Pop artist Kesha released her newest album, “High Road,” on Jan. 31. It’s her first full length record in over two years and is packed full of strong melodies and fun instrumentation.
Tonight
This song sounds like the track a female-centered movie would use in a club-hopping montage scene, and I’m here for it. Groups of friends could definitely use this as a pregame jam. It’s upbeat and just makes you want to party super hard. It’s very similar to her previous song “Timber” in vibe and overall style.
My Own Dance
This song is satirizing the party girl, with Kesha saying she’s just going to do her own dance (as the title suggests, it does make you want to dance). This is particularly prevalent in the chorus, which features big production and tons of bass accompanied by drums. The verses have a catchy melody and strong guitar, which leads into the anthemic chorus quite well.
Raising Hell
Talk about a song that starts out softer and then comes out swinging. It has a really catchy hook that can and will get stuck in your head. The backtrack is also very strong. It features a drumline sound mixed with horns and synths that are so easy to move to.
High Road
Kesha again proves her hook writing prowess with this track. The melody for the verses has a cheer-like sound that is just a fun quirky mode that’s really enjoyable. The chorus features her singing in a way that I don’t think I had heard from her in recent memory. Her voice is powerful and impressive.
Shadow
Her voice once again impresses in this song. It’s one of the few ballads she has on this album and it’s a welcome change from her more beat-driven music prior to this. However, her lyric writing could’ve been stronger on this track. It’s a slower song than usual and doesn’t have a fun back beat to focus on, so the lyrics felt somewhat subpar.
Honey
If your friend just slept with your significant other, I have good news: Kesha has written a song for your exact situation. Fortunately, it’s just as petulant and over the drama as you probably feel. Lyrically, it’s kind of petulant. It still has a fun groove and goes for the vibe of friends having fun, but this one is not my favorite.
Cowboy Blues
An acoustic track from Kesha that’s a more complete expression than most of her other tracks.
This track is also more introspective than usual for her; it’s about feeling like you missed your chance at love. It has a catchy, hummable tune and is easy to relate to.
Resentment
“Resentment” continues with that emotional introspective mode. It’s about the end of a bad relationship and has the strongest lyrics of any song on the album. It is incredibly honest and deep.
Little Bit of Love
My favorite chorus on the album is in this song. It’s big and weirdly makes you want to headbang and jump around. It’s super drum-driven and bouncy, whereas the verses are more piano-driven, which provides a nice contrast. It’s about having a fun night at the end of a relationship when you know it’s going to end and you just want to enjoy yourself.
Birthday Suit
“Birthday Suit” has three different vibes to it that somehow all work together. On one hand, it’s drum driven and super swanky; on another, it samples the Super Mario theme music; and on another, it’s guitar driven and rhythmic. It’s all around fun and also super sexy in subject matter.
Kinky
If a song starts with the most bizarre recording of a phone call ever, it will no doubt be interesting. It has a great groove and a catchy hook to accompany its risqué subject matter. The best way to describe it: a song with dirty context would’ve gone over your head at age 12.
The Potato Song (Cuz I Want To)
Dear lord, this song is weird. A punk rock anthem, it somehow sounds German and French to me, so right off the bat I’m trying to figure out what's happening. Despite the mild confusion, I’m still listening to it — and that is when the kazoos come in…
BFF
After the strange potato song, Kesha goes into a sweet track about friendship. It features a nice melody with simple production and not a lot of the club style, big bass/drum lines. It just tells a bunch of cute stories about her best friend.
Father-Daughter Dance
This song let me in on a detail about the artist I didn’t know before I heard it — her father’s absence. It’s a sad song that does hit you in a very real place. The string section in the background only enhances the feeling. She also slays the vocals on this song.
Chasing Thunder
The last song on the album, just like the first, has a movie montage feel to it. It has a summer road trip travel scene feel to it. If you plan on going on a road trip in real life, I highly suggest putting it on your playlist. The folky guitar driven rhythm will make for a great soundtrack.
This album is a super fun listen. It has several different sounds on it, while still being cohesive and seemingly very true to Kesha.
8/10
Note: This was her second album since she accused her producer, Dr. Luke, of sexual assault in 2014. The situation was recently the subject of 2020 headlines, as according to Pitchfork, “a judge ruled, as part of a wider decision, that Kesha defamed Dr. Luke with claims she made about him to Lady Gaga.”
The judge also stated that they can't "based on legal filings alone, determine the truth of the alleged rape, and leaves the door open to resolving this at trial."
By Teddy Rankin
For 28 years, Daft Punk pushed the envelope of what was possible in music production. Their recording techniques were often replicated and used in pop music until they came out with something new that restarted the cycle. |
By Hazel Modlin
Students selected for the 2nd phase: Tyler Palumbo, Lindsey Anderson, Ashleigh Bowman, Fabiano Ciminella, Emily Funk, Maria Holubeck, Gabriella Keebler, Audrey MacPherson, Amy Simkovitch, and more. |
Hayley Williams’ new album, “Flowers in Vases,” is a heartbreaking, haunting and melancholic portrayal of a breakup. Let's take a deeper dive into it, song by song. |
By Teddy Rankin
Claud’s debut album, “Super Monster,” is a charming depiction of modern romance. With relaxing low-key pop melodies and heartfelt lyrics, the 21-year-old artist accurately articulates the balance of euphoria and awkward letdowns that define young love. |
By Teddy Rankin
The Spectator staff comes together for a list of tracks they've been enjoying in February 2021. Listen to the playlist via Spotify. |
By Teddy Rankin
Weezer's latest album, “OK Human,” trades electric guitar power chords for orchestral string accompaniment, resulting in a satisfying cinematic experience. |
"Over the last 7 days, there has been an upward trend in our positive cases of COVID-19 among students. Student Health Services has been working diligently to support testing, quarantining and isolation to help minimize the spread."
The English department stated on Facebook that “he had been in the hospital fighting COVID-19 and recently seemed to be making good progress toward recovery.”
“We will continue to follow the science, but we are very hopeful that students can return to in-person classes, living in our residence halls and engaging in more activities.”