Album Review: Ke$ha - Warrior

Ke$ha
Warrior
Rating: Meh

I get accused all the time of only liking a certain "type" of music and not liking something more mainstream or "pop." What I keep telling people is that yes, I do prefer music that is a little more out there, mainly because I like to be surprised by something new, however, I also like any song if it is a good song, regardless of genre. I like trashy pop just as much as the next guy, but it has to be first and foremost catchy as shit and not just something that is throwaway. The best pop songs over the years all have that certain quality that is almost impossible to calculate and quantify; but overall, they are great because you can feel the joy and love put into them. Which is why with Ke$ha I have never really had any connection to her music, always seemingly calculated for maximum pop impact, without making songs that are fun because they are fun, but songs that are "supposed to be" fun. On her megahit "Tik Tok" she came up with her formula which she has milked to the Nth degree. Seriously, I had no belief she would live past that record, but lo and behold we have the second Ke$ha record, and oddly, I will admit that I don't hate it. It is still not a great pop record, but it shows some willingness to try different things and go out on a limb, which for her is a huge step. But most tellingly, a lot of the tracks are just good, solid pop tracks that don't try to hard to make you like them, existing solely on their own merits.

Working with her usual collaborators, Dr. Luke and Max Martin, Warrior doesn't really leave the template of Animal behind more than just expand on it slightly. Unfortunately, she still attempts to remake "Tik Tok" again, not once, but twice, with title track "Warrior" and on "C'mon," which is almost a carbon copy of her hit.



Then there are the strange attempts of a more "mature" Ke$ha, aping the pop confections of Katy Perry, but lacking her knack for strong songwriting. "Wherever You Are" is merely an ok electro house track, with sentimental, lackluster lyrics,



and "Thinking of You" tries to add a little bite to the proceedings, creating a kiss-off anthem that ends up being more childish than truly cutting.



But when the album stops trying so hard, it is actually an entertaining listen. "Crazy Kids" has Ke$ha actually singing with little affectation, aside from a rap/sing breaks, and adds some needed warmth to her usual robotic delivery;



first single "Die Young" is still a bratty Ke$ha track, but doesn't clunk around like usual;



and shockingly, her collaboration with Iggy Pop "Dirty Love," which almost signaled disaster, is actually a fun romp.



Her collaboration with The Strokes doesn't come off quite as successfully, reverting to Strokes-by-the-numbers and not really capitalizing on what could have been a great track,



while "Love Into The Light" adds some interesting atmosphere into the album, coming off like a measured update of "In The Air Tonight."



Warrior has some really nice pop tracks on it, but overall it still has Ke$ha in a holding pattern, still trying to get blood from the stone of her previous hits. The mistakes on the album actually show her attempts to get away from that, and while they aren't necessarily successful, I do applaud her for doing something different. While it may seem like faint praise, the fact I didn't hate this album outright is a miracle.

Rating Scale:

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and piques one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.