Ke$ha. No matter what you think of her, you can’t argue that the “Tik Tok” singer has managed make herself a topic. And in doing so, she is severing the musical ties that bind. It’s a pop-culture Civil War.
You might want to dismiss Ke$ha as a flash in the pan; it’s easy to define her as a wannabe club kid who lucked into a maniacally catchy hook. No such luck. She’s the first #1 artist of the decade, and even the most strident of haters cannot deny that she’s a Big Deal, garnering attention not just for her mastery of autotune, but also for her non-musical antics — blatantly capitalizing on rumors of her bisexuality, bashing little Justin Bieber, setting a new nadir for all American Idol guest costumes. And now, with her new single dropping, Ke$ha is as ubiquitous as ever. But she of the glitterface and ratty hair is inspires strong reactions from her fans and her haters. You have to choose sides; here’s who’s on each team.
Those in the PRO-KE$HA CAMP site her catchy riffs and potential to save the music biz – the woman managed not merely to topple Susan Boyle and her Ladyship Gaga, but do so despite the making her free downloads readily available. Others just think she’s fun – and provides validation for those who choose to spend their weekends prancing on small-town bars without underpants! On this side of the divide we have:
Barry Weiss, head of Sony’s RCA/Jive label group, who declares, presumably from a money throne: “Ke$ha’s going to be this year’s Halloween dress-up [costume]. Last year it was Gaga. Ten years ago it was Britney [Spears]. That’s how big this feels.” We’re trying to envision this, making a mental note to either stay in or stock up on Jack and toothbrushes before the inevitable rush.
The New York Times is another fan of what they describe as “a zippy and salacious celebration of late nights and mornings-after.” We hope any dentists reading have added a cheap-whiskey-flavored flouride option; otherwise we despair for the oral hygiene of the generation of children who’ve succombed to its zippy and salacious charms.