Ke$ha’s debut, Animal, was shocking, funny, exciting, and according to an interview in The New York Times, at least partly a joke.
Ke$ha’s sophomore album, Warrior, is less a party anthem than an admission to having a soul. Despite containing less of the party-satire that originally drew listeners in, the album makes an advance musically.
With roots in house, dubstep and classic rock, Warrior represents the unique beast that Ke$ha has made herself into. And while it is less tasteless for the sake of irony, the album provides exactly what a pop album should, catchy, positive songs that most people can enjoy.
Ke$ha’s style-change is safe, leaving enough of her roots to recognize Warrior as a Ke$ha album, but shedding enough in attempt to invent herself as a more serious artist.
Pulsating house music serves as a setting for the first half of Warrior, morphing behind love songs like “C’mon,” and “Wherever You Are,” presenting a dreamy, love-struck Ke$ha that was previously absent.
Love takes the place of the previous theme, promiscuity, and while Ke$ha’s main venue of choice is still the dance-floor, she would no longer have us believe that she is purely hedonistic or that her toothpaste of choice is Jack Daniel’s.
House blends with acoustic guitar and the bellows of dubstep in the album’s first single, “Die Young,” which remains to be my favorite song on the radio, showcasing the mix of these styles that define the “new” Ke$ha.
A report by The New York Times explained that Ke$ha’s original intent for Warrior was purely rooted in classic rock, apparently being inspired by Iggy Pop’s “The Idiot.” Ke$ha’s producer changed the direction, but some of these rock songs do remain.
“Dirty Love” and “Only Want to Dance with You” ditch electronics and feature Iggy Pop. These songs seem to be underdeveloped and out of place, and though they are enjoyable as stand-alone songs, they simply don’t fit.
The lyrics, too, seem out of place in spots, often shallow during love songs. Perhaps this is in attempt to slowly let go of her old image, but in some spots she does seems genuinely mature.
In “C’mon,” Ke$ha sings, “I don’t want to think about what’s going to be after this, I just want to live right now.” It is something that nearly every college student can relate to; how can anyone enjoy youth when it is essentially a preparation for something profoundly less interesting?
Ke$ha finds a new sound in Warrior and tries a new way of expressing herself lyrically, she is now at a crossroads, not a sophomore slump, and provides a solid album, but leaves growing room.
