With her signature riot of glitter and war paint, Ke$ha has established a character for herself that doesn’t stray far from a party girl stereotype. In spite of this image, the pop singer-songwriter has masterfully expanded her repertoire by capturing a vast array of styles and influences on her superb sophomore effort. True to its name, Warrior has Ke$ha fighting to continue doing what she does best: not giving a fuck.
The title track opens the album with the ideal medley of themes and vocal styles, creating a roadmap for the remainder of Warrior. A simple, soaring chorus leads to dubstep-laced verses and heavily auto-tuned vocals as Ke$ha convinces listeners to fight for their convictions. “Die Young” and “C’mon,” as well as a large portion of the album, follow up with similar reckless abandon and rhythms reminiscent of Ke$ha’s debut.
Warrior contains substantial and significant evolution, however; Ke$ha takes a leaf out of Taylor Swift’s book, making an ex-boyfriend appear undatable on “Thinking Of You.” “Found out you’re full of it / I’m over it / So suck my dick,” she concludes before launching into the spiteful chorus and ending the track with a whispered, “Teeny weenie.”
Possibly the best track of the album is “Wonderland,” which is a complete departure from most elements of Ke$ha’s distinct style. Featuring only a drum pad, bass-filled piano chords, and a crying electric guitar along with smooth vocals sans rap and auto-tune, the stunningly nostalgic song demonstrates Ke$ha’s true potential outside of the dance anthems that brought her fame.
At the other end of the spectrum is “Dirty Love,” a brief experiment that features rock artist Iggy Pop and his distinct rock ‘n’ roll influences. Though the track is the shortest on Warrior at just 2:44, “Dirty Love” makes a powerful impact. Pounding kick and snare drums pave the way for crunchy guitar riffs and Ke$ha’s nearly unrecognizable growls and ornamentations that rival those of Joan Jett, offering yet another glimpse at the transforming artist’s incredible versatility.
Though Warrior demonstrates Ke$ha’s ability to traverse genres, the singer’s forays into new musical arenas seem to signify a careful toe in the water rather than a full-fledged dive. If Ke$ha further enhances her artistic evolution to match the vigor of her content and songwriting, her career will have no chance of dying young.
