Album- Warrior
Artist- Ke$ha
Ke$ha was the 21st century party girl who jumped
onto the worldwide commercial music scene with her big selling music hit Tik
Tok. Yet the singer seems to be suffering commercially with her newest record,
with this album selling much less than her debut. The record second single also
ended the singers streak of Billboard Hot 100 top ten hits. So it would seem
that the singer will really have to do something to get herself back to the top
of her musical game. But is this really such a bad record?
Track 1- Warrior
Ke$ha kicks things off with the album’s title track, a
grand, feisty pop tune that finds the singer becoming this metaphorical pillar
of strength, a theme that seems to be signature Ke$ha. The track finds the
singer telling us of her and other people (presumably her fans) were designed
to push the boundaries and are misfits but that is okay. The song isn’t a
strong way to begin the record with: although the singer brings a feisty rap
style to the verses that is catchy, the lyrical content of the track feels
bland and familiar territory, and so lacks all fun. The song is also annoying
in terms of the vocals of the chorus, which are Auto Tuned really badly and so
just sounds annoying and lifeless. The production does create a nice energy to
the song that is vibrant, with frenzied electro pop rhythms, a slight rock
groove and a grand breakdown for the middle section that makes the song really
powerful. Things would be great if the lyrics and vocals were just really
worked on.
3/5
Track 2- Die Young
The records lead single, Die Young is a fun pop song that
served as a kind of comeback single for the singer. Die Young lyrically focuses
on the idea of living life for the moment as we do not know when life will
unfortunately end, with the chorus having a simple quality that is really
catchy. The verses find the singer employing her rap style vocal to great
effect, with a flirtatious and almost spontaneous edge that is weird but cool
at the same time. The vocals here are light and simple and nicely show of the singer’s
voice a little bit more than usual in the chorus, with the use of background
vocals in the final chorus creating this choir effect that makes the final
section even more fun and powerful. The production of the track is a typical
Ke$ha style with electro pop and up tempo dance beats, but the song is a bit
different through the use of acoustic guitar strums and New wave synths,
however although the sound is light and fun, the drums do feel a bit typical of
today’s pop world, particularly in terms of how the beginning of the track with
the acoustic drums feels highly similar to the beginnings of one or two
different pop tracks released earlier in 2012.
3.5/5
Track 3- C’mon
With a fun and light techno pop and pop rap sound, C’mon is
a song that lyrically is similar to the previous track in terms of Ke$ha
conveying this live for the moment ideology. Once again the verses find the
singer in this flirtatious mode where she really wants this guy, with the
chorus being a simple fluffy pop lyric where she tells this guy to just come
along for a ride with her because she knows what she wants. The song is catchy
with a fun quality that feels similar to the singer’s previous tune Your Love
is my drug. The singer employs a fast paced rap style that gives the song this
great vitality, with the chorus being simpler and so having a catchier tone.
The crunch electro pop beat that acts as the songs base is feisty, whilst the
harmonized male acapella vocals in the song are weird but intriguing. However
whilst on the whole the song is fun to listen to, it has a familiar Ke$ha feel
that suggests the singer doesn’t have much to offer musically, and so the song
loses a bit of its vibrancy.
3/5
Track 4- Thinking of
You
Bringing slightly more of the rock energy that the singer
said would be on this album, Thinking of You finds the singer in a feisty and
slightly aggressive state of mind where she brushes this former boyfriend of
who was a bit of a cheat, but in the chorus she sings of hearing there song and
seemingly thinking of him in an absent minded way, whilst telling this guy of
how she has moved on with worldwide musical success. Although the expletives
feel a bit unnecessary in this song the lyrical content is good, with an
aggressive but catchy quality. The singer’s vocal performance could be a bit
more powerful to give the song some real bite, but she does seem to really
throw herself emotionally into the track and brings out her inner rock chick
that has always been a true part of her persona. Things are still kept true to
her former sound with the electro pop beats but the use of the drums and
guitars in the song give the track this forceful rock vibe that offers a bit of
diversity to the record and captures your attention more.
3.5/5
Track 5- Crazy Kids
The third single released from the record has been
criticised for its remixed single form which features rapper will.i.am and which
many people felt was unnecessary. Whilst I don’t love but don’t hate the new
will.i.am rap that replaces the originals second verse, the original version of
the track was still really great and I am very happy that it has been chosen as
a single, even if it is in a bit of a different form. The song follows a
similar lyrical tone as her previous hit ‘We R Who We R’, as we find Ke$ha
singing about not caring what other people songs and just going hard with the
crazy kids (i.e. her friends, family and fans who have stuck by her). The
verses feature a pop rap style where the singer gives us some silly rhymes but
makes things sound fun and infectiously vibrant, whilst the verses also nicely
contrast with the chorus which is acoustically guitar driven and finds the singer
in both a sweet and melancholic state. The singer vocals are some of her best
here, as the raps of the verses feel astute and infectious, whilst the vocals
of the chorus are her most stripped back and powerful, with the bridges final
note being a little processed but still very powerful. Production wise the
track is also really powerful, with a dirty hip hop beat in the verses that
feels forceful and attention grabbing and being nicely contrasted and
complimented by the simple guitar rhythms of the chorus. Some people may say
this is typical Ke$ha, but I think this song is really attention grabbing and
has this compelling quality that makes it a standout song.
4/5
Track 6- Wherever You
Are
We enter more emotional and mid tempo territory with this electro
pop tune that finds the singer in wistful but ultimately happy state of mind.
The lyrics of the song find the singer describing the first night she met this
wonderful person, with the chorus simply showing a sweet side of the singer as
she tells this person that even though the relationship is she will always be
in love with him wherever he is in the world. The songs lyrical sweetness is a
welcome change of pace for the singer, with the statement of ‘wherever you are,
love will never die’ being loaded with emotion. The song is a bit hit and
misses vocally. Whilst at times the singer gives us a light vocal performance
that feels heartfelt, at other times the vocals are marred by the use of Auto
Tune and the some rap style vocals, with the stuttering quality of the chorus
just be annoying rather than catchy. However the bridge does feel powerful and
so she ends the song in a strong way. The production is also something that you
can like sometimes but find unappealing on other occasions. The way the track builds
in sound is strong and the twinkling melodies elevate the songs level of
sweetness, but at other times the songs stomping electro pop rhythms and heavy
sound is just too much. A nice song but not without its problems.
3/5
Track 7- Dirty Love
(featuring Iggy Pop)
Featuring punk rock star and The Stooges frontman Iggy Pop,
Dirty Love is the most rock orientated song on the record and is a song that
will probably divide opinion in terms of the song being very different from her
usual sound. The song’s lyrics are strongly in contrast to the previous song as
here all Ke$ha wants his some sex, and she apparently like things dirty. The
song still has a bit of a pop sheen but feels strong in terms of the rock
sensibilities and is catchy with the ‘oh woah’ hook and the aggressive vocal
performance for the song that blends the lyrics and overall sound of the track
very nicely. Iggy Pop adds some rock credentials to the track and blends nicely
in terms of harmonisation with the singer, but his sections are just weird and
don’t necessarily add a whole lot to the song. The background vocals give the
song this strong sound that makes it seem like it will be a great live moment
for the singer, and with the gritty guitar rhythms and clattering drum beats,
this is a feisty, rock driven number that is a nice change for the singer and
feels true to who she is as an artist.
3.5/5
Track 8- Wonderland
Things are slowed down to a much more chilled and slightly
retrospective state. The song shows another different musical style for the
singer as she gives us a country rock driven track that feels chilled but
imbued with emotion. Lyrically the track focuses on Ke$ha’s past with her broke
friends, a time when she and her friends just chased their dreams, but now she
can’t seem to get back to that state which she sees as this wonderland. The
song isn’t an angry song about her hating of success and fame but is simply an
heartfelt piece where she celebrates her past life and her friends. The track
is really great in terms of the lack of Auto Tune, showing a delicacy and
lovely tone from the singing and really showing that she can indeed sing. The
simple drum beats and guitar riffs just create this light country rock sound
that elevates the wistful energy of the song, and so this is a nice track to
add a moment of peace and balance out the party atmosphere of the record.
Track 9- Only Wanna
Dance With You
Reportedly meant to be a parody of music by The Strokes,
Only Wanna Dance With You brings things back to a more up tempo groove (the
clue is in the title). Still having more of a rock vibe than some of her work
but bringing in the electronic qualities that she is known for, the tracks
production features a funky guitar groove and punchy drum beats that give the
song a bouncy rhythm that is quite infectious. The singer gives us a slightly
feisty vocal performance where she really belts out the chorus and shows this
guy that she means business, with the male vocals in the chorus being a cool
twist in the track that adds this almost flirtatious edge to the song. Ke$ha
simply sings of just going about her business and suddenly falling in love, to
the point where this guy is the only one she wants to dance with. The chorus is
simple and catchy, and as a whole this is just a silly pop rock number that you
can just dance around in your bedroom to.
3.5/5
Track 10-
Supernatural
Reportedly inspired by a sexual experience that Ke$ha had
with a ghost, Supernatural is an up tempo, high octane dance and electro pop
tune that also infuses some elements of dubstep into the singers usual sound.
The song finds the singer in another feisty and flirtatious mood where she is
in this state of wanting to go wild, whilst this mood is balanced by the
steadiness and heartfelt quality of the chorus which focuses on the idea of
this love being so powerful it is supernatural. The contrast of the fast paced
verses and the almost could be a ballad chorus is really powerful and makes the
song really catchy, whilst the singer exudes confidence vocally in terms of the
rap sections. However the chorus is hindered a little by the use of Auto Tune
that makes the song feel like it loses some of its emotion. The dance pop beats
are really vibrant and infectious, with an intense quality that captures the
listener. The use of dupstep in the middle section also is really powerful and
commanding, whilst this is balanced afterwards by a simple vocal performance of
the chorus which then builds to this stomping final chorus, and then delicate
ends with just the piano.
4/5
Track 11- All That
Matters (The Beautiful Life)
After the power of the previous track this song feels like a
bit of a lacklustre effort that tries to get the party started/ keep the party
going, but ultimately doesn’t do its job. The first of only two tracks not
produced by producer Dr Luke, the song finds the singer singing about how she
just wants to let go and get high because as the repetitive chorus states, the
beautiful life is all that matters. The reckless fun of the track is nice but
the lyrics come across as contrived and standard Ke$ha material, with the idea
of a beautiful life being something she already focused on in a song from her
last E.P. Cannibal. The vocals are nice in terms of the lack of annoying Auto
Tune and some nice vocal layering, but that is not to say the Auto Tune
completely goes, and at the end of the day it feels like a fun vocal
performance that Ke$ha can easily produce. The way the song has this simmering
energy in the verses and then goes more powerful in the chorus is a nice pace
for the track, but the clattering electro pop beats and fast paced rhythm isn’t
original. And when she tells you to put your phones up and light them up, it’s
like she is putting her own nail in her musical coffin.
2/5
Track 12- Love Into
the Light
Ending the album is a song that Ke$ha wrote completely by
herself and which is produced by Greg Kurstin. The song is a ballad that finds
the singer in her most vulnerable state, as she lyrically talks of simply being
a person who has made mistakes and isn’t perfect, but at the end of the day we
should accept peoples differences and get rid of the hate. The lyrics have a
deeper and almost poetic quality that makes the inspirational tone of the songs
feel more powerful, whilst the toning down of the singer’s party persona makes
the song stand out more. Vocally the song shows off her tone well but is annoyingly
hindered by the use of Auto Tune, which seems designed to just show how she
isn’t the strongest vocalist in the world, even if she can sing. The intensity
of the production with the steady electro rhythms reminds me of Phil Collin’s
‘In the Air Tonight’, and is a strong sound that becomes grand with the use of
drums in the chorus and which really has this nice building energy, although at
times the sound does feel like it is a bit too strong. A nice way to end the
record that ends this album on a purer note, with the way the song fades out in
this rock way being intriguing ad allowing for the listener to kind of have
this moment of reflection.
3.5/5
Final Review
In listening to this record I kind of can’t understand why
the singer is having such a downward spiral in terms of success. The album is
not the revolutionary new sound that the singer promised and is a little
familiar in terms of her last record, but she does push her sound in various
ways with different tracks, and the whole album has this infectious vibrancy
that is just fun to listen to. There are definitely some great tracks on the
record, and although the singer needs to sort out some issues like the Auto
Tune button and typical production and lyrics, this album is still on the same
level as he previous album and should at least produce one or two more top ten
hits and should reach gold status in America.
7/10
Best Track- Crazy
Kids
Worst Track- All That
Matters (The Beautiful Life)
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