Ke$ha: Animal
Suburban self-proclaimed naughty girl releases debut using prototype Gaga and neo-Black Eyed Peas trademarks
If you want to get some major attention, scream. Simple as that. For Ke$ha (pronounced cash-a), she is definitely screaming for someone to notice her – even if it’s all for the wrong reasons. Right after she broke out with her unaccredited vocal contribution on Flo Rida’s 2009 smash hit “Right Round,” Ke$ha released her single, “Tik Tok,” danced itself up the Billboard charts and easily branded her as the second wave of intentional Lady Gaga crossbreeds. Merged with Fergie’s rap-infused chants, the new sonic dance-pop auroras of the Black Eyed Peas and Gaga’s biology lab synths, Ke$ha doesn’t feel like a new trend or an artist awaiting a much-needed platform. Instead she’s smells like a label compromise to cash in on the Lady Gaga franchise (in this case, pun intended).
On her debut Animal, Ke$ha safely rides the coattails of familiar electro-pop and trip-pop, tracing formulas so evident in new millennia club records. And it’s probably a bit natural to toss in a little freaky behavior and vulgarity to avoid a quick Gaga comparison. Animal is ferocious lyrically, sometimes very immoral. “Blah Blah Blah,” even with its Atari 5200 beeps, is smartly executed and pop-friendly yet it’s a fast woman’s plea to end the masquerade of pick-up lines and to rush to the big climax. “Cunx Tuesday,” even with its off-guard song titling, dazzles with sound and smart pop framework, but Ke$ha, being the “animal” she is, tries her best to make make her flirty infidelity sound like an innocent adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. On “Dinosaur,” she plays with an aged ‘80s rock-pop arrangement (think Tony Basil’s “Mickey” but with less musical attraction) and once again finds a memorable lyric about old guys preying on the young; making heed for cool youngsters to chant away when at their neighboring playgrounds (“D-I-N-O-S-A-U-R a dinosaur”). “Dirty Picture” is probably her risque’ ode to 2000-era Madonna as she fumbles with naughty erotica and techno extravagance. When Ke$ha is playful and appetizing, like on “Your Love Is My Drug” and the aforementioned “Tik Tok,” she uses her San Fernando suburban appeal and her know-how for a nice Salt-N-Pepa rap to create the near-perfect party record.
While her songs carry a good batch of catchy rhymes and club magic, there’s not enough musical substance – or enough bottom – to canonize her with supertalents. She doesn’t have the voice of a Katy Perry nor comes close to touching Gaga, so it’s a bit unfortunate that Ke$ha may have already sealed her fate in the pop world. Take away her heavily dependance of Auto-tune, the warping synth echoes and some of those good melodies and Ke$ha looks like another lucky chick in a big pond of other starving pop artists.
J MATTHEW COBB
HIFI DETAILS
- Release Date: 05 Jan 2010
- Label: RCA
- Producers: Dr. Luke, Ammo, Max Martin, David Gamson, Benny Blanco, Greg Kurstin, Shellback, Tom Neville
- Track Favs: Tik Tok, Your Love Is My Drug, Blah Blah, Blah
