Album Review: Kesha, Gag Order

Kesha played a significant role in the lives of practically anybody aged 8 to 28 with the release of her song ‘TikTok’ in 2009. The electropop track was somewhat anthemic for the youth of that time, whether they were taking shots of tequila at the club or faking shots with mouthwash before school. Her party girl persona set the tone for much of her earlier music, however, Kesha has taken back control with a rebrand and the debut of her new album Gag Order.

Dropping the signature $ from her name, Kesha’s new album exposes her rawest, innermost feelings, tackling issues such as struggling with her mental health, heartbreak and tumultuous emotions towards her own image.

Gag Order strips back the glitz and glam of her party animal identity to reveal a woman matured passed the point of staying silent and plastering a false smile on her face. Kesha has accepted her own individual struggles as they are, admirably not singing in the past tense but in the present. She refutes the idea that mental health is only an acceptable talking point once it has been overcome.

The lyrics, “Oh I don’t wanna be here anymore / Stuck inside my head here anymore / Stuck inside my head here anymore / I don’t wanna be scared anymore,” from her track ‘Living In My Head’ are almost naked in their revelations about the vehement thoughts that swim through her mind each day, yet her courage to lay bare these feelings through her music is resolute.

The beginning tracks are harsh in their sound, sometimes arguably cacophonic, eluding to the bitter nature of Kesha’s internal struggles. Midway through, the album becomes peppered with excerpts and audio clips, including an interlude by Ram Dass that states, “And the space starts, that little blue sky starts to develop / And you start to identify with the blue sky instead of the cloud / You flicker at first / And then you start to release.”

From this point, Kesha’s sound becomes sanguine and mellifluous. Although still lurking in the muddy depths of depressive and overburdening feelings, the listener can hear the new hope that creeps in slowly as the album progresses and eventually trails off at the possible beginning of Kesha's healing journey.