Music Review: Kesha "We R Who We R"

Kesha

We R Who We R

Album: Cannibal

Year: 2010

          Kesha includes all types of people to hang out with her in the adaptive “We R Who We R.”

            Quivering synths open the single, setting an uncertain tone. One of her friends introduces her girlfriend to the group. She puts her down and waves. Kesha slaps the seat next to her and compliments her friend’s girlfriend on the pink streaks in her hair. Kesha continues that they are all pretty and badass. They can charm the people who think they are already cool. She says she has on lucky neon blue hot pants. No matter where they go, they attract attention. She touches the cross on her neck. Her parents gave it to her on her confirmation. They raised her to “love thy neighbor as yourself.” (“Hot and dangerous/If you’re one of us, then roll with us/‘Cause we make the hipsters fall in love/When we’ve got our hot pants on and up/And yes of course we does we’re running this town just like a club/And no, you don’t wanna mess with us/Got Jesus on my necklace.”)

          In the pre-chorus, she is dressed up for the night. She has purple glitter all over eyes. She has her fishnets on, which she put cut some holes in after she noticed they were getting tattered. (“I’ve got that glitter on my eyes/Stockings ripped all up the side/Looking sick and sexy-fied/So let’s go (Let’s go!”)

          In the chorus, she says they are going to have tons of fun tonight. They are all awesome in their own way and make no apologies for it. (“Tonight we’re going hard/Just like the world is ours/We’re tearing it apart/You know we’re superstars/We are who we are!/We’re dancing like we’re dumb/Our bodies go numb/We’ll be forever young/You know we’re superstars/We are who we are.”)

             One of her friends is wondering if she got the job she needed.  She keeps checking her phone and wondering if she should call. Kesha tells her not to worry about it now. They came out tonight to enjoy themselves and forget their problems. They don’t make a lot of money at their jobs (if they have one). They get their clothes from the Salvation Army. A few of them live in their cars, relying on some friends to give them a place to sleep every once in awhile. However, they are looking for someone who doesn’t care about that stuff and who would love them completely. (“DJ turn it up/It’s about damn time to live it up/I’m so sick of being so serious/It’s making my brain delirious!/I’m just talking truth/I’m telling you ’bout the s— we do/We’re selling our clothes, sleeping in cars/Dressing it down, hitting on dudes hard.”)

            The pre-chorus and chorus are sung again.

              In the bridge, she and her friends dance to the music in the bar. (“DJ turn it up/DJ turn it up/DJ turn it up/DJ turn it up.”)

              The chorus is sung again to end the single.

             Kesha’s happy-go-lucky vocals deal with whatever comes along. She has learned to ignore the snotty comments about her clothes. It’s the judgement that bothers her. She’s automatically assumed to be trash. Some of her gay friends have been harassed. She can never get used to the cruelty she sees around her.

              The single has its jawdropping moment with the “we’re selling our clothes, sleeping in cars” lyric. She’s nonchalant about their struggles, accepting that their lives are as good as it’ll be. It then hits that the young people in the song have been kicked out of their homes or are living on their own, just trying to get by. They’ve been written off and considered trouble. All they have is each other and their bar nights every once in awhile.

                 The content “We R Who We R” tries to find whatever joy in life that it can.