Animal (Kesha album)

Kesha had been recording demos for a few years, when one of her demos ended up in the hands of Samantha Cox, senior director of writer/publisher relations at BMI. Cox, who had worked with Kesha before, passed along the demos to a friend at BMI, who passed it to the manager of Lukasz Gottwald, known as Dr. Luke. At the age of eighteen, Kesha signed to Dr. Luke's label, Kemosabe Records, and his publishing company, Prescription Songs. Luke was busy with other projects at the time, and Kesha ultimately wound up signed to David Sonenberg's management company, DAS. While at DAS she worked with several top writers and producers, but rarely worked with or even spoke to Luke. DAS searched for a label deal for Kesha despite her still being in a signed contract with Luke. Kara DioGuardi, an artists and repertoire (A&R) representative for Warner, was also interested in signing Kesha but the deal never went through because of the outstanding contract with Luke. Shortly after, Kesha and DAS parted ways and Kesha wound up reunited with Luke. At the end of 2008, Luke was working on a track with Flo Rida called "Right Round" for his album R.O.O.T.S., and the two decided they needed a female hook. Luke decided to have Kesha perform on the song and within two months, it was a number one hit in multiple countries around the world. The event led to Kesha being sought after by many major labels, Kesha explained that she chose to sign with the company due to how well she got along with RCA A&R executive Rani Hancock, explaining that "Rani doesn't ever try to censor me, [...] and I like being surrounded by strong, intelligent women." ==Development and inspiration==

Kesha had been working on Animal for seven years prior to its release, and had written over 200 songs for the album. The abundance of material extended it from its initially planned twelve tracks to fourteen. She cites her songs "Stephen" and "Dinosaur" as examples of this. She explained: "it's about this guy I've been stalking since I was 15. I wrote the song when I was 16 with my mom, and I was like, "This song's so dope, I know it is". "Dinosaur" came "about [when] this old guy who was hitting on me, and his toupee was kind of falling off, and I was like, "Oh my God, you're so old, you're prehistoric, you're like a dinosaur. D-I-N-O-S-A-you are a dinosaur." Explaining the reasoning behind the title track being placed at the end of the album's track list, Kesha said: ==Music and lyrics==

Musically, Animal has been described as electropop and dance-pop, while incorporating elements of electro in its production and beats. Her vocals throughout the song have been described as a shouty sing-speak style. Musically, the song uses a simple, upbeat lyric line. On "Tik Tok" Kesha uses a spoken word rap style on the verses while the chorus is sung. According to her the lyrics are representative of herself, stating "it's about my life, it's 100 per cent me". "Take It Off" has been described as "a heavily Auto-Tuned reworking" of "There's a Place in France". "Kiss n Tells lyrics depict a tale of the slutty' ex of [Kesha] [who is] spreading his wild oats around the town". The writing of the song came about after Kesha discovered that her boyfriend was cheating on her with a famous pop starlet. "Kiss n Tell" is a dance-pop track that features standard elements of "party pop" music that is prominent on Animal. According to sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Sony/ATV Music Publishing, "Kiss n Tell" is written in the time signature of common time, with a moderate beat rate of 144 beats per minute. The song is written in the key of E Major and Kesha's vocal range in the song spans from the note of G3 to the note of B4. "Stephen" is opened in "Kansas-style vocal harmonies" as Kesha sings about an unattainable lover depicting their story. Lyrically, "Blah Blah Blah" (featuring 3OH!3) depicts a woman who would rather have sex than listen to a man speak. "Dinosaur" features a whistle-synth infused backing while the lyrics describe the story of older men hitting on younger girls. "Party at a Rich Dude's House" is reminiscent of music from the 1980s which according to Jeffries could have appeared on the soundtrack to the 1982 film Fast Times at Ridgemont High. "Dancing with Tears in My Eyes" is an upbeat pop-rock ballad; one of a small minority of tracks to incorporate guitars in the instrumental, as Kesha tried to exclude the style from the album. "Boots & Boys" is a "lusty" song reminiscent of INXS's "Suicide Blonde", but from a female point of view. ==Release and promotion==

soundcheck on June 20, 2010 RCA noticed Kesha's strong following on social media when negotiating her contract and thus relied on viral marketing to build a following for her debut single, "Tik Tok" offering it for free a month before releasing it for digital download. "Tik Tok" was released for digital download in August 2009 and reached number one on iTunes in New Zealand without radio airplay. Radio stations soon began expressing interest in the song, but RCA/Jive Label Group chairman/CEO Barry Weiss decided to delay its shipping to radio by a month, to October, to let the song continue to build viral support digitally and good word of mouth. She made several television appearances across North America to promote the album: ''It's on with Alexa Chung, The Wendy Williams Show, Lopez Tonight, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien, and The Ellen DeGeneres Show. "Blah Blah Blah" was performed on January 18, 2010, at MuchOnDemand. While in the United Kingdom, Kesha made two appearances on television to promote the album and "Blah Blah Blah". The first was on February 18, 2010, on Alan Carr: Chatty Man. It was followed by a performance on breakfast television show GMTV, on February 19. The song was also performed live on season 9 of American Idol'' on March 17, 2010. She wore her trademark glitter eye make-up and bounced throughout the stage while her backup dancers were dressed as human TV sets showing intermittent images of the American flag, owls, and skulls. The performance was accompanied by 3OH!3. Kesha performed "Your Love Is My Drug" and "Tik Tok" on a season 35 episode of Saturday Night Live hosted by Ryan Phillippe on April 17, 2010. On May 29, 2010, Kesha performed "Your Love Is My Drug" alongside her previous single "Tik Tok" at the MTV Video Music Awards Japan. She performed a set for BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend. On August 13, 2010, Kesha performed "Take It Off" alongside earlier singles "Your Love Is My Drug" and "Tik Tok" on NBC's Today. In the performance she was seen wearing boots, fishnets, glitter shorts and a loose tank top. By the second verse, her dancers – dressed head to toe in black – started to appropriately undress to the music as the chorus starts revealing gold shirts and tank-tops. The performance featured smoke machines with Kesha playing notes on an electric keyboard while crawling on the floor. Her performance of "Backstabber" for the Bud Light Hotel Super Bowl event on February 5, 2011, was broadcast on February 9 on Jimmy Kimmel Live! ==Singles==

"Tik Tok" was released as the album's lead single commercially worldwide on August 7, 2009, through digital distribution. Upon its release the single generated mixed to generally positive reviews. Critics generally praised the lyrics and celebration of party lifestyle; the song's production was generally well received although some critics criticized the song for sounding irritating and being too similar to other tracks performed by the likes of Lady Gaga and Uffie. The song achieved commercial success by topping charts in eleven countries, as well as reaching the top 10 in many other countries. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed at the top for nine consecutive weeks. "Tik Tok" had sold over 6 million downloads in the United States alone and 15 million worldwide, making it the second best-selling song in digital history. The song sold 12.8 million digital copies worldwide in 2010, making it the best selling single of the year, beating the previous year's song by more than three million downloads. "Blah Blah Blah" was released as the second single from the album on February 2, 2010. It had charted before being released in the album's debut week in the United States due to strong digital download sales on par with "Tik Tok", which influenced RCA's decision to release it as the next single. The single was met with mixed reaction from music critics, some praised Kesha's unapologetic lyrics combined with an auto-tuned working hook, while others called it trashy. Although reviews were mainly positive, a common complaint amongst critics was the appearance of 3OH!3. "Take It Off" was released on July 13, 2010, as the album's fourth and final single. Upon its release the single generated mixed reviews from music critics. A common complaint amongst critics was the demonstration of overly processed vocals with the use of auto-tune. Due to strong digital sales from the release of Animal, the song charted in the United States, the United Kingdom Singles Chart, and Canada before being announced as a single. After being released as a single the song reached the top ten in Canada, Australia and the United States. It has also reached the top twenty in Ireland, the United Kingdom and New Zealand. ==Critical reception==

Animal received generally mixed reviews from music critics upon its release. The album holds a score of 54 out of 100 based on 18 critical reviews, according to the music review aggregator Metacritic. Ann Powers of the Los Angeles Times stated that Kesha was "offer[ing] a thoroughly fleshed-out character to embrace or despise," comparing her persona to "classic screwball blond[s]" such as Jean Harlow and Mae West, while praising her and Dr. Luke for "refashion[ing] the screwball heroine role to suit a new era of aggressive superficiality and libertine self-empowerment". Her conclusion about Kesha and the album was that "[h]er total commitment to the deliberately stupid script Animal provides makes [the album] work." Ailbhe Malone of NME gave Animal a mixed review but concluded that "[b]eneath the patina of skeezy Freshers'-Week-LOLZ lyrics ('got a water-bottle full of whiskey in my handbag')" it seems there "lies a talent." Andrew Burgess of MusicOMH was impressed with Kesha, calling her an "auto-tuned talk-singing, gum-smacker" that may well be "a pop-genius, a gutter-glam Jonathan Swift." He described the album as "an infectiously good dance-pop album." Daniel Brockman of The Phoenix thought that the album was "a clear subversion of pop norms" with "effortless hooks". Jonathan Keefe of Slant Magazine was extremely critical of the album and Kesha, saying that her attempts to sing and rap were "pitiful", describing her as "insincere" and "souless". ==Commercial performance==

In the United States, Animal debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 on the week of January 23, 2010, with sales of 152,000 copies (setting a record for digital sales of a number one album, at 76%). With "Tik Tok" occupying the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 at the same time, Kesha became the first act to achieve this feat since 2008 when Spirit and "Bleeding Love" by Leona Lewis simultaneously held the pole positions. At the end of 2010, the album peaked at number 20 on Billboard year-end chart. Animal became the tenth best-selling album in the United States of 2010, selling 1.14 million copies that year. By 2016, the album has since sold 1.47 million pure copies in the country alone. As of September 2024, the album has since received a 4× Platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales in recognition of 4 million album-equivalent units. On the Canadian album year-end chart the album peaked at number 12. In May 2011, the album was certified double platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA) for shipment of 160,000 units. In Australia, the album debuted at number four, where it stayed consecutively for two weeks before falling to the number five position. On the Australian 2010 year-end chart, the album peaked at number 11. Following the release of Cannibal, the album later re-entered the RMNZ chart at 34 as its reissue Animal + Cannibal, on the date issued November 29, 2010, spending a total of 31 non-consecutive weeks on the chart. The album also appeared on the New Zealand 2010 top 50 albums year-end chart, ranking at number 30. ==Track listing==

• Dr. Luke • Benny Blanco • Ammo }} • K. Sebert • Lukasz Gottwald • Benjamin Levin }} • Dr. Luke • Blanco }} • K. Sebert • Gottwald • Claude Kelly }} • K. Sebert • Gottwald • Max Martin • Shellback }} • Dr. Luke • Max Martin }} • K. Sebert • P. Sebert • David Gamson • Oliver Leiber }} • Gamson • Leiber }} • K. Sebert • Levin • Neon Hitch • Sean Foreman }} • K. Sebert • Gottwald • Martin • Shellback }} • Dr. Luke • Martin • Ammo }} • K. Sebert • Shellback • Levin }} • Shellback • Blanco }} • K. Sebert • Gamson • Marc Nelkin • Jon Ingoldsby }} • K. Sebert • Gottwald • Levin • Coleman }} • Dr. Luke • Blanco • Ammo }} • K. Sebert • Martin • Shellback }} • Martin • Shellback }} • K. Sebert • Gottwald • Levin • Kelly }} • Dr. Luke • Blanco }} • K. Sebert • Tom Neville • Olivia Nervo • Miriam Nervo }} • K. Sebert • P. Sebert • Gottwald • Greg Kurstin }} }} • Neville • O. Nervo • M. Nervo }} }} • Fraser T Smith • Cruz • Dr. Luke • Blanco }} }} • Dr. Luke • Blanco • The Wolf }} }} • Dr. Luke • Blanco • Cooly G }} }} • K. Sebert • Gottwald • Levin }} • Dr. Luke • Blanco • The Wolf }} • K. Sebert • Gottwald • Levin }} • Dr. Luke • Blanco • Fred Falke }} }} Notes • The Animal version of "C U Next Tuesday" is uncensored, while also having a longer outro compared to the Cannibal version of the track. • The track "Blah Blah Blah" featuring 3OH!3 is omitted on the Chinese CD release due to Chinese censorship laws. Animal + Cannibal Originally planned to only be a re-release of Animal, Cannibal was instead released both as part of a reissue of Animal as well as a stand-alone EP. The EP has been classified as a follow-up "nine-song companion" record to Animal. Cannibal was originally intended to contain anywhere between four and eight tracks with the outcome consisting of eight tracks and one previously heard song remixed, for a total of nine tracks. To celebrate the 15th anniversary of the album, Kesha released a special edition on November 21, 2025, and included two previously unreleased tracks, "Butterscotch" and "Shots on the Hood of My Car". • Dr. Luke • Blanco • Ammo }} • K. Sebert • Gottwald • Levin }} • Dr. Luke • Blanco }} • K. Sebert • Gottwald • Kelly }} • K. Sebert • Gottwald • Martin • Shellback }} • Dr. Luke • Martin }} • K. Sebert • Gamson • P. Sebert • Leiber }} • Gamson • Leiber }} • K. Sebert • Levin • Hitch • Foreman }} • K. Sebert • Gottwald • Martin • Shellback }} • Dr. Luke • Martin • Ammo }} • K. Sebert • Shellback • Levin }} • Shellback • Blanco }} • K. Sebert • Gamson • Nelkin • Ingoldsby }} • K. Sebert • Gottwald • Levin • Coleman }} • Dr. Luke • Blanco • Ammo }} • K. Sebert • Martin • Shellback }} • Martin • Shellback }} • K. Sebert • Gottwald • Levin • Kelly }} • Dr. Luke • Blanco }} • K. Sebert • Neville • O. Nervo • M. Nervo }} • K. Sebert • P. Sebert • Gottwald • Kurstin }} }} • Neville • O. Nervo • M. Nervo }} • K. Sebert • Cruz • Smith • Gottwald • Levin }} • Fraser T Smith • Cruz • Dr. Luke • Blanco }} }} • Dr. Luke • Blanco • The Wolf }} • K. Sebert • Gottwald • Levin }} • Dr. Luke • Blanco • Fred Falke }} }} }} • Ammo • Billboard }} • K. Sebert • Coleman • Gottwald • Jacob Kasher Hindlin • Levin }} • Dr. Luke • Blanco • Ammo }} • K. Sebert • Klas Åhlund • Shondrae Crawford • Gottwald • Levin }} • Dr. Luke • Bangladesh • Blanco }} • K. Sebert • Åhlund • Gottwald • Allan Grigg • Levin • Martin }} • Dr. Luke • Martin • Blanco • Kool Kojak }} • K. Sebert • Coleman }} • K. Sebert • Gottwald • P. Sebert • Martin }} • K. Sebert • Gottwald • Levin • Martin }} • Dr. Luke • Martin • Blanco }} • K. Sebert • Gamson • Nelkin }} • K. Sebert • Gottwald • Kurstin • P. Sebert }} • Kurstin • Billboard }} }} • Dr. Luke • Bangladesh • Blanco }} }} • Dr. Luke • Blanco • Ammo }} • K. Sebert • Gottwald • Kelly }} • K. Sebert • P. Sebert • Gottwald • Kurstin }} • Kurstin • Billboard }} }} • Dr. Luke • Martin • Blanco • Kool Kojak }} • K. Sebert • Neville • O. Nervo • M. Nervo }} • Neville • O. Nervo • M. Nervo }} • K. Sebert • Cruz • Smith • Gottwald • Levin }} • Fraser T Smith • Cruz • Dr. Luke • Blanco }} • K. Sebert • P. Sebert • Gamson • Sophie Slern}} }} ==Personnel==

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Animal. • Matt Beckley – recording engineer (track 1) • Benny Blanco – drums (tracks 1–2, 6, 10, 12), keyboards (1–2, 6, 10, 12), music programming (1–2, 6, 8, 10, 12), producer (1–2, 6, 8, 10, 12), recording engineer (2, 6, 8), instrumentation (8) • Anita Marisa Boriboon – art direction, design • Graham Bryce – background vocals (track 3) • Joshua "Ammo" Coleman – drums (1, 7, 10), keyboards (1, 7, 10), music programming (1, 7, 10), producer (1, 7, 10) • Emily De Groot – stylist • Megan Dennis – production coordination (tracks 1, 3, 10, 12) • Shelby Duncan – photography • Eric Eylands – assistant recording engineer (track 4) • Sarai Fiszel – make-up • Sean Foreman – additional vocals (track 6) • David Gamson – music programming, producer, recording engineer, additional instruments (tracks 5, 9) • Chris Gehringer – mastering • Serban Ghenea – audio mixing (all tracks) • Erwin Gorostiza – creative director • Aniela Gottwald – background vocals (track 3), assistant recording engineer (4) • Lukasz "Doctor Luke" Gottwald – composer (tracks 2–4, 7, 10, 12), guitar (7), drums (1–4, 7, 10, 12), keyboards (1–4, 7, 10, 12), music programming (1–4, 7, 10, 12), producer (1–4, 7, 10, 12), engineer (10), executive producer, vocal editing, background vocals (3) • Tatiana Gottwald – background vocals (track 3), assistant vocal editing (2) • Rani Hancock – artists and repertoire • John Hanes – engineer • Sam Holland – recording engineer (tracks 2–4, 12) • Jim Hynes – trumpet (track 9) • Claude Kelly – background vocals (3) • Greg Kurstin – keyboards, music programming, producer, recording engineer (track 14) • Oliver Leiber – producer, recording engineer (track 5) • Max Martin – keyboards (11), producer (4, 7, 11), recording engineer (11) • Ramsell Martinez – hair stylist • Marc Nelkin – composer (track 9) • Miriam Nervo – background vocals, vocal producer (track 13) • Olivia Nervo – background vocals, vocal producer (track 13) • Tom Neville – instrumental arranger, music producer, recording engineer, instrumentation (track 13) • Chris "Tek" O'Ryan – sound engineer • The Pickleheadz – background vocals (track 3) • Tim Roberts – mixing assistant • Becky Scott – production coordination (tracks 1, 3, 10, 12) • Kesha Sebert – vocals (tracks 1–2, 4–5, 7–12, 14, lead – 3, 6, 13), accordion (track 5), cowbell (11), whistle (11) • Shellback – music programming (8), producer (8, 11), recording engineer (8, 11), instrumentation (8), whistle (11) • Vanessa Silberman – music production assistant (track 2), production coordination (1, 3, 10, 12) • Gary "G" Silver – production coordination (track 2) • Andrew Snitzer – saxophone (track 9) • Yasmin Than – stylist • Seth Waldmann – recording engineer (track 4) • Emily Wright – recording engineer (tracks 1–4, 8, 10, 12, Additional- 13), vocal editing (1–3, 7, 10, 12) ==Charts==

Weekly charts Year-end charts Decade-end charts Animal + Cannibal Weekly charts Year-end charts ==Certifications==

Animal Animal + Cannibal ==References==