Warrior is the секунда studio album by American recording artist Kesha, released on November 30, 2012 by Kemosabe Records and RCA Records. Its Музыка spans the dance-pop and party rap genres;[1][2] Kesha described the album as еще personal than her Назад material in addition to her attempt at reviving the rock and roll genre, which she called a "cock pop" record. Its theme is сказал(-а) to be magic.
Письмо for Warrior began in late 2011 and ended in early 2012, with recording taking place from January through August 2012. Kesha wrote the majority of the album while touring internationally and during her spiritual journey. Contributions to the album's production came from longtime collaborators Dr. Luke, Max Martin, Shellback, Ammo and Benny Blanco. It features guest vocals from American rock singer Iggy Pop, who has been cited as a major influence on the album, as well as contributions from Nate Ruess from American indie rock trio Fun, American rapper will.i.am, Singer-songwriter Bonnie McKee, The Black Keys ударник, барабанщик Patrick Carney, American rock band The Strokes, American rock band The Flaming Lips and Kesha's own mother, Pebe Sebert. Upon its release, Warrior received generally favorable reviews from Музыка critics, who commended its rock-influenced material, lyrical content, and collaborations whilst others criticized its use of Auto Tune and formulaic content. The album reached number six on the U.S. Billboard 200, also charting within the United Kingdom, Australia, Belgium, Japan, Ireland, New Zealand and Spain.
The album's lead single "Die Young" became an international success, peaking at number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and charting in multiple countries worldwide. "C'mon" initially served as a promotional single, and peaked at number 27 after its release as the секунда single. An acoustic extended play (EP) Deconstructed was exclusively released through her website to promote the Фан edition of the album, and features re-record tracks from her Назад releases and a cover of "Old Flames Can't Hold a Candle to You" by American country recording artist Dolly Parton, which was co-written by Kesha's mother, Pebe Sebert. In total, the album has spawned 3 вверх 40 hits in USA, Canada, and Australia.In June 2010, Kesha discussed her секунда album with MTV News. During the interview she revealed that she was already beginning to think about her секунда album and explained that it was going differ from her first record, specifically commenting that it would reflect her growth: "There's definitely going to be a difference. I'm always changing and evolving and because I write all of my own Музыка it will be reflective of the record. It'll still stay fun and young and irreverent."[3] After the release of her first album Kesha embarked on her first worldwide tour, the Get Sleazy Tour throughout 2011. While touring she began Письмо songs for her секунда album but recording and other work on the album was not commenced until she had completed the tour.[4][5]
In 2011, the singer took a hiatus from Музыка to embark on other ventures.[6] She was hired by the Humane Society and became their first global ambassador, which consumed her time as she made a documentary for National Geographic that revolved around "animals being abused and how to stop that, или Животные that are going extinct and how to help those animals."[6] The album includes a variety of different musical participants, which was explained by the singer: "The range of artists I want to work with is so vast it’s bizarre. If someone is a real artist, Ты can’t confine them to a particular genre. It’s my mission to make it all make sense somehow."[7] Along with expanding her collaborations, the singer expanded her musical repertoire, as she began playing the гитара significantly еще with the plans of incorporating it into her new material.[8] In February 2012, while being interviewed by Glamour, Kesha stated that while she was currently in the process of Письмо songs for her album, she was also taking a variety of instrument lessons, emphasizing specifically that she was taking гитара lessons.[9]
Название and concept[edit]
In March 2011, Kesha revealed in an interview with Beatweek Magazine that she had already chosen the Название for the record, naming it спандекс on the Distant Horizon.[10] However, in a publication in May 2012, Billboard stated that the project was untitled.[11] The album's underlying theme stems around embracing a person's inner warrior, which the singer elaborated on: "I’ve seen how many people my Музыка can reach, and I’ve realized that I have somewhat of a social responsibility to make sure everything I say is positive. The underlying theme of this Далее record is warrior, with the positive message being that everyone has a warrior inside."[6] On September 18, 2012, via her Twitter and Instagram accounts, Kesha began announcing letters, believed to be from the Название of the album, alluding to the name of the album title, "Warrior". This was later confirmed when she tweeted the release дата of the album.[12]
Recording[edit]
Kesha worked with Lukasz Gottwald and Max Martin on a variety of tracks.[8] She also expressed interest in enlisting the production duo, the Dust Brothers, who are known for producing tracks for the Rolling Stones, Beastie Boys and Beck, however no recording dates were ever penned. Her friend Paul Nicholls, a DJ, was also named as a potential participant in construction of the album. However, no recording dates with him have been recorded either.[8] According to MTV, Kesha entered the studio with Luke in January 2012. Both Kesha and Luke had been working on material for the upcoming project but had yet to start studio sessions prior to January.[13] Kesha reported via Twitter in March 2012 she was recording the album with Luke and Benny Blanco. In the recording studio together they created a track described by the singer as a "cock-pop" influenced song.[14] This track was revealed to be "Thinking of You".[15]
Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips contributed to the album after learning Kesha was a Фан of his work and after she worked with him on his album Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends.
"I'm helping with some lyrics here and there. She's really a great songwriter. She has an easy way with things. I've worked with a lot of people that are very uptight about how they do their music, but she's very fun, so I don't really have any reservations about whether I don't like her music. I like her, and she likes us, so fuck it. I'm not too worried about it."[16]
—Coyne, on Письмо and working with Kesha.
Wayne Coyne from The Flaming Lips first expressed interest in working with Kesha in January 2012. Coyne сказал(-а) he knew she was a Фан of his work and felt that a collaboration between the two would be a "perfect match."[17] The duo reportedly collaborated at the Lips' studio in January 2012.[18] A track called "2012" was created during a February recording session in Nashville and was released on the Lips' album, The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends. In March 2012, Coyne told Rolling Stone that he was in the development stages of talking to Kesha about working with her on her new material.[19] Along with "2012", Wayne and Kesha's first collaboration created three other songs, all of which belonged to Kesha. Coyne was later asked if he still intended to contribute to her album he responded, stating: "I'm trying to. I think we're getting together right before Easter. We've already done three songs-- they're hers".[16] According to Twitter messages by Coyne, recording between the duo continued in April 2012 and a track that discussed "futuristic sex toys" was created.[20] Coyne and Kesha revealed via Twitter that a song titled "You Control My Heart" was created. Coyne announced that he was in the process of mixing the song.[21] "Past Life", a track described by Coyne as a "stellar track" was confirmed to be another collaboration between the pair.[22] Altogether, Coyne and Kesha's collaboration yielded between six and seven tracks.[23]
In mid April 2012, Billboard published an Статья claiming that Scottish producer Calvin Harris had contributed several tracks to the upcoming album. Their specific recording дата was unknown.[24] In May 2012, Kesha continued to record with Dr. Luke, and artist Sia Furler, although this track did not make the final track listing.[25] Rock singer Iggy Pop was also revealed as a collaborator, when the singer tweeted a picture in May 2012 saying that the singer would feature on the record.[26] Billboard later confirmed Iggy Pop would feature on "Dirty Love", produced by Dr. Luke.[27] Kesha continued to work with Dr Luke and Benny Blanco, and with new collaborators Henry Walter and Fun. lead singer Nate Ruess – the four created a track described by Blanco as "old hippie rock".[28] That track was later revealed as "Die Young".[29] Kesha revealed that she and Dr Luke had created 17 incomplete songs, including "Last Goodbye", "Die Young" and "Supernatural". She прокомментировал(-а) on the sound, "I want it to be a mix of what works on the radio and what I listen to in my spare time," she says. "I'm on a steady diet of T. Rex and Iggy Pop."[30][31]
Composition[edit]
Influence and sound[edit]
Iggy Pop's debut solo album The Idiot (1977), was cited as one of the album's main musical influences when Kesha was constructing the album's sound.
In contrast to her debut album, Kesha has сказал(-а) her секунда album will also incorporate rock genres, inspired from the Музыка of the 1970s.[4] She has stated her Любовь for rock Музыка will be incorporate it into this album.[8] 1970s rock singers Led Zeppelin, AC/DC and Iggy Pop's album, The Idiot, were cited as musical inspirations for the Далее record.[8] She wants the album to explore different sounds and Kesha has сказал(-а) the record will be еще experimental than her first. She wants to incorporate elements of blues music, saying, "I definitely want the Далее record to be experimental and I would Любовь to play with all the different sounds of the Музыка I listen to. I really want some dirty гитара and I wouldn't mind if there were elements of blues."[8] On her first record Kesha imposed a restriction on her producers limiting their use of guitars.[7] In order to encompass visceral energy on the record she lifted this restriction and instead has chosen to focus on the inclusion of guitars to try and capture the sound of the 70s and 80s.[7] Kesha has прокомментировал(-а) on the sound of the record, stating that it will remain a pop album, but that it will also branch away from her Назад "white-girl rap": "Some people will be shocked. Some will also be excited to know that I don’t just do silly white-girl rap. I'm from the South, I have a lot of soul. But trust me—it's not going to be some avant-garde jazz record. I innately write pop songs. That's just what I do."[6] Kesha began recording the album in 2011, after traveling the world; she went on a spiritual journey. Recalling experiences of feeding baby lions and swimming with great white sharks, Kesha said, "I got hypnotized, and I just really wanted this record to be really positive, really raw, really vulnerable and about the magic of life."[32] "Supernatural" contains dubstep elements and explores erotic experiences Kesha encountered with ghosts.[33][34][35] The track "Dirty Love" was inspired by Iggy Pop's Музыка and draws from гараж rock and punk rock.[36] "Wonderland" is a country-rock song that explores Kesha's past with her broke friends.[37][38] The tracks "Wherever Ты Are," "Die Young," "C'Mon" all contain elements of techno-pop,[39] whereas tracks like "Only Wanna Dance With You" and "Gold Trans Am" draw from electronic rock.[citation needed] "C'Mon" and "Crazy Kids" are electronic rap songs.[37] Overall, Kesha сказал(-а) the theme of Warrior is magic.[40] She further explained the main inspiration behind the album's change of sound:
"I feel like I don't necessarily agree, but people say that rock and roll is dead, and it is my mission and my goal to resurrect it in the form of my pop music, [...] that's the goal. We'll see what happens. That's a very ambitious and lofty goal, but that's my goal."[13]
Songs and lyrics[edit]
"Supernatural"
Menu
0:00
"Supernatural" contains dubstep elements and explores erotic experiences Kesha encountered with ghosts.
Problems playing this file? See media help.
Kesha has сказал(-а) the songs are inspired by her experiences during her tours.[8][41] In contrast to her first record which featured Музыка described by the singer as "very brash and very sassy and very unapologetic and irreverent", she says the секунда album makes a lyrical departure and explores a еще vulnerable side in its lyrics.[13] She explained: "I have learned over the past three years of doing this that being vulnerable doesn't mean you're weak. I very much want to be seen as a strong woman, but I realize that vulnerability can also be a strength. So on my Далее record, Ты are going to hear probably a little еще of that."[13] Kesha commented, in an interview with Rolling Stone, "The first two records talked еще about partying, which is a great, magical part of life, but some songs on the new record are еще personal and vulnerable. And Ты can hear еще of the Музыка I listen to when I'm lying in my bed. I'm not claiming that it's a rock record – but as long as it's fucking good, Ты can call it whatever Ты want."[30] Co-written by her mother, Pebe Sebert, the song titled "Gold Trans Am" doubles as a metaphor for her vagina and alludes to her actual automobile. Of the song, Kesha said: "It began as a song about my car, which is a Золото Trans Am, and it works about 40 per cent of the time. I don't have another car because I Любовь that one so much. But then like all great pop it became a metaphor for something else - my pussy."[42] "C'Mon", the секунда single, serves as one of the album's many pop rap songs. In it, Kesha raps: "Saw Ты leaning against that old record machine/ Saw the name of your band written on the marquee/ It's a full moon tonight so we gettin' rowdy/ Yeah, we gettin' rowdy, get-get-gettin' rowdy."[43] Billboard called "C'Mon" a YOLO dance варенье, джем about taking hookups from the dance floor to the bedroom," adding that the lyrics were on par with Kesha's "Your Любовь is My Drug" fecklessly juvenile attitude.[37] A ballad, "Love Into the Light", depicts Kesha at her most vulnerable, beginning with a string of confessions and culminating in a hopeful anti-bullying anthem.[37] Billboard praised the song for contrasting Kesha's trademark "glitter and Auto-Tune" persona, before highlighting "Past Lives" as the album's best track lyrically.[37] "Last Goodbye" tributes Neil Young's "For the Turnstiles", while "Only Wanna Dance With You" intends to parody work by The Strokes.[38]
Promotion[edit]
Release[edit]
The album was tentatively due to be released in May 2012, but was later announced with an official release дата of 4 December 2012. It was originally expected to be released near the end of 2011 but the delay between albums was because Kesha wanted to try and make an album that could shift the sound of pop Музыка into a еще rock direction.[44][45] While being interviewed by the Calgary Herald she explained the delay and elaborated on this, stating: "I want to take enough time to make sure it's the reinvention of pop music. That's the ultimate goal, to reinvent pop music. So I'm planning on taking as much time as I need, but May sounds about right."[45]
Touring[edit]
Further information: 2013 North American Tour and Warrior Tour
In the summer of 2013, Kesha embarked on a co-headlined tour with Pitbull. The tour, North American Tour 2013, travelled across North America, hitting venues in the United States and Canada.[46] Since the joint tour did not cover any places outside of the US and Canada, Kesha decided to extend her tour and add еще dates in other countries.[47] The Warrior Tour covers many places in Европа and select places in the US.[47] Many of the dates are parts of festivals and fairs such as Live at the Marquee Festival in Cork, Ireland, the Wireless Festival in London, England, and the Illinois State Fair in Springfield, Illinois.The album's lead single, "Die Young" was released on September 25, 2012.[48] The track was soon uploaded to Kesha's BMI following the Kesha's announcement of the single, and was co-written by Fun. lead singer Nate Ruess. Co-producer Benny Blanco described the track as "old hippie rock",[32] while Kesha described the track as "her favourite of the album".[28][29] A 35 секунда Музыка video teaser was uploaded on September 12, 2012 onto her YouTube page. A секунда 29 секунда snippet, featuring Kesha's vocals, was uploaded on 17 September 2012. The same day, Kesha published the single's artwork onto her Twitter. The song premiered and impacted US radio on 25 September 2012. It was released in Европа on November 18, 2012 and the United Kingdom on November 25, 2012, debuting in the UK at 10.[49][50]
"C'Mon", which was previously released as the album's first promotional single, was also released as the official секунда single from the album.[51] It officially impacted U.S. mainstream radio in January 2013 and peaked at 27 on the US Billboard Hot 100, ultimately ending Kesha's string of consecutive вверх 10 hits. It was further released in the United Kingdom on March 3, 2013 and peaked at number 70 on the UK Singles Chart.[52] The official lyric video was released on December 7, 2012.[53]
The third single is "Crazy Kids". The single version of "Crazy Kids" features a guest verse by will.i.am, who is listed as one of the writers on the original solo version of the song.[54] It officially impacted contemporary hit radio on 29 April 2013[54] and rhythmic/crossover radio on 7 May 2013. It was made available for purchase as a Digital download on 30 April 2013. There are also two other official remixes: One featuring rapper Pitbull and one featuring rapper Juicy J.[54] In May 2013, the Juicy J remix reached U.S. rhythmic airplay and became available for purchase through digital venues.[55]Warrior received positive reviews from Музыка critics. On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 71 based on 18 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews", and also making it Ke$ha's highest-rated album on the site.[56] Melissa Maerz of Entertainment Weekly gave it a positive review, graded it with a (B) and said: "Ke$ha's filthy jokes may be what separates her from her peers who practice ghost abstinence."[58] Another positive review came from Drowned in Sound which rated the album as eight-out-of-ten, called it "a party album on a mission" and mentioned: "Warrior is never dull, always fun, and frequently a thrillingly unpredictable ride."[66] BBC Музыка reviewer Nick Levine, was also positive on the album and wrote: " Taken as a whole, this is another surprisingly enjoyable album from a pop singer who has managed to broaden her approach without losing her USP."[67]
Slant Magazine gave a mixed review to the album, rated it as three-stars-out-of-five and said: "Most of Warrior sticks to Ke$ha's tried-and-true formula."[64] The Guardian reviewer went еще critical on the record, blaming the artist for "decided not to fix what ain't broke", rated it two-stars-out-of-five and said: "auto-Tune, deployed all over the record, turns Kesha's voice into a robo-squawk, and not in a good way."[59]
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic went deeper to the album and praised the artist for picking up the best direction for her sophomore set, gave it four-stars-out-of-five and said: "It's a wall-to-wall party for the freaks, burnouts, outcasts, and misfits and if Ты don't get it that's your fault, not hers."[1] New York Times reviewers were also positive on the album and linked the influences to "drinking, sex, swearing, hard nights at the club" and confessed that "furtive surprise at the center of her project is sweetness, as it always was", suggesting that she can be a country звезда with "an option for her in five years или so, when she turns 30" and described the whole record as: "no revelation here, only strong fun."[61]
Письмо for Warrior began in late 2011 and ended in early 2012, with recording taking place from January through August 2012. Kesha wrote the majority of the album while touring internationally and during her spiritual journey. Contributions to the album's production came from longtime collaborators Dr. Luke, Max Martin, Shellback, Ammo and Benny Blanco. It features guest vocals from American rock singer Iggy Pop, who has been cited as a major influence on the album, as well as contributions from Nate Ruess from American indie rock trio Fun, American rapper will.i.am, Singer-songwriter Bonnie McKee, The Black Keys ударник, барабанщик Patrick Carney, American rock band The Strokes, American rock band The Flaming Lips and Kesha's own mother, Pebe Sebert. Upon its release, Warrior received generally favorable reviews from Музыка critics, who commended its rock-influenced material, lyrical content, and collaborations whilst others criticized its use of Auto Tune and formulaic content. The album reached number six on the U.S. Billboard 200, also charting within the United Kingdom, Australia, Belgium, Japan, Ireland, New Zealand and Spain.
The album's lead single "Die Young" became an international success, peaking at number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and charting in multiple countries worldwide. "C'mon" initially served as a promotional single, and peaked at number 27 after its release as the секунда single. An acoustic extended play (EP) Deconstructed was exclusively released through her website to promote the Фан edition of the album, and features re-record tracks from her Назад releases and a cover of "Old Flames Can't Hold a Candle to You" by American country recording artist Dolly Parton, which was co-written by Kesha's mother, Pebe Sebert. In total, the album has spawned 3 вверх 40 hits in USA, Canada, and Australia.In June 2010, Kesha discussed her секунда album with MTV News. During the interview she revealed that she was already beginning to think about her секунда album and explained that it was going differ from her first record, specifically commenting that it would reflect her growth: "There's definitely going to be a difference. I'm always changing and evolving and because I write all of my own Музыка it will be reflective of the record. It'll still stay fun and young and irreverent."[3] After the release of her first album Kesha embarked on her first worldwide tour, the Get Sleazy Tour throughout 2011. While touring she began Письмо songs for her секунда album but recording and other work on the album was not commenced until she had completed the tour.[4][5]
In 2011, the singer took a hiatus from Музыка to embark on other ventures.[6] She was hired by the Humane Society and became their first global ambassador, which consumed her time as she made a documentary for National Geographic that revolved around "animals being abused and how to stop that, или Животные that are going extinct and how to help those animals."[6] The album includes a variety of different musical participants, which was explained by the singer: "The range of artists I want to work with is so vast it’s bizarre. If someone is a real artist, Ты can’t confine them to a particular genre. It’s my mission to make it all make sense somehow."[7] Along with expanding her collaborations, the singer expanded her musical repertoire, as she began playing the гитара significantly еще with the plans of incorporating it into her new material.[8] In February 2012, while being interviewed by Glamour, Kesha stated that while she was currently in the process of Письмо songs for her album, she was also taking a variety of instrument lessons, emphasizing specifically that she was taking гитара lessons.[9]
Название and concept[edit]
In March 2011, Kesha revealed in an interview with Beatweek Magazine that she had already chosen the Название for the record, naming it спандекс on the Distant Horizon.[10] However, in a publication in May 2012, Billboard stated that the project was untitled.[11] The album's underlying theme stems around embracing a person's inner warrior, which the singer elaborated on: "I’ve seen how many people my Музыка can reach, and I’ve realized that I have somewhat of a social responsibility to make sure everything I say is positive. The underlying theme of this Далее record is warrior, with the positive message being that everyone has a warrior inside."[6] On September 18, 2012, via her Twitter and Instagram accounts, Kesha began announcing letters, believed to be from the Название of the album, alluding to the name of the album title, "Warrior". This was later confirmed when she tweeted the release дата of the album.[12]
Recording[edit]
Kesha worked with Lukasz Gottwald and Max Martin on a variety of tracks.[8] She also expressed interest in enlisting the production duo, the Dust Brothers, who are known for producing tracks for the Rolling Stones, Beastie Boys and Beck, however no recording dates were ever penned. Her friend Paul Nicholls, a DJ, was also named as a potential participant in construction of the album. However, no recording dates with him have been recorded either.[8] According to MTV, Kesha entered the studio with Luke in January 2012. Both Kesha and Luke had been working on material for the upcoming project but had yet to start studio sessions prior to January.[13] Kesha reported via Twitter in March 2012 she was recording the album with Luke and Benny Blanco. In the recording studio together they created a track described by the singer as a "cock-pop" influenced song.[14] This track was revealed to be "Thinking of You".[15]
Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips contributed to the album after learning Kesha was a Фан of his work and after she worked with him on his album Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends.
"I'm helping with some lyrics here and there. She's really a great songwriter. She has an easy way with things. I've worked with a lot of people that are very uptight about how they do their music, but she's very fun, so I don't really have any reservations about whether I don't like her music. I like her, and she likes us, so fuck it. I'm not too worried about it."[16]
—Coyne, on Письмо and working with Kesha.
Wayne Coyne from The Flaming Lips first expressed interest in working with Kesha in January 2012. Coyne сказал(-а) he knew she was a Фан of his work and felt that a collaboration between the two would be a "perfect match."[17] The duo reportedly collaborated at the Lips' studio in January 2012.[18] A track called "2012" was created during a February recording session in Nashville and was released on the Lips' album, The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends. In March 2012, Coyne told Rolling Stone that he was in the development stages of talking to Kesha about working with her on her new material.[19] Along with "2012", Wayne and Kesha's first collaboration created three other songs, all of which belonged to Kesha. Coyne was later asked if he still intended to contribute to her album he responded, stating: "I'm trying to. I think we're getting together right before Easter. We've already done three songs-- they're hers".[16] According to Twitter messages by Coyne, recording between the duo continued in April 2012 and a track that discussed "futuristic sex toys" was created.[20] Coyne and Kesha revealed via Twitter that a song titled "You Control My Heart" was created. Coyne announced that he was in the process of mixing the song.[21] "Past Life", a track described by Coyne as a "stellar track" was confirmed to be another collaboration between the pair.[22] Altogether, Coyne and Kesha's collaboration yielded between six and seven tracks.[23]
In mid April 2012, Billboard published an Статья claiming that Scottish producer Calvin Harris had contributed several tracks to the upcoming album. Their specific recording дата was unknown.[24] In May 2012, Kesha continued to record with Dr. Luke, and artist Sia Furler, although this track did not make the final track listing.[25] Rock singer Iggy Pop was also revealed as a collaborator, when the singer tweeted a picture in May 2012 saying that the singer would feature on the record.[26] Billboard later confirmed Iggy Pop would feature on "Dirty Love", produced by Dr. Luke.[27] Kesha continued to work with Dr Luke and Benny Blanco, and with new collaborators Henry Walter and Fun. lead singer Nate Ruess – the four created a track described by Blanco as "old hippie rock".[28] That track was later revealed as "Die Young".[29] Kesha revealed that she and Dr Luke had created 17 incomplete songs, including "Last Goodbye", "Die Young" and "Supernatural". She прокомментировал(-а) on the sound, "I want it to be a mix of what works on the radio and what I listen to in my spare time," she says. "I'm on a steady diet of T. Rex and Iggy Pop."[30][31]
Composition[edit]
Influence and sound[edit]
Iggy Pop's debut solo album The Idiot (1977), was cited as one of the album's main musical influences when Kesha was constructing the album's sound.
In contrast to her debut album, Kesha has сказал(-а) her секунда album will also incorporate rock genres, inspired from the Музыка of the 1970s.[4] She has stated her Любовь for rock Музыка will be incorporate it into this album.[8] 1970s rock singers Led Zeppelin, AC/DC and Iggy Pop's album, The Idiot, were cited as musical inspirations for the Далее record.[8] She wants the album to explore different sounds and Kesha has сказал(-а) the record will be еще experimental than her first. She wants to incorporate elements of blues music, saying, "I definitely want the Далее record to be experimental and I would Любовь to play with all the different sounds of the Музыка I listen to. I really want some dirty гитара and I wouldn't mind if there were elements of blues."[8] On her first record Kesha imposed a restriction on her producers limiting their use of guitars.[7] In order to encompass visceral energy on the record she lifted this restriction and instead has chosen to focus on the inclusion of guitars to try and capture the sound of the 70s and 80s.[7] Kesha has прокомментировал(-а) on the sound of the record, stating that it will remain a pop album, but that it will also branch away from her Назад "white-girl rap": "Some people will be shocked. Some will also be excited to know that I don’t just do silly white-girl rap. I'm from the South, I have a lot of soul. But trust me—it's not going to be some avant-garde jazz record. I innately write pop songs. That's just what I do."[6] Kesha began recording the album in 2011, after traveling the world; she went on a spiritual journey. Recalling experiences of feeding baby lions and swimming with great white sharks, Kesha said, "I got hypnotized, and I just really wanted this record to be really positive, really raw, really vulnerable and about the magic of life."[32] "Supernatural" contains dubstep elements and explores erotic experiences Kesha encountered with ghosts.[33][34][35] The track "Dirty Love" was inspired by Iggy Pop's Музыка and draws from гараж rock and punk rock.[36] "Wonderland" is a country-rock song that explores Kesha's past with her broke friends.[37][38] The tracks "Wherever Ты Are," "Die Young," "C'Mon" all contain elements of techno-pop,[39] whereas tracks like "Only Wanna Dance With You" and "Gold Trans Am" draw from electronic rock.[citation needed] "C'Mon" and "Crazy Kids" are electronic rap songs.[37] Overall, Kesha сказал(-а) the theme of Warrior is magic.[40] She further explained the main inspiration behind the album's change of sound:
"I feel like I don't necessarily agree, but people say that rock and roll is dead, and it is my mission and my goal to resurrect it in the form of my pop music, [...] that's the goal. We'll see what happens. That's a very ambitious and lofty goal, but that's my goal."[13]
Songs and lyrics[edit]
"Supernatural"
Menu
0:00
"Supernatural" contains dubstep elements and explores erotic experiences Kesha encountered with ghosts.
Problems playing this file? See media help.
Kesha has сказал(-а) the songs are inspired by her experiences during her tours.[8][41] In contrast to her first record which featured Музыка described by the singer as "very brash and very sassy and very unapologetic and irreverent", she says the секунда album makes a lyrical departure and explores a еще vulnerable side in its lyrics.[13] She explained: "I have learned over the past three years of doing this that being vulnerable doesn't mean you're weak. I very much want to be seen as a strong woman, but I realize that vulnerability can also be a strength. So on my Далее record, Ты are going to hear probably a little еще of that."[13] Kesha commented, in an interview with Rolling Stone, "The first two records talked еще about partying, which is a great, magical part of life, but some songs on the new record are еще personal and vulnerable. And Ты can hear еще of the Музыка I listen to when I'm lying in my bed. I'm not claiming that it's a rock record – but as long as it's fucking good, Ты can call it whatever Ты want."[30] Co-written by her mother, Pebe Sebert, the song titled "Gold Trans Am" doubles as a metaphor for her vagina and alludes to her actual automobile. Of the song, Kesha said: "It began as a song about my car, which is a Золото Trans Am, and it works about 40 per cent of the time. I don't have another car because I Любовь that one so much. But then like all great pop it became a metaphor for something else - my pussy."[42] "C'Mon", the секунда single, serves as one of the album's many pop rap songs. In it, Kesha raps: "Saw Ты leaning against that old record machine/ Saw the name of your band written on the marquee/ It's a full moon tonight so we gettin' rowdy/ Yeah, we gettin' rowdy, get-get-gettin' rowdy."[43] Billboard called "C'Mon" a YOLO dance варенье, джем about taking hookups from the dance floor to the bedroom," adding that the lyrics were on par with Kesha's "Your Любовь is My Drug" fecklessly juvenile attitude.[37] A ballad, "Love Into the Light", depicts Kesha at her most vulnerable, beginning with a string of confessions and culminating in a hopeful anti-bullying anthem.[37] Billboard praised the song for contrasting Kesha's trademark "glitter and Auto-Tune" persona, before highlighting "Past Lives" as the album's best track lyrically.[37] "Last Goodbye" tributes Neil Young's "For the Turnstiles", while "Only Wanna Dance With You" intends to parody work by The Strokes.[38]
Promotion[edit]
Release[edit]
The album was tentatively due to be released in May 2012, but was later announced with an official release дата of 4 December 2012. It was originally expected to be released near the end of 2011 but the delay between albums was because Kesha wanted to try and make an album that could shift the sound of pop Музыка into a еще rock direction.[44][45] While being interviewed by the Calgary Herald she explained the delay and elaborated on this, stating: "I want to take enough time to make sure it's the reinvention of pop music. That's the ultimate goal, to reinvent pop music. So I'm planning on taking as much time as I need, but May sounds about right."[45]
Touring[edit]
Further information: 2013 North American Tour and Warrior Tour
In the summer of 2013, Kesha embarked on a co-headlined tour with Pitbull. The tour, North American Tour 2013, travelled across North America, hitting venues in the United States and Canada.[46] Since the joint tour did not cover any places outside of the US and Canada, Kesha decided to extend her tour and add еще dates in other countries.[47] The Warrior Tour covers many places in Европа and select places in the US.[47] Many of the dates are parts of festivals and fairs such as Live at the Marquee Festival in Cork, Ireland, the Wireless Festival in London, England, and the Illinois State Fair in Springfield, Illinois.The album's lead single, "Die Young" was released on September 25, 2012.[48] The track was soon uploaded to Kesha's BMI following the Kesha's announcement of the single, and was co-written by Fun. lead singer Nate Ruess. Co-producer Benny Blanco described the track as "old hippie rock",[32] while Kesha described the track as "her favourite of the album".[28][29] A 35 секунда Музыка video teaser was uploaded on September 12, 2012 onto her YouTube page. A секунда 29 секунда snippet, featuring Kesha's vocals, was uploaded on 17 September 2012. The same day, Kesha published the single's artwork onto her Twitter. The song premiered and impacted US radio on 25 September 2012. It was released in Европа on November 18, 2012 and the United Kingdom on November 25, 2012, debuting in the UK at 10.[49][50]
"C'Mon", which was previously released as the album's first promotional single, was also released as the official секунда single from the album.[51] It officially impacted U.S. mainstream radio in January 2013 and peaked at 27 on the US Billboard Hot 100, ultimately ending Kesha's string of consecutive вверх 10 hits. It was further released in the United Kingdom on March 3, 2013 and peaked at number 70 on the UK Singles Chart.[52] The official lyric video was released on December 7, 2012.[53]
The third single is "Crazy Kids". The single version of "Crazy Kids" features a guest verse by will.i.am, who is listed as one of the writers on the original solo version of the song.[54] It officially impacted contemporary hit radio on 29 April 2013[54] and rhythmic/crossover radio on 7 May 2013. It was made available for purchase as a Digital download on 30 April 2013. There are also two other official remixes: One featuring rapper Pitbull and one featuring rapper Juicy J.[54] In May 2013, the Juicy J remix reached U.S. rhythmic airplay and became available for purchase through digital venues.[55]Warrior received positive reviews from Музыка critics. On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 71 based on 18 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews", and also making it Ke$ha's highest-rated album on the site.[56] Melissa Maerz of Entertainment Weekly gave it a positive review, graded it with a (B) and said: "Ke$ha's filthy jokes may be what separates her from her peers who practice ghost abstinence."[58] Another positive review came from Drowned in Sound which rated the album as eight-out-of-ten, called it "a party album on a mission" and mentioned: "Warrior is never dull, always fun, and frequently a thrillingly unpredictable ride."[66] BBC Музыка reviewer Nick Levine, was also positive on the album and wrote: " Taken as a whole, this is another surprisingly enjoyable album from a pop singer who has managed to broaden her approach without losing her USP."[67]
Slant Magazine gave a mixed review to the album, rated it as three-stars-out-of-five and said: "Most of Warrior sticks to Ke$ha's tried-and-true formula."[64] The Guardian reviewer went еще critical on the record, blaming the artist for "decided not to fix what ain't broke", rated it two-stars-out-of-five and said: "auto-Tune, deployed all over the record, turns Kesha's voice into a robo-squawk, and not in a good way."[59]
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic went deeper to the album and praised the artist for picking up the best direction for her sophomore set, gave it four-stars-out-of-five and said: "It's a wall-to-wall party for the freaks, burnouts, outcasts, and misfits and if Ты don't get it that's your fault, not hers."[1] New York Times reviewers were also positive on the album and linked the influences to "drinking, sex, swearing, hard nights at the club" and confessed that "furtive surprise at the center of her project is sweetness, as it always was", suggesting that she can be a country звезда with "an option for her in five years или so, when she turns 30" and described the whole record as: "no revelation here, only strong fun."[61]
