“.” by Kesha—review

After liberating all of her toxins in her darkest album to date, Gag Order, the prolific singer and songwriter’s ready to party, like she did in her debut record, “Animal”.

Make no mistake though: there is some psychoanalysis hidden in the music. Because if you take the album as a whole, you can argue that Kesha’s complicated: she one day wants someone clearly wrong for her (on the killer “RED FLAG.”, a highlight) and then on the next she’s seeking a love than lasts for “ever and ever” (the Daft Punk-influenced “LOVE FOREVER.”).

The contradictions work because they paint a picture of how the singer has evolved, and the dance-house production that dominates the record came at the perfect time. Too many singles happened within the rollout, but that doesn’t mean these songs don’t pack a punch when heard in the context of the album. The tracklist is meticulously crafted, starting weirdly with pianos and meditation on “FREEDOM.” before claiming she wants to go to the sex shop and closing with the intense ballad “CATHEDRAL.”.

Profoundness mixed with silliness is Kesha’s brand. When she claims on “RED FLAG.” that all the nice guys left her dead inside you can’t help but root for her and follow along her journey, despite the fact that she claims unapologetically to love “a red flag”.

It’s sad to hear tunes like “JOYRIDE.”, “DELUSIONAL.” or “BOYCRAZY.” never getting the success they clearly deserved. Perhaps we’re in completely different times. But Kesha’s clearly a charismatic and talented musician. And she brought the best of her oldest qualities mixed with refreshed introspection.

For that, we should celebrate.