Confession: I love Ke$ha.
I know, I know. She always acts like she’s drunk or hungover, her song lyrics can be questionable (i.e. “Before I leave, brush my teeth with a bottle of Jack”), and her music videos are just plain weird.
Ke$ha’s smart, guys. She was an IB student who almost got a perfect SAT score. She was a “dork” in the marching band. But her dream wasn’t academic; she knew she wanted to be a musician, and she pursued her dream until she achieved it. I respect that.
Does her artistic persona show us whom she truly is? She could just know that the crazy, daring party girl who will “go insane, go insane, throw some glitter, make it rain” will sell, just like Lady Gaga (who is actually very shy and introverted) knows that the unpredictable star will sell.
Some of Ke$ha’s songs even touch on actual issues. For example, the empowering “We R Who We R” encourages us to embrace our differences and celebrate them (possibly while dancing at a club). “Dinosaur” calls out elderly men who engage in pedophilia. “Animal” expresses the feelings of a “starstruck” lover.
The best, however, has to be “Crazy Beautiful Life.” She begins by exclaiming that she’s “in love, all right, with [her] crazy, beautiful life.” She defends her way of life by stating that performing crazy actions are the way she attempts to “live,” but she seems to contradict her explanation by saying, “Try dodging all the douche bag guys/Try trading all the wasted times/For something real in this crazy life.”
In the second verse, Ke$ha denies any attempts to imitate other artists and asks others to stop trashing her. She admits her inexperience in the music industry but describes the misfortunes through which she’s been, including going through “sketchy phases,” experiencing poverty, and being a “shitty waitress,” before making money as an entertainer. In other words, she’s worked to get discovered, so she feels like she’s getting rewarded for her perseverance with attention. Again, I respect that.
Many may disagree with my view, and while I acknowledge others’ opinions, I won’t agree with them. For now, that is…hopefully, she won’t also shave her head.