Kesha "Rainbow" Album Review

A close friend of mine recently informed me that Kesha just released her new album called “Rainbow.” I’m familiar with Kesha’s music (largely her first album “Animal” and less so her second album “Warrior”) and while I’ve never been crazy about her music, I’ve generally found it to be pretty enjoyable. That said, I’ve heard that this album is much different from her older stuff. Even so, I’m walking in pretty optimistic, because so far, reception to the album has been pretty warm. Let’s see how different it is, and if it’s an enjoyable change of sound. Let’s break down each song:

Bastards: Right as soon as this started, I couldn’t help but think, “this is Kesha?” This is an incredibly different sound for her, but it’s very successful. The song has a really great message, and Kesha’s vocals are rock solid. Definitely a good start to the album.

Let ‘Em Talk (ft. Eagles of Death Metal): Even with the upbeat, hard rock sound of this, this feels very different for Kesha. Once again, I really like the lyrical content and the high energy on this one. I’m not sure I’ll be listening to it on repeat, but it’s still a pretty enjoyable song.

Woman (ft. The Dap-Kings Horns): Once again, Kesha shows a lot of strength with her very empowering lyrics. The song itself does sound good as well: it’s different but it still feels very Kesha. Another one I probably won’t loop too much, but it’s a good song overall.

Hymn: A nice, slower sounding song with even more really strong lyrics. Kesha’s vocals are also very nice, and she shows once again that she can adjust well to a slower sound. This one will probably grow on me a bit in the future, it’s pretty good.

Praying: Kesha’s passionate vocals and strong lyrical content that clearly speaks negatively of her former producer Dr. Luke make the song quite good. This one will probably grow on me a lot in the future.

Learn to Let Go: Kesha once again comes through with the upbeat, exciting sound on this one, and I think it’s interesting because I think this one also features subtle disses on Dr. Luke, but it’s interesting how it’s more of a positive, exciting sound song than Praying. Another one I think will grow on me in the future.

Finding You: I love Kesha’s vocals on this one and I think the hook is really catchy. I like the instrumentals as well, and the lyrics are strong enough to make this feel like more than just your typical love song. I think this is one of the strongest songs on the album.

Rainbow: Beautiful verses, a catchy hook, fantastic vocals from Kesha, and a really great instrumental. This song definitely sounds like it came from the heart and I think it’s absolutely fantastic. Forget being one of the best on this album, this might honestly be one of Kesha’s best songs. I’ll definitely be listening to this one a lot in the future.

Hunt You Down: Kesha doing country music? Huh? It’s weird but, for the most part, it works. The hook is catchy, the instrumental is quite good, and Kesha’s vocals are sharp as always. The lyrics are also EXTREMELY DARK, but still really smart. Not my favorite song on the album, but definitely a solid one that’ll probably grow on me in the future.

Boogie Feet (ft. Eagles of Death Metal): Immediately, I feel like this is what would happen if Pat Benatar did a song with Meghan Trainor. That said, it’s very high energy and exciting, and there’s a lot of interesting sounds on this one. I can say it’s certainly not my favorite song on the album, but there’s a lot of good stuff going on here.

Boots: Catchy beat, really strong hook, and typically strong vocals from Kesha. Lyrically, it’s not my favorite Kesha song, and I doubt I’ll be listening to this on repeat after this review, but it’s still an interesting sounding song overall.

Old Flames (Can’t Hold a Candle to You) (ft. Dolly Parton): Interestingly enough, this is not an original song from Kesha, it’s actually a cover, and it features an artist known as Dolly Parton, who covered the song and helped catapult the original song to success. That said, I’m not as crazy about this song as I am about others on the album. Kesha’s vocals are strong as usual, as are Dolly’s, and Kesha adjusts fine to a slower sound once again, but this one just kind of bores me a bit. Maybe it’ll grow on me in the future?

Godzilla: I’m so interested in this song for some weird reason. Not because it’s my favorite track on the album, but because it really makes me think about Godzilla and what it would be like for a human to fall in love with him. Sure, it’s a silly thing to think about, but it’s so weird that it’s actually thought-provoking. It’s a bit too short, but weirdly, I actually really like this song.

Spaceship: A slow, banjo plucking song that I would honestly say ends off the album with a bit of a whimper. It’s boring, it’s not as strong from a lyrical standpoint as some of the other songs here, and I can say I definitely wasn’t crazy about this one. Lyrically, I understand why Kesha wanted to end off the album with this one, but I just don’t find this one as memorable as some of the others on this album.

Overall, I wasn’t sure what to expect walking into this album, but to the person that requested this, I’m glad you let me know about this one because it was very enjoyable. Kesha adjusts to a new sound in a great way, while also keeping that upbeat, exciting vibe that made her such a success earlier. Lyrically, a lot of the songs are really great, and Kesha’s “I don’t give a fuck” personality really helps make this a strong album. My biggest gripe with the album, though, is that maybe a lot of these songs just aren’t for me, but I feel like there were too many songs that I mentioned needed to “grow” on me a bit. Some of these songs weren’t quite “excellent” on my first listen, and there weren’t a ton of songs that I felt like “wow, this was fantastic, I have to listen to this on loop!” That, and I think the album doesn’t end as well as it started. Even so, I still have to say I enjoyed this album, and if you're a Kesha fan, you'll absolutely adore this.

Favorite tracks: Bastards, Praying, Learn to Let Go, Finding You, Rainbow

Least favorite tracks: Old Flames (Can't Hold a Candle to You), Spaceship

Rating: Good