Kesha – Animal (2010)

The 2010s had to begin with a bang, unlike the 2020s, which began with an international disaster (COVID-19). Singer Kesha had apparently worked on this album for quite some years adjusting and handpicking the best songs possible for it, before releasing it with the party hit Tik Tok (no, it is an actual song). This launched Kesha and her music into the international spotlight and brought awareness of digitally enhanced and autotuned music to the record loving masses. Let’s hear this album and see if it is any good today.

Your Love Is My Drug is the starting track. It begins with some processed Electronic sounds, and Kesha quickly launches into a song of troubles and relationship despair. It is melodic and catchy and the chorus of this song is quite good. The singing is fairly limited and autotuned to the extreme, but nonetheless, this is a really cool listening experience. The chorus is rather trashy, but all the time, this is okay, to begin with. This is clearly music to appeal to Pop loving teenagers. Okay, but definitely not great. A fairly average song.

Tik Tok is quite clearly the signature Kesha tune, which the social media platform took its name from. It begins with some interesting lyrics and some catchy melodies. It is a digital and different piece of music that is very catchy, particularly in the chorus. You can obviously hear how this song became a hit, and deservedly so. With Pop culture lyrical references, catchy melodies and some interesting digital sounds, this is easily the big hit of 2010. A cool and different song, this kickstarted the decade musically. Very well done, and a definitely good groovy sort of piece of music. Decent effort.

Take It Off begins with digital vocals and quickly launches into a moody and melancholy piece of music that doesn’t sound hugely original, taking a melody from a Coldplay song. It’s definitely a subpar piece of music on this album. Nothing really different or unique about this song, instead it is really mediocre. Anyway, one is disappointed with the music on this album for the most part, and this song is a good representation of why this is. It’s barely passable, that’s how awful this is. Fortunately, it is only three and a half minutes long. If it were any longer, one would need to hit stop. This song ends with basic 4/4 beats, and yes, it is terrible to hear.

Kiss N Tell begins with some 8-bit melodies, quickly followed by 4/4 beats and Kesha singing away. This music hasn’t aged well at all and is atrocious. Being hugely digitized and computerised, this song is dreadful. Sure, it does deal with relationship issues, but the music doesn’t really match it. In any case, this song is just awful, as is the rest of the album. It sounds like the worst of K-Pop with English vocals to match. Enough to make you avoid this like the plague or projectile vomit upon hearing, this is not good. Just skip it and you’ll be fine. It’s not worth listening to.

Stephen begins with some nice vocal harmonies that are obviously autotuned. The song then begins with some unexceptional beats, computerised sounds and melodies, and a deep and sad reminder that this album is like Britney Spears mark II. Is it really that awful? Yes, it is. Anyone who has serious musical taste should avoid this rubbish, and play something completely different (and better) instead. Horrible. This song is obviously about a guy who Kesha desires, but this is not a good piece of music. Forget this song, and for a large part, this album too. Junk this song. Terrible music.

Blah Blah Blah (feat. 3OH!3) begins with some good autotuned singing and goes into a song that is an actual improvement on what came previously. The melody here is sadly, once again, familiar. Still, this is an improvement over what came before. It does not improve the overall delivery of the album, but at least sounds quite interesting. The guest here is actually good. A step up from before, but still a big disappointment in the grand history of music. Enjoyable but not overly memorable.

Hungover begins with percussion and handclaps, before launching straight into a digital piece of nonsense that doesn’t either impress or excite. The chorus is actually quite decent, and Kesha actually puts some emotion into her performance. Still, this is neither long term nor decent musical listening in terms of its appeal. Kesha proves herself to be another here today, gone tomorrow kind of one-hit-wonder. This song is depressing and makes one want to give up alcohol forever. Seriously, very underwhelming and not impressive. It sounds like a drag because it is. Forget this album, throw it straight into the bin. You guessed it, it’s bad. Very bad.

Party At A Rich Dude’s House begins with pounding beats, some pseudo-Punk guitars and a very Avril Lavinge feel to this song. This is a really terrible sounding song and one cannot think of a more awful song on an album. Even Pink Floyd bootleg tunes are much better than this. This is a low and very ordinary sounding piece that should never ever be heard in a regular, sober mood. Junk. Absolute 100% junk.

Backstabber begins with horns, some harmonies and quickly launches into a loathable song that really needs to be binned. One can only imagine the record executives laughing at this album’s songs. It is simply that bad. There is nothing good, decent or listenable at all from hearing this trite album. This piece is (obviously) about gossiping people who deserve a knuckle sandwich, but this is like drinking vomit. Nothing great here, avoid it totally. Forgettable and a bad listen. Awful.

Blind begins with some looped sounds and a feeling that another dreadful song is arriving, which it does. This Pop based here today, gone tomorrow stuff is revolting. A really depressing and rubbish piece of music, there is nothing exceptional or wonderful about this music. The lyrics are lame as well, and this is the beginning of the end for mainstream Pop music, back in 2010. There is no really good musicianship or feel to these tracks, it is just a bunch of computer-based sounds. Pathetic, really. Awful, ordinary and a must avoid listening experience. Hit stop and go do something else with your time, rather than bother with this nonsense.

Dinosaur begins with some terrible samples, before going into a really messed up song in a totally awful way. There is nothing exceptional, decent or good to listen to. This is only worth listening to for small children, it is seriously that bad. A truly trite and embarrassing piece of music, avoid as much as you can. An honestly bad song. Boycott this rubbish and go and listen to any other better music out there, this is appalling. It sounds like Sesame Street chants, seriously. Head shakingly pathetic.

Dancing With Tears In My Eyes begins with some awful sounds, before going straight into a depressing, numbskull and wrist slitting sort of music style. Really, do not listen to this ordinary and alcoholic piece of terrible music. Truly substandard and worth avoiding for the rest of your life. That’s how bad this is. A joke of a song, and truly pathetic. Do yourself a favour and do not listen to this mediocre album, it’s not worth it. Nothing outstanding or exceptional here, just musical trash.

Boots & Boys begins with cheesy drumbeats, a pretentiously delivered vocal and a definite sense that the music on this album is really trite. There is very little positive to be stated to others about any good on this record, there simply is nothing worth listening to. Enough to make your guts churn, if you actually bought this album, grab the receipt and return it back to the CD store. The lame singing, digital instrumentation and forgettable music is a real naff effort. Pathetic.

Animal is the last track here (thank goodness) and borrows a sort of U2 piece styled intro, with piano and a piece that actually sounds okay. It is hardly memorable or good, it just falls flat like the rest of the album. By this point, if you still listening, go and do something else. Mission failure, game over. There is zero that is good about this song, and it is very difficult to agree otherwise. Pure junk. In any case, you do not need to listen to this musically insulting album. This has been done for you. Just plain avoid. A bad finish to an awful album.

Needless to say, this is a really terrible sell-out, pathetic and rubbish album that has zero musical value. Sure, Tik Tok was a good song but everything else on this album is designed to appeal to primary school kids and nobody else. Forget this and do something better with your time than listen to this album. There are multiple editions of this poor album out there with extra tracks. But even so, avoid those too. Pathetic effort to raise money for a terrible singer.

Beyond awful.

1/10