tally of everything I read this year. I abandon a TON of books, I just can’t spend time on a book I don’t like, so what you see here is a list of books that I generally liked.

Thanks again for reading. Happy Holidays, everyone.

If you are looking for somewhere to donate some money this holiday season, here are some ideas:

Since Canada did not complete any Truth and Reconciliation calls to action in 2023, The Downie Wenjack Fund is a good place to support.

To support intersectional reproductive rights, you can donate to Sister Song. They are doing amazing work for reproductive justice and health care.

And given the current political climate, I’m sure Trans Wellness Ontario could use some funds too.

J.W.

Instagram : @JenniferWhitefordWrites

Razorcake columns, reviews, interviews etc

My debut romance novel, MAKE ME A MIXTAPE is coming from Doubleday in 2024.