You know how every Pokémon trainer selects a starter to fight through life with? In a similar ritual, every young gay kid finds a pop idol to fawn over forever. Whether it’s Gaga’s “Little Monsters,” or Beyonce’s “BeyHive,” we tether to these stars for belonging. I’ve been cheering Kesha on through my humble telescope for more than a decade, so to experience her upcoming album (Period.) early was a pleasure and privilege. I’m beyond excited to share my super-fan thoughts as a true “Animal” (her fandom’s named for her first record) and ever-loyal listener.
I should begin by addressing my slight bias. Kesha (formerly Ke$ha, real fans know she dropped the dollar sign in 2017 “to let go of her ‘I don’t care’ facade’”) is my number one. Ever since TiK ToK graced my innocent tween ears, I knew that this partying rebel legend who never seemed too bothered by bullshit was my blueprint to a life well-lived. Friends even made me a birthday flash mob to “Your Love Is My Drug.” I’ve seen the rollercoaster her personal life and career has been these past few years, stuck to a hopeless recording contract and unable to find justice for past abuse allegations. This album celebrates her finally breaking free of that hell, so to finally see Kesha enjoying her wild and musical ride of life again has really filled my heart with joy.
Gone are constraints of genre and studio interference, as this is the first record produced under her own label, ‘Kesha Records.’ This album feels spiritually connected to her early unabashed adventures in the 2010s, which held a similar style of freedom. Kesha returns to building fresh, boldly melodic and emotionally raw moments. It’s shameless and unique, a welcome return to her freest form.
(Period.), released on the Fourth of July, shone as bright as the fireworks set to light up the sky on release day. Kesha serves us her signature controlled chaos that we all know and love, while also offering a hype-mix record that flows without flaw.
Kesha’s strongest work to date is ready to apply for your Song of the Summer spot. Standouts like “Delusional”, “Red Flag”, and “Boy Crazy” are instant saves and bear repeating, reminding us that the unproblematic party girl is back on her throne. There’s also cathartic throwbacks like “Cathedral”, harkening to the soulful Kesha with a belt that gives “Praying” a run for its money.
Some tracks feel akin to classics like “Wonderland”, “Dancing With Tears in My Eyes”, and other overlooked gems. Others (specifically the upbeat “Yippee Ki Yay”) feel in line with her former empowerment anthems like “My Own Dance” and “Woman”, leaning more country than one may expect.
LET’S GET TO THE ALBUM
A beautiful piano welcomes us into the first song, more than 6 minutes long in its entirety. Then come in the gentle vocals; A soulful start like a mermaid siren luring ill-fated pirates into her glorious pop-rockpile, Kesha harmonizes alongside a gentle, growing beat. Just when you think it’s going to stay in that calm vibe… she’s back to rapping “Take me to the best sex shop.” We’re so back, baby! A choir comes in, reminiscent of her inspiring performance at The Grammy’s following the rise of “Me Too.” Titled “Freedom”, a consistent theme in this album, and this song embraces that unrestrainedness to the fullest. Elements of lo-fi, jazz, and sprinkles of hip hop accompany fun lyrics like “I drink when I’m happy and I’m drunk right now.” She cries, “Freedom, I’ve been waiting for ya!” Oh, we know queen, and we’re so glad you’ve finally found it.
Then we’re off to “JoyRide,” which has an awesome music video. It was also just used in a Love Island episode. This song brings non-commercialized hyperpop vibes. We hear Kesha’s love for real sound in her music, like car honks inviting you in for the titular “Joyride.” She declares, “You want kids? Well, I am Mother” before rocking into a sultry and well-edited chorus. An early release, “Joyride” was just a tiny fraction of the chaotic beauty on the way.
On country hit “Yippie Ki Yay”, she starts with a twang-filled, “Bitch I just got a brand new car, hose me down at the trailer park!” A lot of folks don’t know that Kesha was born and raised in Nashville; country is in this girl’s blood. “Yippie Ki Yay” feels like Shaboozey’s “Tipsy”, that energetic mix of pop, hip hop, and country. She’s full honkeytonk in this one, singing about being “lit as a bonfire,” “hella smooth like Miller Lite,” and “a barefoot baddie from Tennessee.” It’s a mashup you wouldn’t expect, like her collaboration with Pitbull on “Timber.” Other notable lines include “Edison couldn’t get this lit” and “Kesha, you’re dolla sign fine, I want more of it.”
No stranger to the power of synth-pop, especially on her earlier albums where she had the most creative freedom, “Delusional” draws directly from that early Kesha sound. This one goes out to the delusional guys who think they’d “find someone better now.” We’re all a bit delulu, but you’re fully off the deep end if you’re dating Kesha and fumble the ball. “Watch me getting hotter on your cheap tv”. It’s a pump-up song for a post-breakup to get you back out there with confidence. “Delusional” is one of my favorites, really bringing back that unique world of self-assurance Kesha thrives in. Send this to an ex who lost the best thing they’ll ever have, because as Kesha said, “you’re delusional if you think you’ll find someone more beautiful.”
“Red Flag.” Popular Gen Z and Millennial term for a bad trait in a date, it’s fun to see Kesha explore what we’re all talking about, but with a twist. She’s into the red flags instead! “Red Flag” is lyrically a love letter to the weirdos: “the broken in me sees the broken in you” and then it gets into that fast-paced, dancey beat. She loves the chaotic boys, and honestly, she’s not the only one! “I love a red flag” she shares, done with the nice guys that “left her feeling dead inside.” Kesha demands a man with “chaos dripping head to toe!” Her idea of a red flag can match her freak, maybe even exceed it, so if you’re out there, let Kesha know! Sometimes we see the red flags and don’t care, choosing to appreciate another’s imperfections.
Track 6, “Love Forever,” is another embrace of the album’s thread of being unencumbered by genre and expectations. This smooth song feels like we’ve traveled to the early 80s, offering that signature robot sound that bands like Daft Punk and Tupperware Remix Party live in). She just wants a love that lasts forever! The disco beat keeps its fun flow throughout and though a bit repetitive, it is a nice time overall.
On “The One,” Kesha shows her songwriting abilities to convey a story of strength and vulnerability. Like Lorde, Avril Lavigne, Taylor Swift, or Olivia Rodrigo, Kesha knows how to pour her lived experience into a ballad. She proudly proclaims that “She is the one!”, marking a new era of self-love. “Love me or hate me, I’m iconic baby,” and “I’m the one I’ve waited for” add weight to this impressive song. After so many unfair hurdles in her career and life, it’s wonderful as a fan to hear her choose herself first! She really is “The One”, readily reformed to be the liberated woman she deserves to be. Boisterous, fun, and unafraid to say that loving yourself isn’t unfair- it’s actually paramount. The song’s use of trumpets adds to the regality, so be the monarch of your own kingdom because you deserve it. It’s incredible to hear Kesha identify herself as “The One”, because she truly is.
“Boy Crazy” is one of my favorites from the album, and since it was an early single release, I’ve been enjoying it for a few weeks! The wild music video is turning heads, too. She sings of being flown out and entertained by these boys, still in control but like a cat in heat! Succumbing to boys as a disease in a way, craving them like a vampire, draws back to the viral “Cannibal” trend, using an older underrated song of hers. Would love to see a “Boy Crazy” challenge in the future, though not sure how that’d look. “I just need a little love tonight, I can’t help it, baby, I’m on fire.” It’s messy and self-aware in the best ways, sounds amazing in an Uber to the gay bar, and is another gem in Kesha’s pop-punk crown.
“Glow” gives another self-empowerment anthem with a unique sound (similar to Lizzo’s “Truth Hurts” with a techno flair). “Glow” has that hard boots on the club floor beat we’re known to love from hyperpop icons like Kesha. It’s easy to see how fun “Glow” will be to perform, it has a chorus primed for dancing.
The penultimate song is “Too Hard.” She shares, “You twisted the knife as you watched me bleed,” and continues “I will always love you even if it hurts my heart.” She sang on the complex topic of “Resentment” in the past, taking apart the hard-to-explain emotion. This bop focuses on the sadness and hope that comes with still loving someone “who poisoned the water and still let you drink”. Feelings are tough to shut off, we aren’t designed to go from loving to hating someone with such ease. Kesha carries a smooth tune, proclaiming she’ll always love that person no matter how much it hurts. Sometimes, that’s just how it is.
“Cathedral” finishes the album. This isn’t the first reclamation of Christian imagery Kesha’s explored. Past songs like “Praying” and “Hymn” both poke at and embrace the role God plays in one’s journey. “Pain was my ritual, fear my religion, but I was the one who needed forgiving… I’m the cathedral.” Another creative song lyrically with a powerful message about finally coming home from a “lethal” life. She reflects, “Who I once was, she seems so far, I’ve had to sacrifice her from the start, I’m born again with every scar, maybe it’s all written into the stars.” THEN SHE GETS LOUD!! Kesha digs her heels in and sings like there’s no tomorrow: “I’ve dived into hell so I could start living!” is another standout lyric from this piece. The fierce finale at the song’s end encompasses the final freedom she found, now viewing herself as the titular “Cathedral,” both scarred yet still holy and worthy of love.
Kesha is finally free to perform how she wants, write what she means, and to sing what she needs to say. If this album gives any lesson, it’s this: Kesha being unchained has changed everything.
On her very first album, “Animal,” then 22-year-old Kesha sings “I am in love with what we are, not what we should be,” and then 12-year-old Jonny took every word to heart. That message, of accepting yourself and embracing liberation, is back on full display in (Period.). It’s clear Kesha’s recaptured her self-assuring magic in her new album, a joyous collection of songs highlighting how good Kesha feels to not just be back in the driver’s seat on a “Joyride”, but to have dominion over the wide open road ahead.
