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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Smile was not met with a wave of negative reviews, and its chart results do not settle whether it was a commercial flop. Metacritic’s 18-review aggregate was mixed, while the album reached No. 5 in both the UK and US chart accounts cited here. Whether that amounts to a failure depends on a benchmark—such as sales expectations or comparison with Perry’s earlier releases—that these sources do not establish.
What was Smile?
Katy Perry’s sixth full-length studio album, Smile, was released by Capitol Records on August 28, 2020. Apple Music lists 12 songs and a 36-minute running time. Its editorial presents the record as personal and hopeful, shaped by emotional difficulty and recovery, and connects songs including “Resilient,” “Not the End of the World,” “Teary Eyes,” and “Daisies” with persistence and self-reliance. That is the platform’s framing of the album, not an independent assessment of Perry’s personal history. Listen to and view the album on Apple Music.
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Perry described it as “a record full of hope,” according to Apple Music’s album editorial.
Did critics give Smile disappointing reviews?
Metacritic’s review aggregate is best described as mixed or average, rather than uniformly negative: it lists 58/100 from 18 critic reviews, with three positive, 14 mixed, and one negative. The score summarizes that particular set of reviews; it is not a universal verdict on the album. See Metacritic’s review aggregate.
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- Shrink-wrapped
What reviewers objected to
Some criticism focused on familiar pop formulas, uneven or clichéd writing, and production that reviewers found less adventurous or exuberant. Variety described “mixed results”; Pitchfork questioned the confessional writing while recognizing Perry’s command of established pop conventions; Clash criticized cliché and dance production. Those are individual publications’ judgments, not proof that every critic reached the same conclusion.
What the reviews also recognized
The reception was not all dismissal. Metacritic’s excerpts include reviewers noting bright moments and emotional intent. Pitchfork, while critical of aspects of the album, called “Tucked” an understated highlight and described “Never Really Over” as a large-scale pop song built for catharsis. The contrast helps explain why the aggregate is mixed rather than simply negative. Read Pitchfork’s review.
Rank #2
- Shrink-wrapped
How did Smile perform on the charts?
The available chart figures show top-five placements, but the territories and measures should remain distinct.
| Market and source | Reported result | What it establishes |
|---|---|---|
| UK Official Albums Chart, Official Charts Company | No. 5 peak; four weeks in the Top 100, from September 10 through October 1, 2020 | The album’s UK chart position and run in that chart. The Official Physical Albums Chart peak was No. 4 and the Official Vinyl Albums Chart peak was No. 5. |
| US Billboard 200, Billboard Staff article as republished by a third party | No. 5 debut; 50,000 equivalent album units in the first week | A reported US debut and first-week units, attributed to the republished Billboard Staff article rather than presented as a current Billboard chart record. |
Check the Official Charts Company history for Katy Perry. The US figure is reported in a third-party republication of a Billboard Staff article.
Rank #3
So, was it a flop?
“Flop” is an interpretation, not a chart position. The documented No. 5 peaks and US first-week figure are useful performance evidence, but they do not reveal whether the album met expectations, earned a profit, or fell short of a label target. Those benchmarks are not established by the cited sources. Nor does a mixed review score prove commercial failure. A defensible verdict therefore needs a defined comparison—such as an explicit sales target or a like-for-like comparison with Perry’s previous releases—and evidence for it. Without that, the grounded conclusion is narrower: Smile received mixed reviews and had top-five chart results in the UK and US accounts cited here; those facts alone do not establish that it flopped.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Over 150 Classic Hits
- Top Hits from the 50's and 60's
- Includes 7 DVDs and 2 CD set
Rank #4
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