KE$HA: Pop/Rock Princess in Training or Rabid Raccoon that needs to be Put Down??
First off, stop pretending you don’t like “Tik Tok,” the first (perhaps, last?) iTunes smash hit from new Pop singer, Ke$ha. DJs have been hammering the deliciously repetitive song into our heads since it’s release in August of ‘09, and whether you know it or not, you’ve memorized every single ridiculous lyric. Little Miss dollar sign has undoubtedly partied herself onto the map, but does she have a high enough tolerance to stay there?? After having listened to her recently released debut album, Animal, I’m here to tell you………Maybe.
When you open the case (if you’re not iTunes-ing it), DON’T BE SCARED. Ignore the album art until you’ve given the tracks a once through (the booklet reads “It’s Party Time!” and dons pics of Ke$ha dressed as a wastey-face Indian Chief in a tribe of Dinosaurs, Cheetahs and Astronaut Penguins yikes). Like any ear-candy album, there’s tons of fluff—poppy, screeching, over-produced fluff—so we can’t count that against her. The first six tracks seem to hold the gold, opening with the surprisingly sweet, “Your Love is My Drug,” followed by “Tik Tok” and a potential second radio hit, “Take it Off,” a ditty somewhat reminiscent of Brit’s “Circus.” The most ear-pleasing, somewhat humorous 17 seconds of Animal open track five, or “Stephen,” a song about the ONE guy Ke$ha can’t seem to make swoon… “Blah Blah Blah” features a bridge by 3Oh!3 (who?) and might boast a good club song. After that the album is somewhat of a come-down. “Party at a Rich Guy’s house,” “Backstabber” and “Boys & Boots” fail to impress, and “D-I-N-O-S-A-U-R” might have the ability to discredit any potential talent revealed in earlier tracks (I wish I was kidding—it’s one of the worst songs I’ve EVER heard).
Even as an artist Ke$ha doesn’t quite garner the sympathy vote. In her lyrics she prides herself on being nothing but a party girl, drowning in JD and fighting off all the guys that wanna do her. I could be wrong, but a shot of modesty might do her better than the handles of cockiness she seems to be chugging on the regular. At her best, Ke$ha IS that drunk, obnoxious girl at the party. If you have any room in your heart for THAT girl, Ke$ha might just stand a chance…
