Oh, my darling Ke$ha. Her star deserves to shine so, so much brighter than it is right now.
Ever since the release of her safe-but-solid sophomore record Warrior last year, the talented drunk-pop princess has slumped into a spiral of softer sales and questionable career decisions — from the “Die Young” radio controversy to the will.i.am assist on “Crazy Kids” to the Pitbull co-headlining tour — it’s all felt like a free fall from the pillars of greatness during the Animal/Cannibal years.
And now, there’s this: A feature on a Pitbull song. Ehhh. But wait, hold your tongue: It’s a #GoodTime!
The track, which was produced by Dr. Luke, Cirkut & Sermstyle, does a lot of things really, really right: Ke$ha’s featured prominently (and sounds GREAT), the main riff is built from a harmonica melody (an interesting sound to introduce to the dance floor these days, for sure), there’s a catchy post-chorus “WhoOOO-oo-OO-ooAH!” moment (a la Britney‘s K$-penned “Till The World Ends”) and the beat’s reliably thick. Mmm, meaty!
This collaboration is almost like a throwback to the days of 2009, when K$ was ruling the airwaves on top of Flo Rida‘s “Right Round.” Considering the fact that she hasn’t really landed a solid hit since “Die Young” (which, well, died too young), perhaps this is exactly the radio-friendly redemption needed for a proper K$ reboot on the charts.
The airwaves are seriously lacking in glitter. It’s time for her to win again.
“Timber” is out on October 8. (iTunes)