Animal

Performer: Ke$ha
Artist: 3OH!3
Distributor: Sony BMG

Notes: Just when it seemed 2009's trash-brat electro scene (3OH!3, LMFAO, Shwayze) was about to crumble under its own weight, rapper/singer/songwriter Kesha became the genre's biggest star, graduating from being Flo Rida's backup singer (she provided the hook on the rapper's massive single "Right Round") to superstar when her debut single, "TiK ToK," set a digital sales record with over 600,000 downloads in a week. Her climb to the top includes bizarre factoids like she once lived in the house where the Eagles recorded Hotel California, plus she once vomited in Paris Hilton's closet. Working on Hilton's album was the reason she was at the house, so it's hard not to appreciate how Animal makes Kesha sound nothing like an industry vet who used to write for the Veronicas. Here she's a gum-snapping, alcohol-abusing Facebook jockey straight out of the suburbs, who spits sophomoric but fun putdowns, come-ons, and sig files all over electro beats. Opening with "Maybe I need some rehab/Or maybe just need some sleep", Animal is up front about its unwillingness to face the real world, and prefers a garbage chic reality with a liberal shot of the `80s. "Party at a Rich Dude's House" could have fallen off the Fast Times at Ridgemont High soundtrack, while the word "gross" makes a serious comeback throughout the album. The music is heavy on gimmicks -- Auto-Tune, vocoders, and silly samples are all in abundance -- while able folks like Dr. Luke, plus Mim and Liv Nervo, are in charge of the colorful electro-pop productions. With so many fun, "TiK ToK"-type tracks, Animal is recommended for both brats and the bratty at heart. ~ David Jeffries

Rolling Stone (p.57) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "It's repulsive, obnoxious and ridiculously catchy....[The producers] envelop Ke$ha's bratty raps in percolating beats and buzzing bass lines..." Entertainment Weekly (p.71) - "[Producer Dr. Luke] frames her Valley Girl sneer with electro-glam arrangements..." -- Grade: B+ Billboard (p.32) - "[T]he set teems with choruses that stick with the listener for days, from the blissful 'Your Love Is My Drug' to the catty 'Backstabber.'"

Brash, driven pop singer and songwriter Ke$ha kicked her career into gear when she came into contact with Dr. Luke (a co-writer and co-producer of Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone"), who was impressed with some demo recordings. Ke$ha penned the Veronicas' "This Love" and later contributed background vocals to Britney Spears' "Lace and Leather," both of which were released in 2008, but the biggest turning point came in 2009, when she contributed vocals to Flo Rida's Dr. Luke-produced "Right Round," a number one Hot 100 hit. She subsequently signed to RCA; Animal, her debut album, was released in 2010 and reached the top of the Billboard 200, led by the number one single "TiK ToK." ~ Andy Kellman

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