Rating: NN
Rarely does an album as contrived as this debut by Ke$ha come along. The 22-year-old behind that ubiquitous radio rap-pop song TiK ToK has released a signpost to mark the end of the era when places like Circa were cool.
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TiK ToK, with its rubbery Uffie-like rapping, is not representative of the record. On most of these 14 tracks, Ke$ha intersperses rapping with Avrilesque, angsty vocals. And like Lavigne, she co-writes the songs, has some edge (but questionable authenticity) and is readily marketable to an identifiable subculture – in this case the American Apparel set.
That said, there are plenty of catchy moments. Beat-wise, Boots & Boys – a song about what brings her joy – is incredibly well constructed. If only the insipid lyrics were left off completely.
Top track: Boots & Boys