Ke$ha
Animal
RCA 
January 5th, 2010


by Neil Miller Jr. 

Now this is what pop music has been missing. Coming straight out of left field, songwriter/producer Ke$ha has laid claim to being the Courtney Love of the hip-pop world. Her hair’s a mess and she constantly appears to be wasted – whether if it’s a schtick or not, it’s one that will sell and one that I can definitely appreciate. Up to this point, all we’ve really had is Britney Spears who, let’s face it, is nasty while still being classy. With Ke$ha’s debut album, Animal, it’s clear that her one and only aim is to get people drunk off of her hard hitting electro beats and pulsing synth stabs, courtesy of Dr. Luke. Oh yeah, and she probably wants you to get drunk off of whiskey too, seeing how she mentions it frequently on the record.

One fact that has to be taken note of before diving into this album – Ke$ha is by no means a good singer. So if you’re looking for Christina Aguilera style vocal stylings, this is definitely not your album. However, if you’re looking for something to listen to while you pre-game at home while you get ready to go get tanked out at the club, this is your first highlight of 2010. From calling herself a “lovesick crackhead” on the opening track to throwing up in the closet on ‘Party at a Rich Dude’s House,” this girl is full of witty one liners and tongue in cheek mad-libs. She’s not to be taken seriously – but she knows this and that only adds to her appeal.


Party at a Rich Dude's House (live)

Ke$ha is surely going to come under some harsh fire for her use of auto-tune, but in her defense, she’s using it in some creative ways that end up turning her voice into just as much of an instrument as the pulsing bass lines that accent nearly every track. For instance, on ‘Take It Off,’ she scales her pitchshifted auto-tuned voice down to the point of sounding completely sinister. Ke$ha lets go of the auto-tune often as well to sound as “innocent” as possible, for example on ‘Stephen,’ where she wants to get her hands in her History teacher’s khaki pants. There’s no holding back on this album – Ke$ha lets it all loose and foams at the mouth with a vocabulary that rivals every rapper and volatile punk band you could possibly name.

Recently having outsold Lady Gaga’s ‘Bad Romance’ single on iTunes and simultaneously holding the honor of being the highest digital selling female artist in one week, Ke$ha is poised for a major breakout in 2010. You can catch her live on the newly revived Lilith Fair tour this year as well. Watch your overexposed ass, Gaga, because Ke$ha is moving in on your territory.