Jump to content

Kesha

Page semi-protected
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Allison Stillwell (talk | contribs) at 23:25, 13 May 2010 (→‎Childhood and youth). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

This article is about the singer. For the town in China, see Kesha, Hunan.

Kesha

Kesha Rose Sebert (born March 1, 1987),[4] better known by her first name Kesha (/[invalid input: 'icon']ˈkɛʃə/ KESH-ə, stylized Ke$ha), is an American pop singer and songwriter. Her breakthrough came in early 2009 after appearing on Flo Rida's number one single "Right Round". Her debut single, "Tik Tok," was released in August 2009 to much commercial success. It reached number one in eleven countries and set the weekly records for the most digital downloads of a female artist and of the total Top 40 Mainstream airplay records in the US. The song also became the longest running number-one debut single by a female artist since 1977. Her debut album, Animal, was released in early 2010 and debuted at number one in the US, the album sold 152,000 copies in its first week in the US. Second single "Blah Blah Blah" charted in the top ten in four countries.

Life and career

Childhood and youth

Kesha was born in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles to Pebe Sebert, a singer and songwriter. Her mother, a single parent, looked after infant Kesha onstage while performing.[5] Pebe was struggling financially while supporting Kesha and her older brother, Lagan,[2] at the time and they had to rely on welfare payments and food stamps to get by.[6] Pebe moved the family to Nashville, Tennessee in 1991 after securing a publishing deal. She often brought Kesha and her brothers, Lagan and Louis, along to recording studios[2] and encouraged Kesha to sing.[6]

The Sebert family was featured in an episode of The Simple Life in 2005.[7] Kesha was already working on her music by then.[8] Pebe had taught Kesha how to write songs[2] and they would often write together when she returned home from high school.[9] She described herself in an interview as being "very studious" in high school; she would often drive to Belmont University to listen in on Cold War history classes after school and achieved "near perfect" SAT scores.[9] However, she dropped out at the age of seventeen and earned her GED later,[10] after being convinced by Dr. Luke and Max Martin to return to Los Angeles and pursue a music career.[6] They had come across her demos and were impressed.[11]

Career beginnings: 2005–2009

At the age of eighteen, she was signed to Dr. Luke's label and music publishing company.[11] While in Los Angeles, Kesha had the opportunity to sing background vocals for Paris Hilton's single, "Nothing in This World," which led to a later incident in which she vomited in Hilton's closet.[8] Dr. Luke and Kesha later became estranged, with Kesha eventually signing with David Sonenberg's management company, DAS. She worked with several top writers and producers while at the company and credits the creation of her beat-driven sound to a co-writing session with Greg Wells.[11] She also co-wrote The Veronicas' single, "This Love" with Toby Gad.[12] Her songs were used on Degrassi: The Next Generation,[13]The Hills,[14][6] Teen Cribs[15][16] and My Super Sweet 16 as well.[17] She had wanted Prince to produce her music, so she located and trespassed into his Beverly Hills home. Once discovered, she was thrown out, but not before she left her demo with Prince, who did not contact her afterward.[6] She later remarked that, "I felt it was harmless at the time, but looking back it was pretty psychotic."[18]

Kesha moonlighted as a waitress and a telemarketer[19] to make ends meet while furthering her music career in the studio.[2][6] DAS was shopping a label for her and attracted the attention of Kara Dioguardi, who wanted to sign her to Warner. The deal fell through due to Kesha's existing contract with Dr. Luke's label. She soon left DAS and reunited with Dr. Luke.[11] She later sang background vocals for Britney Spears' song "Lace and Leather"[1] and appeared in the video for Katy Perry's single, "I Kissed a Girl." Her appearance in the video arose due to her friendship with Perry; they met frequently as aspiring pop singers in Los Angeles and shared many musical collaborators.[20]

Kesha gained exposure in the mainstream media in early 2009 after appearing on Flo Rida's number one single, "Right Round."[21] The collaboration was called "an accident" by Kesha;[22] she had walked into a recording session with Flo Rida and Dr. Luke, who was producing the song. Flo Rida had wanted a female voice for the song, Kesha was then suggested for the part by Dr. Luke. Flo Rida liked the end result so much that they did two more songs.[4] Kesha is not credited for her feature on the US release of "Right Round"[11] and did not collect any money for the part.[21] She also refused to appear in the video; she explained in an interview that, "if you want to be a legitimate artist, it’s more important what you say no to. I knew he would want me to be some sexpot, shake my booty, and whatever."[23] The song soon achieved success worldwide while Kesha continued to live on a meager income, which inspired the dollar sign in her stage name. She states that it was meant to be ironic, in that she "actually [stood] for the opposite of putting a lot of emphasis on money."[8]

Animal: 2009–present

Soon after, it was announced that Kesha had signed a multi-album deal[24] with RCA Records through Dr. Luke, after being sought after by many major labels,[3] and was working on her debut album.[6] She made her official stage debut at that year's Lollapalooza as part of the BMI Stage, with Time Out Chicago saying that the set was "cheap, extremely short, and left the audience wanting more. Just like crack."[25] Her debut single, "Tik Tok", had been released digitally in the US in early August, and was sent to radio two months later in October. Her label noticed her strong following on social media when negotiating her contract and relied on viral marketing to build a following for the song, offering the song as a free stream on MySpace as early as July.[24] Kesha had co-wrote the title song for Miley Cyrus' The Time of Our Lives EP, made appearances on Pitbull's album and the cover of Women's Wear Daily.[25] She supported Calvin Harris on tour in the UK[20] and toured with Mickey Avalon in the US.[25] She also performed at Madison Square Garden on December 11, 2009 for the Z100 Jingle Ball.

A number one placing in New Zealand for "Tik Tok" gave Kesha her first number one;[12] this was followed by number one positions ten other countries. It reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the first number one of the decade.[26] For its second week at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, "Tik Tok" set the weekly record for the most digital downloads of a female artist and became the second best-selling single in a week, after "Right Round", for shifting 610,000 copies.[27] At its fifth week at the top, it broke the record for the highest weekly total Top 40 Mainstream airplay record.[28] Spending eight weeks at number one, the song became the longest running number one debut single by a female artist since Debby Boone's 1977 single "You Light Up My Life".[29] The song spent a total of nine weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100. "Tik Tok" was immortalized in the opening sequence for The Simpsons episode "To Surveil With Love" where the entire cast lip-synced to the song,[30] making it the first time that the series has forgone its traditional opening theme for another song since its creation.[31]

Kesha's debut album, Animal, was released on January 5, 2010 in the US to mixed reviews from music critics. Rolling Stone called the album "repulsive, obnoxious and ridiculously catchy."[32] The album debuted at number one in the US, selling 152,000 copies with 76% of sales coming from digital outlets, the largest weekly digital percentage share for an album at number one.[33] By March, the album had sold a million copies worldwide with half of the sales coming from digital downloads.[24] Second single, "Blah Blah Blah" managed to debut on the charts in the US, Canada and Ireland before being announced as the next single due to strong digital sales following the release of the album. She presented with Justin Bieber at the 52nd Grammy Awards[34] and performed on American Idol on March 17, 2010.[35] Kesha made her debut Saturday Night Live appearance as the musical guest on April 17, 2010.[36]

Kesha's musical credits in 2010 include a co-write for Miranda Cosgrove's debut album as well as features on singles by Taio Cruz and 3OH!3[37] and Mickey Avalon's record.[38] She will be the opening act on the North American leg of Rihanna's Last Girl on Earth tour[39] and is one of the acts performing for the revival of Lilith Fair.[40]

Philanthropy

Kesha organized a benefit concert to be held on June 16, 2010 to help victims of the May 2010 Tennessee floods from her hometown Nashville.[41] She also donated 1,000 pounds of dog food to a local animal shelter for pets abandoned in the flood.[42] Kesha elaborated on the situation,

Nashville helped shape me as an artist and as a person and my love for this city is beyond words. I will continue to do anything I can to help rebuild this city and support the families and animals who have been affected by this tragedy.

— Kesha, [41]

Image and artistry

Kesha and her music have been dismissed early on as lightweight, calculating and crude; she has also been perceived as a victim in the "cauldron of celebrity culture". She insisted otherwise in an interview,

I have been working on realizing this dream, my path, my mission, for years. I’ve really invested a lot of thought, time and effort into it. The last thing that makes me is a victim. I think it’s a bummer when people don’t represent that properly, when they portray me as purely one-dimensional.

— Kesha, [43]

Kesha has been noted for her party girl image and behavior;[44] The Guardian called her "the degenerate Hannah Montana" and stated that "her whole shtick appears to be predicated on the idea that she's a rebel in American Apparel."[45]

Influences

Kesha has listed Beck, Queen, Madonna, Johnny Cash, Aaron Neville, Bob Dylan[44][46][47] as well as rap and old-school punk bands[48] such as the Beastie Boys and The Damned as musical influences.[44] Her lyrics are influenced by the storytelling style of country music.[6]

Vocal style

"Tik Tok" (2009)
Kesha's debut single and one of many songs in which she raps.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Kesha uses a sing-song rapping style[11] on a number of her songs, most notably on her debut single "Tik Tok". The New York Times proclaimed that the success of the song represented "the complete and painless assimilation of the white female rapper into pop music."[23] The Los Angeles Times compared this vocal style to that of L'Trimm and Salt-N-Pepa.[49] Kesha has been criticized for using Auto-Tune to distort her vocals on her album Animal.[50]

Themes and genre

Kesha has writing credits on all of her songs.[11] She defended her decision to make pop music for Animal in an interview, explaining that,

People get so pretentious about pop music so I do feel like I'm fighting this battle. My record is honest and fun. It's a celebration of youth and life and going out and getting crazy. I'm about non-pretentious irreverence and f**k off good fun!

— Kesha, [51]

Kesha credits her album Animal as having a rock edge, with straightforward lyrics[20] based on her life experiences.[19] She has expressed frustration at the double standard for the objectification of women in music. Thus, in songs such as "Blah Blah Blah" and "Boots and Boys", she makes it a point to sing the same way men traditionally sing about women.[2][52] She has urged critics not to take her lyrics seriously; such as in "Tik Tok", where she has been criticized for referencing brushing her teeth with a bottle of Jack Daniel's whiskey. She explained that,

Everyone's really offended by that (the Jack Daniel's lyric). But come on, brushing your teeth with Jack Daniel's: what girl does that? People are like, 'Do you really advocate brushing your teeth with bourbon?' I'm like, 'Yes, actually, I do, every day, for everybody. Especially eight year olds.' I mean, what are you talking about? Of course I don't. Come on.

— Kesha, [43]

Her music is of the dance-pop genre; it incorporates elements of electropop in its production. Animal ranges from high energy pop dance songs, to electronic ballads, to songs with guitar riffs.[53] When it comes to her slower ballads, Kesha states; "Even if it is a slower song it’ll still have that four-on-the-floor to keep the heads moving".[20]

Live performances

Kesha regards the need for her live shows to be "rowdy and really fun, and hopefully dance-inducing".[20] She is backed by a DJ, a bassist and a keytar player in live performances.[21] Her bassist is Max Bernstein. She uses a "glitter cannon"[21] and "laser gloves"[54] during live performances. Her stage makeup is characterized by dramatic makeup at her right eye, inspired by A Clockwork Orange,[52] and body glitter.[54]

Fashion

Kesha's styling comprises messy hair, smudged makeup and a wardrobe she describes as "garbage-chic". The look developed from her being poor and trying to brand herself as best she could on a budget.[55] She has named Keith Richards as her fashion inspiration.[8]

Discography

Main article: Kesha discography

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Sullivan, Matt (August 13, 2009), "KE$HA and the Not-Quite-72 Virgins in Her Own Personal Heaven", Esquire, Hearst Communications, Inc., retrieved October 20, 2009
  2. ^ a b c d e f Day, Elizabeth (November 29, 2009), She's a walking, talking living dollar, Guardian News and Media Limited, retrieved November 29, 2009
  3. ^ a b "Superstar Producer Dr. Luke Brings Highly Sought After Pop Singer to RCA Records" (Press release). RCA Music Group. Retrieved December 29, 2009.
  4. ^ a b Mazzella, Alysia (March 2, 2009), Ke$ha: Crazy, Sexy & Too Fuckin' Cool, 21–7 Magazine, retrieved November 1, 2009
  5. ^ Axelrod, Nick (August 26, 2009), "Kesha Sebert: Hard Candy", Women's Wear Daily, Fairchild Fashion Group, retrieved October 20, 2009
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h Official biography, RCA Records, retrieved January 10, 2009
  7. ^ "Wedding Planner". The Simple Life. Season 3. Episode 15. May 12, 2005. Fox. {{cite episode}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ a b c d Lynch, Joseph (December 11, 2009), "Ke$ha: A Music Mix Q&A", Entertainment Weekly, retrieved December 12, 2009
  9. ^ a b $uper$tar Ke$ha Top$ Chart$, NPR, January 16, 2010, retrieved January 29, 2010
  10. ^ Barnett, Sophie (March 24, 2010), MTV Fashion File: Ke$ha, MTV Networks, retrieved April 9, 2010
  11. ^ a b c d e f g Werde, Bill (February 19, 2010), "Ke$ha: The Billboard Cover Story", Billboard, retrieved February 28, 2010
  12. ^ a b Moses, Hussein (October 26, 2009), Ke$ha Hearts NZ!, MTV Networks, retrieved December 14, 2009
  13. ^ Degrassi Season Six: Music Credits, Epitome Virtual Reality Inc., retrieved 2009-11-16 Episode 603 – "True Colours"
  14. ^ The Hills › Season 3 › Songs From the Show, MTV Networks, retrieved 2009-11-16 Songs | Ep. 321 | "An Unexpected Friend"
  15. ^ TEEN CRIBS-BG CUES, BMI, retrieved 2009-11-16
  16. ^ TEEN CRIBS-BG CUES, BMI, retrieved 2009-11-16
  17. ^ MY SUPER SWEET 16-BG CUES, BMI, retrieved 2009-11-16
  18. ^ Barracato, Joseph (February 6, 2010), Ke$ha tale, NYP Holdings, retrieved February 12, 2010
  19. ^ a b Malone, Aibhe (January 8, 2010), All that glitter$, Independent.ie, retrieved January 10, 2010
  20. ^ a b c d e WAPS interviews Ke$ha, We Are Pop Slags, October 28, 2009, retrieved October 29, 2009 {{citation}}: |first= missing |last= (help)
  21. ^ a b c d Gordon, Sandra (November 25, 2009), "Breaking & Entering: Ke$ha", Billboard, Nielsen Business Media, Inc., retrieved November 26, 2009
  22. ^ Levine, Nicke (November 13, 2009), Interview – Ke$ha, Digital Spy Limited, retrieved November 13, 2009
  23. ^ a b Caramanica, Jon (December 23, 2009), "Changing the Face (and Sound) of Rap", The New York Times, retrieved December 26, 2009
  24. ^ a b c Edgecliffe-Johnson, Andrew (March 24, 2010), How to create a chart-topper, Yahoo!, retrieved April 21, 2010
  25. ^ a b c "Red-Hot Pop Sensation Ke$ha to Release Debut Album" (Press release). RCA Music Group. December 3, 2009. Retrieved December 4, 2009.
  26. ^ Trust, Gary (December 24, 2009), "Chart Beat Thursday: Ke$ha", Billboard, Nielsen Business Media, Inc., retrieved December 25, 2009
  27. ^ Pietroluongo, Silvio (December 30, 2009), "Ke$ha Sets Female Download Record", Billboard, Nielsen Business Media, Inc., retrieved December 31, 2009
  28. ^ Trust, Gary (January 25, 2010), "'TiK' Talk: Ke$ha Breaks Pop Songs Record", Billboard, Nielsen Business Media, Inc., retrieved January 29, 2010
  29. ^ Pietroluongo, Silvio (February 11, 2010), "Ke$ha Holds Atop Hot 100, Pink Glows with 'Glitter'", Billboard, Nielsen Business Media, Inc., retrieved February 12, 2010
  30. ^ "To Surveil With Love". The Simpsons. Season 21. Episode 20. May 2, 2010. Fox. {{cite episode}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
  31. ^ 'The Simpsons' Open Show With Ke$ha Lip-Dub, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc., May 3, 2010, retrieved May 4, 2010
  32. ^ Rosen, Jody (January 4, 2010), "Ke$ha Animal", Rolling Stone, retrieved March 29, 2010
  33. ^ Caulfield, Keith (January 23, 2010), "Kesha ends Boyle's 'Dream' with No 1. debut at Billboard 200", Billboard, Nielsen Business Media, Inc., retrieved January 23, 2010
  34. ^ "52nd Grammy Awards". January 31, 2010. CBS. {{cite episode}}: Missing or empty |series= (help)
  35. ^ "Top 12 Results". American Idol. Season 9. Episode 23. March 17, 2010. Fox. {{cite episode}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
  36. ^ "Saturday Night Live". Season 21. Episode 19. April 17, 2010. NBC. {{cite episode}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Missing or empty |series= (help)
  37. ^ http://www.3oh3music.com/news/worldwide-premiere-of-new-3oh3-single-next-monday/
  38. ^ "Von Zipper Presents The 2010 Mickey Avalon Australian Tour" (Press release). Avid Exposure. March 10, 2010. Retrieved April 13, 2010.
  39. ^ Vena, Jocelyn (April 16, 2010), Ke$ha: It's 'A Bummer' Nicki Minaj Pulled Out Of Rihanna Tour, MTV Networks, retrieved April 21, 2010
  40. ^ Itzkoff, Dave (December 10, 2009), "Lilith Fair Lineup Is Announced", The New York Times, retrieved December 14, 2009
  41. ^ a b Wigler (May 6, 2010), Ke$ha Announces Nashville Flood Benefit Concert, MTV Networks, retrieved May 7, 2010 {{citation}}: More than one of |author= and |last= specified (help)
  42. ^ Jung, Helin (May 6, 2010), "Ke$ha Donates 1,000 Pounds of Food to Nashville's Homeless Pets", Peoplepets, Time Inc., retrieved May 8, 2010
  43. ^ a b Cairns, Dan (March 7, 2010), Ke$ha demands a pinch of respect and mirth, Times Newspapers Ltd., retrieved March 11, 2010
  44. ^ a b c Hess, Mike (January 11, 2010), "Ke$ha Can Handle Her Liquor and Success", PopEater, AOL Inc., retrieved March 24, 2010
  45. ^ Lester, Paul (October 2, 2009), Ke$ha (No 640), Guardian News and Media Limited, retrieved December 29, 2009
  46. ^ Ke$ha Pop Excess Interview, Pop Excess, August 23, 2009, retrieved January 11, 2009
  47. ^ Diehl, Matt, "Ke$ha", Interview, retrieved April 16, 2010
  48. ^ Collins, Hattie (November 24, 2009), "Ke$ha: Ke$h Money", RWD Magazine, retrieved January 29, 2010
  49. ^ Powers, Ann (January 5, 2010), "Ke$ha is a wisecracking 'Animal'", Los Angeles Times, retrieved January 6, 2010
  50. ^ Keefe, Jonathan (January 8, 2010), "Ke$ha Animal", Slant Magazine, retrieved March 29, 2010
  51. ^ French, Dan (March 1, 2010), Ke$ha - Interview, Digital Spy Limited, retrieved April 20, 2010
  52. ^ a b Stevenson, Jane (February 1, 2010), "It's not about the money, Ke$ha says", London Free Press, retrieved February 2, 2010
  53. ^ Jeffries, David, "Animal Review", allmusic, Rovi Corporation, retrieved March 24, 2010
  54. ^ a b "Meet "Tik Tok" Singer Ke$ha", Seventeen, Hearst Communications, Inc., January 11, 2010, retrieved April 14, 2010
  55. ^ Piazza, Jo (February 7, 2010), "Ke$ha's Look: Garbage Chic or Just Plain Trash?", PopEater, AOL Inc., retrieved March 12, 2010
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kesha.

Template:Persondata

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kesha&oldid=361986087"