Kesha Playlist
I was aware of Kesha, but just vaguely. I confused her with Canadian singer Kiesza. I sort of remember when Kesha was Ke$sha. I kind of knew that Kesha was a pop singer, although I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t recognize any of her older music. I’ve since discovered that Kesha has written songs for Britney Spears and Miley Cyrus, among others. Apparently her mom was a songwriting partner of Dolly Parton. Recently, Kesha was embroiled in a sexual assault and harassment lawsuit against her producer. (She lost – it’s a long and very sad story – but the experience has clearly influenced this album.) When my son insisted that I listen to Rainbow, I was like “meh, whatever”. I’m glad he insisted. I love this album. Kesha is feisty, righteous and takes no prisoners. She swears like a longshoreman. She rages. She’s adorable. There are some terrific songs here, ranging from pop, to honky tonk, to country, to full-on rocking out. And Kesha has a stunning vocal range; she probably hits some high notes that only a dog can hear. Kesha manages some truly catchy tunes, but her lyrics need work; the song Rainbow is pretty embarrassing lyrically, and the production is crazy and treacly over the top. So, ok, I get that I’m not the target demographic for this album, but I love, love, love it anyway. And a duet with Dolly Parton? I’m done.
Listen to Rainbow and read my rant “Hey Fuckface, Don’t Call Me ‘Sweetheart'” and then make some soothing arugula pesto.
PC: Ke$ha, by rocor, is licensed by CC BY-NC-ND 2.0, cropped.
