When Kesha was born into the pop world in 2009, there was no Carly Rae Jepsen (in America, at least), no One Direction and Justin Bieber still had bangs to make a Renaissance sculptor weep. How will her glitter, feathered gear and tequila go over in a world where fresh-scrubbed dance-pop is the lingua franca? We're about to find out.
The singer has released her first new music since 2010's mini-album "Cannibal," in the form of a new single "Die Young." It's no major departure from her classic template of ravey pop spiced with gum-smacking raps and occasional vocal acrobatics.
But even when delivering a stock-and-trade message about partying, and how we should all do it now, she hangs out on the phrase "Die Young" to make that fate sound less like a thing to be avoided, and more like the goal is to live fast and leave a good-looking corpse. Party nihilist indeed.
The song, which is up for grabs on iTunes and YouTube right now, teases her forthcoming album "Warrior," out Dec. 4. It reportedly features collaborations with the Black Keys, Iggy Pop and the Flaming Lips alongside her usual slate of pop savants Dr. Luke and Max Martin. Perhaps it's worth it to put off dying young until we get to hear the whole thing.
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