Ke$ha and the Duty of Pop Music

Look, I know what you’re thinking: “Ke$ha? That trashy slut?”  I am here to tell you that you’re wrong, and that the new Ke$ha album Warrior is Important. This is what the kids are listening to, and the kids can’t be ignored.

The album’s first song, and title track, starts with the revving of an engine, before Ke$ha’s voice kicks in: “We were born to break the door down/fight until the end.” She repeats the word “warrior” a few times, stretching it out to absurd lengths, before the beat kicks in. The song is meant to be uplifting, and a call to arms. It’s about not being a victim, and empowering yourself. The song has fantastic hooks, but an odd structure. This is pure pop to be sure, but the song’s glitchy breakdown keeps things interesting.

The next song, “Die Young” was one of the best mainstream tracks of 2012. It’s a nihilist pop anthem, a shout out to living in the moment. It’s also protest music, the sort of thing people should be paying attention to.

In many ways, it could be seen a response to to the stuff Dylan was doing in the ‘60’s. Consider “Bob Dylan’s Dream”:  “with hungry hearts through the heat and cold/we never much thought we could get very old./We thought we could sit forever in fun/and our chances really was a million to one.” Dylan was aware of his eventual demise, and he sang as if he was resigned to it. Ke$ha, on the other hand, doesn’t care. She’s going to party and fuck shit up. She’s going to make sure each moment counts.

This must somehow be evident of the mindset of America’s youth today. Kids today are more culturally aware than at any moment in history. They’ve gradually grown disillusioned. What Ke$ha does is represent this mindset.

In one of the album’s best tracks, "All That Matters (Beautiful Life)" Ke$ha mutters “fuck it I don’t care” before declaring that all she wants to do is get high. The song has a pulsing disco beat and a huge chorus: “baby, all that matters/is the beautiful life.” Obviously, this song is built for arenas. That sentiment is expressed during the song’s bridge when Ke$ha sings “put your motherfucking phones up” and it brings forth the image of thousands of kids waving their smartphones in the air.  Ke$ha’s music exists in the here and now, these songs couldn’t exist in any other decade.

If we really want to examine where our culture is heading we should look towards pop music. Yes, it’s a cliché to say that children are the future, but the distinction is obvious. Good pop stars can channel the energy of their audiences, and Ke$ha, with her army of so-called Animals, does exactly that. Even if she doesn’t consciously know what she’s doing, she’s bringing kids together with positive messages of hope and love, and living life to the fullest. Sure, some of the things she sings about may be considered reprehensible, but that’s only there to get the kids hooked. Pop music uses the rush to entice people, like any good drug. Warrior and the message it contains, is vital. Pay attention. 

Taylor Swift and the Duty of Pop Music

Taylor Swift and the Duty of Pop Music

"And you, will hide away and find your piece of mind with some indie record that's much cooler than mine" Taylor Swift - We Are Never Getting Back Together

There’s been quite a bit of discussion about the slight change in direction Taylor Swift has taken on her new album, Red. It’s easy to agree with the detractors.  The album’s opening song “State of Grace” has a rock beat, and a clamoring guitar section. There is no sign of her usual pop-country in sight. It’s understandable how this could be a shock to longtime fans.

The next track starts with a banjo. This is pop music, and it’s edging closer to mainstream than ever. Swift has always been mainstream, but never before has she made music you could imagine hearing in clubs. “I Knew You Were Trouble” is the closest to urban a pretty white girl can get without being disowned by her father. It’s great pop song.  It sounds like a pretty typical Swift song until the chorus kicks in, followed by a floor shattering beat.  The hook is nonsense, but catchy as a pokemon. Swift yelps about how she knew some guy was trouble, and then accusing him of never loving anything, or anyone.

This is pretty typical subject matter. Most of these songs are about falling in or out of love, and being a young girl. Most of it is pretty and non-offensive. It appeals to a wide audience.  Swift is only trying to appeal to a wider audience. Sales wise it worked. With this album she’s posted her biggest numbers (a million plus copies sold in the first week).

Thing is, it probably isn’t just a career move. People get bored. People want to different things. Hell, even fans get bored. You can’t make the same album more than two or three times. If you look at female pop stars like Norah Jones or Kelly Clarkson, there’s always a bit of a shift around the third or fourth album. It’s “Mature Album” syndrome.  It isn't a bad thing. It’s kind of necessary if an artist wants to stay in the public consciousness for more than a decade.

The other complaint I’ve seen thrown at the record is that people can’t connect with it as well as the older songs. This probably isn’t Swift’s fault. People grow older, they lose touch when how they felt when they were younger. It’s the duty of pop music to connect with an audience and mean something to someone. That’s what it’s there for:  to be happy with you when you’re happy, to be sad with you when you’re sad, and a million emotions in-between.  To my ears Swift accomplishes that goal, even if it means nothing to me on a personal level.  People change. Enjoy the old records. It’s unlikely you’ll love the same pop princess for the rest of your life. That’s fine, there’s always going to be another one right around the corner.

Still, Swift could be one of the ones who remain interesting twenty years in. Her lyrics are occasionally astonishing: “you should've been there, should've burst through the door, with that 'baby I'm right here' smile, and it would've felt like, a million little shining stars had just aligned, and I would've been so happy”. That verse from “The Moment I Knew”, one of Red’s bonus tracks, could cripple a person. Swift does this a lot. Even if she screws around with her sound a bit, she remains one of the best mainstream pop has to offer at the moment.