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Ke$ha is officially raking in numbers worthy of the dollar sign in her name. Her hit “Tik Tok” was No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks, while topping charts in countries worldwide.
Her debut album, Animal, released Jan 5 sold over 152,000 copies in the first week. So what’s all the fuss about? Perhaps, it’s the many delightful references to Jack Daniels in the lyrics of the 14 tracks. Perhaps America wants it’s much loved Gaga-like shock value without disturbing latent messages in the blood and glitter. Ke$ha writes approachable songs about drama plaguing youth everywhere, but with a bit more flash.
Ke$ha doesn’t just get wasted and throw up in a closet like any slob on “Texts From Last Night,” she throws up in Paris Hilton’s closet (an experience she turned into the song “Party at a Rich Dude’s House.”) She writes about trivialities like so-called-friends spreading rumors in “Backstabber” and cheating boyfriends in “Kiss ‘N Tell.”
“Take It Off” capitalizes on a fondly remembered childhood melody, transforming an innocent clapping game into enticing beats for getting down and dirty on a dance floor.
“Blah Blah Blah,” will make you “Wanna dance with no pants on, holla!”, and because it features 3OH!3, it will be an instant classic for any proud, Colorado native.
However, when Ke$ha’s attempts slow songs, it’s advisable to take that four minutes and watch your potted plants grow. “Stephen” is an exemplary flop– a snarky parody of Taylor Swift’s sickly-sweet, angst filled ballads.
The album’s title Animal should be renamed “The Stadium Song” -an ode to shady bars full of creepy old men everywhere. It’s been much too long since a songstress filled the shoes of Gwen Stefani and Fergie and gave the masses a lesson in spelling (“D-I-N-O-S-A-U-R a dinosaur/O-L-D-M-A-N, you’re just an old man”).
Ke$ha is more than her rocker chic image or self-proclaimed feminist (empowering women everywhere to drink more whiskey and admit they think Mick Jagger is sexy). She is a master of generalization, addressing inane themes embraced by today’s young adults, proving that even if you are BFF’s with Katy Perry or in financial feuds with Flo Rida, your life is no different than the blackout adventure of the average college student.
