Hedonism, debauchery and the 'Yolo' philosophy run rampant on the artist's latest release, 'Warrior', confirming her status as the queen of 'carpe diem'
KESHA/ WARRIOR
Much as we hate to admit it, Kesha's hit single Tik Tok is a pretty amazing pop song. Released in 2009, way before today's pop culture's obsession with the Yolo (You Only Live Once) phenomenon, not only has the song re-popularised the spirit of carpe diem, it's also placed Kesha pretty high on the pop pedestal, wedged between mega stars such as Katy Perry and Lady Gaga. Looking back on her career, she'd always had one foot in the music industry, having sung backing vocals for Paris Hilton, Britney Spears and Flo Rida as well as appearing in Katy Perry's video for I Kissed a Girl.
But it wasn't until Tik Tok that she finally managed to step out of other artists' shadows. With memorable lyrics that include the lines: "Before I leave, brush my teeth with a bottle of Jack 'cause when I leave for the night, I ain't coming back," the song soared to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 as well as the charts in several other countries around the world. Her debut album, Animal, was also a commercial success, having charted at No1 in the US Billboard 200 and generated a slew of hits including We R Who We R, Your Love is My Drug and Blow.
If Animal was "a celebration of youth and life and going out and getting crazy" as she described it, the follow-up album, Warrior, is also exactly that. Co-written by Fun's frontman Nate Ruess, the first single, Die Young, is, essentially Tik Tok without the Jack Daniels reference: "Young hearts, out our minds/Runnin' like we're outta time/Wild childs, lookin' good/Livin' hard just like we should/Don't care who's watching when we tearing it up."
Similar things could also be said about C'Mon, a party anthem where she semi-raps: "Feeling like a sabre-tooth tiger sipping on a warm Budweiser/Touch me and gimme that rush, better pack a toothbrush/Gonna pull an all-nighter." Likewise, on the title track, she sets herself up to be a leader of the misfits, the bad kids and the degenerates. "Fight for the f**k ups/Stand up for true love," she boldly announces as the production flirts with dubstep.
By now you should have a clear idea of what Warrior is all about because the rest of the album doesn't really deviate from the theme of living life to its fullest via excess and self-destruction. What could have been the highlight of the album, Dirty Love (featuring Iggy Pop), comes across as mediocre. Another unlikely collaboration that fares slightly better is one with the Strokes' Julian Casablancas on Only Want to Dance With You. This is a brilliant compromise we wished to hear more of, but we were left disappointed.
With a team of hit-makers such as Max Martin, Dr Luke and Shellback at the helm, Warrior is full to the brim with infectious jams and even catchier hooks that celebrate and exalt the fact that we all only get to live once, and it's perfectly acceptable to take things to the extreme. It will please those who enjoyed her first album and those who don't necessarily want to hear anything drastically different. Substance may not be Ke$ha's forte, but her music captures the carefree fun most young people (and the young at heart) so find alluring.
THE PLAYLIST
Singto Numchok/ Yu Tor Loey Dai Mai?
Often hailed as Thailand's own Jason Mraz and Jack Johnson, Singto Numchok was probably one of the first artists responsible for the nation's ukelele craze. Following his successful debut album that came out two years ago, the surf pop crooner returns with Yu Tor Loey Dai Mai? (Can we stay a little longer?), the first taste of his forthcoming second album. As with Singto's previous offerings, the single adheres to the more mellow side of pop with melodic acoustic guitar brought to the fore. "I want to hear sweet nothings from you instead of a goodbye/The clouds, the rain, the sky would agree," he playfully pleads while making the girls swoon in the process.
STRFKR/ While I'm Alive
Portland-based electro-pop outfit STRFKR serve up a serious synth fest on While I'm Alive, the first single from the band's third studio album, Miracle Mile, due out next year. The disco-funk jam evokes the similar lo-fi production favoured by early indie pioneers such as MGMT and Empire of the Sun. "While I'm alive/I'll live my life," frontman Joshua Hodges dishes out in a nugget of popular wisdom, singing through offbeat warped effects. We love it when the synth breakdown kicks in, followed by the disco beat that's vaguely _ and fittingly _ reminiscent of Bee Gees' classic Stayin' Alive.
Carousel/ Stay Awake
If you're partial to the lushness that is STRFKR's track above, you shouldn't have trouble digging this new track by up-and-coming electro duo Kevin Friedman and Jackson Phillips aka Carousel. Stay Awake features its fair share of synths, albeit with a slightly more polished production that complements Friedman's lovely, unaltered vocals. Sharing the same relatable sentiment as Singto's single, the song talks about that moment you're spending with someone special, and just don't want it to ever end.
Earl Sweatshirt/ Chum
"Something sinister to it/Pendulum swinging slow, a degenerate moving/Through the city with criminal stealth, welcome to enemy turf/Harder than immigrants work ..." go the opening lines of Chum, the comeback single from Odd Future's uber-talented Earl Sweatshirt. Over sprawling looped piano, the 18-year-old rapper gets introspective, delivering a deeply personal anecdote that reads like an open diary. Here, we learn about his troubled childhood, having an estranged father and battling with an identity crisis _ "Too black for the white kids/And too white for the blacks". It's a drastic departure from his previous work that often revolves around darker, more violent themes.
MIA/ aTENTion
While there's no further update thus far regarding Matangi, MIA's eagerly-anticipated fourth studio record, the infamous singer-songwriter treats her fans to aTENTion, a previously unreleased track she personally emailed to one of her fans _ a classic MIA move. Never a minimalist when it comes to her music, she once again creates a fascinating blend by cramming in electronic noises and kooky sound effects that we would never imagine would work together. Nobody really knows whether this track will be included on her upcoming album, but, at this rate, we'll gladly take what's available.
