Cannibal

Ke$ha confirms the debut’s success

Hailing from Nashville, the capital of the peace-loving country genre, the singer known as Ke$ha has preferred a different direction, a much more aggressive dance pop-rock. He debut album Animal was released at the beginning of this year, with the very successful single Tik Tok occupying the central place on it. The record was very loud, light-minded, yet not devoid of several serious thoughts. The formula was quite a simple one – the contrast of verse and more vivid chorus – but the general message, which was the celebration of taking life easy, as well as Ke$ha’s contagious manner of performance had born its fruit and the album proved to be really successful. The artist had some more tracks in store for us, however, and they are released late this autumn in the form of the EP Cannibal. One should hardly expect any drastic changes in her style or in the songs’ lyrics content on the collection, it should be rather considered as Ke$ha’s way to confirm the debut’s success and add some more pepper to her repertoire full of frank, bold and joyful songs.

Dancing, drive and the complete absence of care and concern on Cannibal

Dancing, drive and the complete absence of care and concern except for a couple of rebuffs – this is how the EP Cannibal can be briefly characterized. Nevertheless, if little has changed in the lyrics and the singer’s attitude to life, there are some more electronic hooks and auto-tuning in the music which often make it hard to recognize the voice. The album opens with the title composition in which the singer tells us that she eats guys for breakfast, of course, against the background of some unrestrained beat, while We R Who We R touches upon a more important issue of the society’s acceptance of people who are different from everybody else. The singer knows well what it feels like to be different and hopes that his song will help many people to learn to take themselves the way they are. The rebuff Sleazy is definitely one of the highlights – it differs from the rest of the record’s material and is rather reminiscent of Gwen Stefani’s song Hollaback Girl with its marching beat and the lyrics in which Ke$ha is unwilling to be seduced with the help of expensive presents reminds of Jennifer Lopez’ hit Love Don’t Cost A Thing. A calmer mid-tempo ballad The Harold Song is another highlight, first, because one can hear Ke$ha’s real voice on it second, because it creates a vulnerable and feminine image which is changed for rebel on Crazy Beautiful Life and self-confidence on Grow A Pear. Another more or less soft song C U Next Tuesday on which the artist sings with her real vocals, tells of the romantic stage of a beginning relationship, and the album’s finale is a very nice new version of Animal (Billboard Remix) with an impressive electronic sound.

Music for the adolescent

Producers Dr. Luke and Max Martin are still working with Ke$ha as well as Benny Blanco and Ammo but this time they have been joined by Bangladesh. The latter was invited to help create a more powerful and sharper sounding on a number of tracks, and judging by all everyone who has worked on Cannibal is happy with the eventual result. The basic work was finished in two weeks, and Ke$ha had been undoubtedly enjoying the process a lot. Her goal was to make a collection joyful danceable music, which would be closer and clearer to the adolescent part of audience rather than to the adult one. Only one listening to Cannibal is enough to make sure that the singer has reached her goal. Except for the songs on which she demonstrates her vulnerable part the twenty-three year old performer never ceases to play with unprintable vocabulary, ambiguous hints and intonations. So, Ke$ha songs result to be bright as a flash in the darkness, and the only question is whether they are going to be remembered or the memory of them is going to vanish as fast as the night takes up the light which once was there?