Last time I reviewed a Ke$ha album, I was merciful. Her debut, “Animal” was gimmicky and fun for the most part, but didn’t have the longevity to carry her through a prosperous career. “Tik Tok” slowly drifted off the airwaves, “Your Love is My Drug” and “Blah Blah Blah” were catchy, but didn’t last long after the departure of her top hit. She made a commendable attempt to be filthier than the rest and I gave her an “A” for effort in that department. But sometimes, a girl just needs to take a shower.
“Cannibal” is the title of choice this time around, which could refer to how she eats up men like orange chicken at Panda Express, but who knows really. The cover art of the EP is basically the same as her debut, but in this case, she looks manlier. I’m telling you! A shower would help! The first track, which shares the title of the EP, is honestly one of the worst songs to ever curse mankind. As an example, the chorus is, “I…am…cannibal (cannibal) (cannibal)—I’ll eat you up.” To prove my point, “I’ll eat you up” is sung in a robot voice. Not auto-tune, a robot voice.
The subsequent track, “We R Who We R,” is the obvious hit of the EP, and I must say that it’s catchy enough to give hope to listeners who even previewed the first song. It’s one of those songs that really make an accurate representation of the current generation, for better or for worse. The synth line is addictive; the beat is enough to get even the most timid of people out of their seats, and the chorus will melt the face of any teenage girl across the country. It may not be art, but it gets the job done.
“Sleazy” is next on the track list and I must say that this song almost tricks me into secretly enjoying this EP so far. The production on this song is completely off the hook; it’s grimy pop at its finest. The lyrics are decent for the most part, but the way Ke$ha spits the verses is a bit too whiny, even for her. Otherwise, fans of Nicki Minaj would enjoy this track for its “fed up bad-girl” attitude.
At this point in the album, I’m feeling good about what I’ve heard so far. The fourth track, “Blow,” is also a pleasant surprise. It almost bears a resemblance to a Boys Noize or Bloody Beetroots song, with its heavy synth lead and pumping, club-worthy beat.
“The Harold Song” is where I start to question whether I’m the right person to review this album. It’s a pop ballad that could highlight the first kiss in a trashy romantic comedy. Towards the end of every pop album, there’s always a song like this to ease down from the more energetic songs of the first half. Ke$ha should stick with what she does best; whiny, obnoxious dance-pop, and leave songs like this to T-Swift. An EP from a drunken party girl like Ke$ha should be a burst of energy and then be over.
My patience starts to dwindle as soon as the next track, “Crazy Beautiful Life” ends. I genuinely try to give this EP a chance but the songs are starting to rapidly decrease in quality. The song is mildly catchy, but it lacks the same power and swagger of “We R Who We R” or “Sleazy.” It’s not a terrible song, it’s just too forgettable.
The final two songs on the EP “Grow a Pear” and “C U Next Tuesday” are boring. That’s really all there is to it. Not to say that I started listening to this EP with high expectations, but I must say that the first few songs were promising. I think the main problem with “Cannibal” is the fact that multiple producers collaborated on it. The result is an EP that goes all-out in the first half, and doesn’t know what it wants to be in the second. The real issue is that I could care less about Ke$ha as an artist. Her “party girl” act has been done a million times before with artists like Uffie or Amy Winehouse and even Madonna before that. Ke$ha may be the “new bitch on the block” as she classily puts it, but it’s not going to save her from being forgotten within a couple years at most.
Written by Hank Brown. This article originally appeared in the January 2011 issue.