So, it’s finally getting an official release after weeks in the charts. Are you ever slightly suspiciuous about why certain songs exist, and what they are trying to do? Do you ever wonder whether they’re attempting to truly nail a feeling that most of us have experienced, or would like to experience, or if they’re just trying to cross as many items off a To-Do list as possible?

I ask this because there are a moments in this particular song when it becomees transparently clear that her job is not so much to get a party started as to annoy the parents of unruly teenage children. The idea being that you are far more likely to want to buy something that your parents disapprove of, because that is the way pop music has always worked in the past. Nothing is more guaranteed to distract a young mind like your dad tutting and switching the radio off whenever a song comes on.

(Here’s the video. It’s glitteral.)

Of course, there has to be something worth getting distracted over too, so the disapproval and the “OMG GIMME GIMME” are not mutually exclusive. A pop star acting like the pie-eyed piper, leading innocent young minds astray, towards a sleazy hot night club where sensible jumpers are thrown aside in the rush to get messy, that’s every teen’s dream and every parent’s worst nightmare, right?

Wrong! Every parent’s worst nightmare is a pop star acting like the pie-eyed piper, leading innocent young minds astry, towards a sleazy hot night club where sensible jumpers are thrown aside in the rush to get messy, and there is LITTER ON THE FLOOR! I KNOW!

And what’s with that Russian melody in the chorus? Is someone trying to add suspected communism to the list of potential awfulnesses which are taking place in this den of iniquity? Is Ke$ha that keen to exploit a generation gap which may not really be there – “Dad, can you ask Mum to get off the X-Box? It’s my turn!” – that she’s prepared to re-open old wounds between the US and the former USSR? I know the ’80s are really in right now, but we surely don’t need the Cold War back on top of everything else.

And why, when her album is just as stuffed with heartfelt balladry as it is trash-talking, pants-waving, naughtiness, has she released this as a single? It can’t JUST be because it’s the trashpants thing which is getting all the attention, and there’s a fear that if Kesh reveals that she’s a sensitive young flower after all, with real feelings and a good, pure heart, her appeal with disappear like a soap bubble on a cactus, can it?

Oh wait, I just checked. It’s GLITTER on the floor. Someone must’ve been making Christmas cards in there and neglected to hoover. CALL THE POLICE! MY CHILDREN ARE IN THERE!!

Download: Out now

www.keshasparty.com
BBC Music page

(Fraser McAlpine)

Daniel Franklin Gomez says: “Kesha was apparently born during a party to a single mom, and I guess it has some influence.”

Get Addicted says: “The Cali native has a rep for being…well, the polar opposite of Taylor Swift.”

Hit Te Floor says: “I did see a video before of her saying there would be nakedness in this video, but turns out to be an outright lie.”

View full post on BBC Audio & Music | Radio 1 Chart Blog

‘Tik Tok’ singer says the love she has for her native city is ‘beyond words.’
By Josh Wigler

src="http://www.mtv.com/shared/promoimages/bands/k/keSha/grammys_jan30/281x211.jpg"/>



Ke$ha


Photo: Kevin Mazur/ Getty Images

The devastating flooding in Tennessee at the beginning of the month resulted in more than 15 flood-related deaths in the state, the widespread destruction of property and the endangerment of many animals. People across the United States are rushing to offer their support to the flood relief efforts, but it’s not just everyday Americans lending a hand. Celebrities, such as pop singer/songwriter Ke$ha, are pitching in as well.

Ke$ha — a native of the flood-affected Nashville — has announced a benefit concert to be held June 16 at the Limelight entertainment venue in Nashville. Tickets go on sale Thursday (May 6) at 5 p.m. CT, and all the concert’s proceeds will be donated to the assistance of families and animals affected by the Tennessee floods.

“I’m thrilled to announce that I will be playing a show to help benefit Nashville, my hometown,” the “Tik Tok” singer said in a press release. “100% of the profits from ticket sales will go to help the victims of these devastating floods. Nashville helped shape me as an artist and as a person, and my love for this city is beyond words. I will continue to do anything I can to help rebuild this city and support the families and animals who have been affected by this tragedy.”

Tickets for Ke$ha’s flood benefit concert will start at $30. Special VIP ticket packages are available for $100, offering purchasers the opportunity to meet and greet the singer.

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Her ‘Saturday Night Live’ performance was ‘sort of a preview of the video,’ she tells MTV News.
By James Montgomery

src="http://www.mtv.com/shared/promoimages/bands/k/keSha/your_love_is_my_drug_video_shoot/281x211.jpg"/>



Ke$ha on the set of her “Your Love Is My Drug” video set


Photo: Eric Ford/ On Location News

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey — If you were somewhat puzzled by Ke$ha’s “Saturday Night Live” performance last month, well, then you should probably prepare yourself to be positively flabbergasted by her upcoming “Your Love Is My Drug” video.

“The ‘SNL’ performance was sort of a preview of the video,” Ke$ha told MTV News on Saturday at the Bamboozle festival. “So, if you didn’t like that … I don’t know what to tell you.”

And while that seems to be in keeping with Ke$ha’s new “f— the cynics” motto, a whole lot of body paint and laser beams don’t exactly sound like a fully fleshed-out video. So we asked her to expound on the clip, which she described to MTV News last month as being primarily about playing with “animals and a hot bearded guy in the desert.” But from the sound of things, it basically seems like that’s the whole premise — which is sort of awesome and exactly what Ke$ha wanted to do all along.

“I wrote this song on an airplane in, like, 10 minutes and finished it with my mom. So it’s one of my favorites. It’s stupid and fun. You can’t take it too seriously,” she said. “And so, the video, I wanted it to be like a psychedelic trip of the mind, comparable with being so disgustingly in love with someone that you lose your head. So I ride an elephant — no big deal! — and, um, I dance around a cave with black-light body paint and a python. I was in a cave, in the desert, and it was really fun. This video was inspired by the Beatles’ ‘Yellow Submarine’ movie, the animation aspect. There’s a little bit of [that] in there too.”

Oh, and there’s the bearded dude too. Turns out, Ke$ha wasn’t trying to cash in on the burgeoning “urban woodsman” trend by casting a hirsute guy in the “Drug” video — she’s actually been into guys with facial fuzz for a while now.

“I’ve always been into bearded dudes. Hello, I’m from Nashville, I’m into hillbillies,” she laughed. “The redneck look is hot right now, and that’s great for me. I’m over dudes trying to look like they’re in boy bands.”

Are you excited to see Ke$ha’s new video? Do you love guys with beards too? Let us know in the comments!

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‘I had a fun time. I played laser beams,’ she says of her divisive performance.
By James Montgomery

src="http://www.mtv.com/shared/promoimages/bands/k/keSha/snl_perf_041810/281x211.jpg"/>



Ke$ha on “Saturday Night Live”


Photo: NBC

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey — Ke$ha’s recent performance on “Saturday Night Live” was divisive, to put it mildly.

Some saw her two-song set — which featured laser beams, body paint, spoken-word interludes, dancing astronauts, fireworks and an American-flag cape — as an attempt at “artistic expression” gone awry, while others praised her efforts, calling the performance “spirited” and writing pieces in her “defen$e.”

Either way, it didn’t really matter to Ke$ha. As she told MTV News on Saturday at the Bamboozle festival, she’s not listening to anything anyone has to say about her these days.

“If you don’t like dancing astronauts, laser beams that play music, me talking about aliens, glow-in the dark things, vocoders and a hot chick, I don’t know what to tell you,” she laughed. “My new theory is … I don’t really listen or look at anything. But I have heard through the grapevine that some people thought it sucked and some people thought it was great. [I] don’t care. I had a fun time. I played laser beams.”

She did, indeed. If anything, Ke$ha didn’t think the backlash from her “SNL” appearance had anything to do with, you know, her actual performances as it did with the fact that she refuses to be categorized. In an increasingly segmented industry, she proudly — almost defiantly — sticks out like a sore thumb. A sore thumb with laser beams, of course.

“I don’t use Auto-Tune. I come from a country-music-writing family, a punk-rock loving brother who gave me his records, and in a society where everything is supposed to be perfect — down to what I wear, what I look like, my body, my voice, my outfits — I’m not perfect, and I embrace it,” she said. “And I think that’s what a lot of people are finding not being up to par to, like, the standard that other people have set, but I’m just being real. And I think what I’m doing is good.”

What did you think of Ke$ha’s “SNL” performance? Let us know in the comments!

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‘Who would you rather hang out with: that cynical dude or me with my laser beams?,’ the ‘Tik Tok’ singer asks.
By James Montgomery

src="http://www.mtv.com/shared/promoimages/bands/k/keSha/ep_100503/281x211_3.jpg"/>



Ke$ha


Photo: Yanina Molina/ MTV News

It’s been a rather challenging couple of weeks for Ke$ha, the party-pop princess who has — for reasons not entirely clear to her — become the preferred punching bag for certain bloggers.

It all started with her April 17 performance on “Saturday Night Live,” a DayGlo-and-laser-beam-enhanced set that was criticized by some as being perhaps the “worst ever” musical moment on the “SNL” set. That only gave more ammo to avowed Ke$ha haters like Perez Hilton, who had previously called her live performances “horrid.”

And then there’s the blowback from her hit single “Tik Tok” being featured on the opening of Sunday night’s episode of “The Simpsons,” which baffled some bloggers and had longtime fans of the show getting in touch with their inner Comic Book Guy.

And through it all, Ke$ha has remained quiet. Mostly because she’s always made it a point to avoid reading or listening to anything the cynics have had to say about her, although she will admit that all the naysayers are starting to piss her off.

“I actually don’t read anything, because I feel like the haters really like to hate out loud, [and] that people who love sometimes love quietly. So I don’t really listen or look at anything,” she told MTV News at last weekend’s Bamboozle Festival in New Jersey. “[But] in general, f— the cynics. Go be cynical. … I’m having a good time. Like, who would you rather hang out with: that cynical dude or, like, me with my laser beams?”

And though Hilton has been one of her most outspoken critics, Ke$ha doesn’t harbor any ill will toward him. To be honest, she doesn’t really have any opinion of the celebrity gossipmonger.

“I don’t really know what he thinks, but you’ve got to live your life,” she laughed. “I don’t care. I mean, do you care if I like your shirt? I mean, I do like it, but what if I didn’t? Would you change it? Probably not. And you shouldn’t.”

At the end of the day, the thing that matters most to her is continuing the mission she embarked on with the release of her Animal album: to have fun, no matter what her detractors have to say, and no matter how loud they say it.

“One of the main things I wanted to do with this record, in this climate of the planet, right now, is just have ‘f—-off’ fun. I’m not pretentious, I’m not a bitch, I’m just having fun,” she laughed. “It’s pop music, and hopefully, people that like the music are embracing that mentality, that, like there are things to be taken seriously, but … me trying to get people to have so much fun, I don’t feel like I need to be pretentious about it.”

What do you think about Ke$ha’s attitude toward the haters? Let us know in the comments!

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Two things before we get into the cut and thrust of whether this is a good song or not a good song. One relevent, one…less so:

1: Ke$ha needs to release ‘Dinosaur’ as a single. She’s already got people’s backs up about whether she’s a great new pop talent or a pretend drunkard with personal hygiene issues as it is, so it’s not like she has anything to lose. And putting out a Daphne & Celeste sort of song has to be the best kind of “stuff you, grandad!” stunt since the invention of punk rock. She would gain everything and lose nothing. Unless it’s not a hit, of course.

2: I’ve finally figured out what was bugging me about Katy Perry’s ‘I Kissed A Girl’. Y’know the bit where she sings “don’t mean I’m IN love to-NIGHT”, and the stresses fall in all the wrong places? That’s so easy to fix. All she’d have to do is add an extra syllable, and sing “don’t mean that I’M in LOVE to-NIGHT”. You might not be able to get what I’m driving at from the text alone, but trust me, it works.

Now, where was I? Oh yes, Taio Cruz…

(Here’s the video. Who else would like to see the outtake where Kesh puts her foot in the loo?)

Now the thing with this song is it’s repetitive, it’s dumb, it’s silly and it’s crude. None of which are bad things in themselves. Ever the craftsman, Taio has invested proceedings with a selection of little bits, each overlapping slightly, so there’s a sense of forward motion as you, the listener, move from one to another.

It goes: pretty intro, doomy synth buildup, endless repetition of “won’t you take a picture for me, won’t you take a picture”, slurpy synths, silly rap (him), slurpy rap (her) and then back to the doomy synth again. Repeat with moany noises.

Usually, I am FAR more likely to be distracted by something daft like this, something which wallows in its own filth, than something which attempts to say anything clever using stupid language. And the jarring clash between Taio’s supersmooth soul-gentleman image and Ke$ha’s sloppy drunken nonsense is genuinely fascinating. The song actually transforms from one kind of a thing to another, depending who has their hand on the microphone. Even if the music stays the same. It’s amazing.

Trouble is, as a song, it kind of runs out of anything to say far too quickly. If you’ve got a chorus which is just one line repeated like that, you probably need to be a bit more sparing with it. Maybe use it to season your bassquake dance anthem, rather than attempting to make it the principal ingredient.

Ah well, at least it’s not boring, eh?

Download: Out now
CD Released: May 3rd
taiocruzmusic.co.uk
BBC Music page

(Fraser McAlpine)

View full post on BBC Audio & Music | Radio 1 Chart Blog

‘This is the video where I really got to play with animals and a hot bearded guy in the desert,’ the singer says.
By Jocelyn Vena

src="http://www.mtv.com/shared/promoimages/bands/k/keSha/your_love_is_my_drug_video_shoot/281x211.jpg"/>



Ke$ha on the set of her “Your Love Is My Drug” video


Photo: Eric Ford/ On Location News

Recently, photos of Ke$ha prancing around the desert for her “Your Love Is My Drug” video hit the Web and fans immediately began to wonder what the singer had planned for the clip. MTV News got a few details from the singer herself about the sexy video.

“In my video for ‘Your Love Is My Drug,’ it has a lot of animals in it, so that’s exciting ’cause I’m a huge animal lover and I get to actually, like, hang out and ride and perform with animals,” she said about the clip, shot in Lancaster, California, last week. “For more details, check out my video,” she added.

However, we were able to get a few more details out of the singer. “I am wearing an animal mask,” Ke$ha continued. “I’ll give away one of them. I do get to perform glowing in the dark, in a cave, with a python wrapped around my body. So if that’s not sexy, I don’t know what is.”

She says the video will also help to clear up any theories as to why she named her debut Animal. “I love animals — that’s why my record’s called Animal. People have their theories about why I called my record Animal — it’s really just because I’m obsessed with animals and I feel like I am an animal and I want to bring that out in people,” she said. “So this is the video where I really got to play with animals and a hot bearded guy in the desert. It’s so good! Just watch it!”

Are you excited to see Ke$ha’s new video? Let us know in the comments below!

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‘The first time I stood on [the stage], I kinda felt like I was going to throw up in my mouth a little bit,’ she says.
By Jocelyn Vena

src="http://www.mtv.com/shared/promoimages/bands/k/keSha/ep_41510/alt/281x211.jpg"/>



Ke$ha


Photo: Sam Hendrick/ MTV News

Ke$ha plans to storm the “Saturday Night Live” stage this weekend, and while it’s an exciting time for her, the singer has copped to feeling jittery about the high-profile performance.

“It’s really nerve-racking,” she told MTV News on Thursday during a rehearsal break. “The first time I stood on [the stage], I kinda felt like I was going to throw up in my mouth a little bit, but then I didn’t, so that was awesome.”

Ke$ha will sing her chart-topping “Tik Tok” and her latest single and video, “Your Love Is My Drug”, on “SNL.” “Just practicing a few times [now], I’m feeling a little more comfortable,” she said of the live performance. “It’s definitely an honor.”

Asked whether she knew what she might wear, Ke$ha played coy. “I do know! All I have to say is that it might be really awesome,” she teased. “Actually, I’m pretty sure it is.”

Ryan Phillippe, who stars in the “SNL” sketch-turned-film “MacGruber,” will handle the hosting duties the night Ke$ha performs. The singer has her fingers crossed for the chance to star with the actor in a skit. “We bonded. You can say that,” she laughed. “I mean, that would be ideal. I hope that happens.”

She even had a sketch in mind. “Well, they’re top-secret, so I can’t tell you,” she said. “But one idea was someone recently told me I smell like shrimp in a diaper, so I thought I could do a perfume skit about me with my eau de perfume being a shrimp in a diaper. It’s very sensual.”

Are you happy with Ke$ha’s “SNL” song choices? Let us know in the comments!

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‘I would love to do something funny,’ singer says of hopes she’ll appear in a sketch.
By Jocelyn Vena

src="http://www.mtv.com/shared/promoimages/bands/k/keSha/ep_41510/alt_3/281x211.jpg"/>



Ke$ha


Photo: Sam Hendrick/ MTV News

Ke$ha is currently prepping for her stint as musical guest on this week’s “Saturday Night Live,” when “MacGruber” star Ryan Phillippe hosts the show. And while Ke$ha is known for her wild pop-star persona, she has yet to show the world her comedy chops. So will the “Tik Tok” singer be able to flex her comic muscle on Saturday night?

“I have some ideas. I don’t know … it hasn’t been confirmed or denied yet [if I'll appear in a sketch], so I can’t say for sure. But I would love to do something funny,” she revealed to MTV News on Thursday (April 15) during show rehearsals.

Although she’s still unsure if she will actually appear in a sketch, she did pitch some ideas to “SNL” writers. “Well, they’re top-secret, so I can’t tell you,” she teased. “But one idea was someone recently told me I smell like shrimp in a diaper, so I thought I could do a perfume skit about me with my eau de perfume being a shrimp in a diaper. It’s very sensual.”

Ke$ha would also love the opportunity to appear in at least one sketch with Phillippe. “We bonded. You can say that,” she laughed. “I mean, that would be ideal [to star in a sketch together]. I hope that happens.”

It’s not always easy to get up there and be funny on “SNL,” and Ke$ha hopes to score some time with Andy Samberg to ask for advice. “I just met Andy and that was awesome,” she said. “But we didn’t really get to chat yet.”

Are you looking forward to watching Ke$ha be funny on “SNL”? Tell us in the comments below!

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‘Tik Tok’ singer filmed third video from Animal LP.
By Jocelyn Vena

src="http://www.mtv.com/shared/promoimages/bands/k/keSha/your_love_is_my_drug_video_shoot/281x211.jpg"/>



Ke$ha on the set of her “Your Love Is My Drug” video


Photo: Eric Ford/ On Location News

Ke$ha is gearing up to tour with Rihanna this summer, but not before taking time out to shoot the third video from her Animal album, “Your Love Is My Drug.” The clip was filmed on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week and features Ke$ha hanging out in the California desert.

The video reportedly “follows Ke$ha on a fun journey through an animated world” and was shot in Lancaster, California. In it, Ke$ha is seen dancing and performing near sand dunes while wearing a khaki-colored bathing suit; she’s also seen wrapped in what appears to be a fishing net.

While she was all by her lonesome during the sunset scenes, once the sun went down, she filmed a kissing scene with an unidentified guy next to a campfire. Later on, Ke$ha performed — under black lights while wearing body paint — near some giant rock boulders. The video follows up Ke$ha’s other clips for her hits “Tik Tok” and “Blah Blah Blah.”

Ke$ha actually worked with her mom, Pebe Sebert, on several Animal tracks, including “Your Love Is My Drug.” She’s previously described the track as one that delves into the sordid details of her love life. “I wrote a few songs with my mom, who’s a sick writer, and taught me everything I know about songwriting,” she said.

“My mom and I are best friends, so it really comes naturally. She taught me how to write my first song. I can also be really honest with her. We’re like best friends and there are no really forbidden topics.”

Are you looking forward to Ke$ha’s new video? What do you think will happen in it? Let us know in the comments below!

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