This week’s issue of Entertainment Weekly features a profile of randy new pop star Ke$ha (see an exclusive portrait from the photo shoot), who recently overtook Susan Boyle at the top of the charts and has generally been blowing up the music scene like she’s Lady Gaga in 2009. If you know anything about the budding pop princess, you know this: She’s not lacking in the personality department. Ke$ha always has something to say, and it’s usually kinda crazy. So we thought we’d treat you to all the juicy, leftover tidbits from our interview with her. Little gems like how she gets frisky while text messaging and Twittering, her hatred of “celebretards,” and how she wouldn’t want to meet Jay-Z in a rap-off. Enjoy below!
On the glitter around her right eye: “If I smear glitter on my face, you don’t have a choice—you will be more attracted to me. It’s part of our brand makeup. So anyway, then I started thinking, why just do my eyes? Why not my entire body? And at the end of my shows why don’t I put a backpack on that’s like a hand-held cannon and blast glitter at people? So not only do I look attractive, but so does everybody who’s dancing? It’s kind of like become my thing.”
On providing vocals for Flo Rida’s smash single “Right Round”: “I didn’t get credit, I didn’t get paid. Honestly, I walked into the studio and there was Flo Rida and Dr. Luke doing the song, and I was like, ‘I’ll just sing on it. I’m just happy you like my voice enough to put me on your song.’ I believe in karma, so if I’m not a douchebag about that, it’ll just come back to me. So it’s like, ‘You know what, if you don’t want to pay me, it’s fine. I’m excited to have my voice on the radio.’”
On her relationship with her former marching bandmates from high school: “I get text messages all the time. And they were all such bitches, so now I’m like, Eat it! I save their numbers to prank later.”
On people thinking that she runs around with the likes of Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie: “Oh, gross! I’m from the opposite of that. Do you think that those girls dig through the garbage for their clothes? That’s what I’m saying. And, you know, would they live in a house with 10 people that they’ve never met, you know? And would they be OK if they never came home for four days and just went to Vegas on a whim? Like, would they never wear high heels when they go out so they can run from the cops? Very different.”
Much more after the jump!
On being poor before making it big: “The whole dollar sign thing is so ironic, because I was so broke. Literally would go to this bar in L.A. called the Gold Room, and you get a shot of tequila and a beer for five bucks and free tacos. So me and my friends would go there almost every night. Because we were so broke. We were like, where else can you get a beer, a shot of tequila, and tacos—like, you’re fed. We just lived there.”
On her personal style: “I do have a stylist who helps me shop, because I don’t have time to shop. But I’ll be like, I want leopard pants. And she gets me these. I’m just like this forever. Go through my high school yearbooks—I always looked like a f—ing weirdo. So you know, and I made my own purple velvet pants, living in Brentwood, which is like the Bible Belt. And no one would talk to me in middle school. My hair was purple. I got sent to the principal’s office in 8th grade. Like, 9th grade, stole my mom’s minivan, drove to Atlanta, snuck into Radiohead, front row.”
On all her drinking: “I’ll regret it in the morning—oh my God, I’ve lived that so many times. It’s just honest. There are probably, like, periods of time I was drinking too much. But I’m honest about it. You know what? Hate me for it if you want to. I’m not saying I’m the perfect role model. But I’m honest. Period.”
On the silliness of “celebretards”: “You see celebretards throwing around cash like it’s cool, and to me, I think it’s gluttonous and I think it’s gross, and I think it’s unnecessary, and I really think the whole world really needs to get ahold of that. Excessiveness is gross. It’s not glamorous to me. I think it’s sexier to me see somebody who’s just confident, not someone who wants a name-brand $700 bag.”
On her favorite drink: “I’m definitely a whiskey girl. Jim Beam or Jack. I’m southern.”
On brushing her teeth with Jack Daniels: “Literally, all I could find when I woke up in the morning in Vegas in the bathtub was Jack. It’s at least a disinfectant, so let’s go there.”
On her drunk-texting habit: “I’m the worst. And then Twitter happened! Because now it’s drunk Twitter, and that goes out to the world. That’s not just one person, that’s like public humiliation. But when I get tipsy, I get really frisky. I have before, then I banned myself. Now I know, if I ever get kind of drunk, the phone goes away. I give it to a friend.”
On who she thinks her competition is: “Honest to god, and I’m not just saying this as a cop-out, I don’t believe in that kind of energy. I believe in karma, and I believe if you put out positive vibes to everybody, that’s all you’re going to get back.”
On whether she’s embracing the pop-star trend of bisexuality: “I’m sure you gathered this by now: I just do what I want. Have I made out with chicks? Hell yeah. Did I think it was awesome? Hell yeah. I wouldn’t call myself bi. Like, if I didn’t eat meat for a week, it doesn’t make me a vegetarian. So I like people, and that’s just it. I like people.”
On her burgeoning gay audience: “First of all, the gay community are some of the most faithful fans. Loyal, so loyal. And they’re just really up for a good time! Like, I’ve never got questioned by a gay man or a woman about my love of dancing, love of partying, love of having fun, love of a good time. A lot of the gay community just embraces pop for what it is, which is fun. And they’re not afraid to enjoy it. They’re just hungry for new, fresh stuff. Which a lot of, no offense, a lot of straight men are just lazy.
On old flame Stephen, who she pines for in the song “Stephen” from her album: “We hooked up like twice. He was like the only guy on the planet who would just not give me the time of day. I did not understand why. I would try so hard, I would look so hot, I would make outfits for the next time I would see him in two weeks. It was so psychotic! I would drive by his work, I would drive by his house. So psycho! But he’s this loser! He’s just this loser who wouldn’t call me. But you want what you can’t have!”
On her cure for a hangover: “A mojito. I don’t know. Honestly: glitter. It fixes everything. Just put some more glitter on.”
On Miley Cyrus, who recorded her song “The Time of Our Lives”: “I never really had an opinion either way about her until I met her and she recorded my song. And that girl can sing! And I have mad respect for how much s— she gets for being so young and has such a good attitude. So I totally support her.”
On whether there is nefarious video out there that could surface in the future: “Oh, sex? No. I’m so not a slut. No. No, no, no. No sex tapes. I mean, there might be a tape of me kicking a parking meter, but like…I just get stupid. A lot of people, and you can attest to this now since we’ve hung out, but it’s not me being messed up, I kind of just always act like this. People always think I’m drunk or messed up. I’m not. I just am a little bit out of my mind.”
(Follow the Music Mix on Twitter: @EWMusicMix.)
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The Swell Season makes a triumphant return to NYC’s Radio City Music Hall
Animal Collective, Jay-Z win Pazz & Jop ’09 critics’ poll
Vampire Weekend tops the albums chart
She called herself bi to Out magazine, so good for her for changing her story for the straight media. Newsflash: The gay community largely doesn’t want her.
This attention-whoring skank needs to make up her mind what route she’s going to use to make people pay attention to her once they get bored of her terrible singing.
Wow, meow.
Why so serious? Seriously, though. No need to be so hateful towards someone you don’t even know. Lighten up a bit. And I don’t even like “Tik Tok.”
No, actually she didn’t call herself Bi.
Mellisa
She DOES NOT need to define a label for herself for you or anyone!! That’s a ridiculous statement! Let Kesha be herself without JUDGEMENT!! She is NOT hurting anyone, but having FUN and entertaining SOME, who do like her. She LIKES people, Leave it at that, and maybe try liking people too and NOT JUDGING!! It’s not your JOB!
Melissa Demetres?
snore
I actually think she’s kind of cool.
Good beats, but she’s setting music back a bit, lyrically speaking.
Let’s play a drinking game. Drink everytime she says “like!” You’ll sure to be drunk, like, so quickly.
Best comment ever.
juvenile, immature no talent try hard. so, a perfect fit for ew. seriously you guys lost all credability for me when you started to champion this skank.
Pretty sure after you wrote that, you clicked on another article from this site and read about something else that is completely beneath you. Its EW. Get over yourself.
no, no i didn’t. and even if i did, my point still stands. ew has morphed into a really immature site. i mean for gods sake they have a reacuring feature called the taylor lautner bicep watch. even the magazine has this gossipy, juvenile tone that is so irritating. i dug out my old ews from like 2001-2003 and its crazy to see how much it has changed.
and yes kesha and her “music” is beneath me. there is are many talented bands and artists out there, why waste time on one so manufactured and fake? have you ever heard her live? she is the very definition of talentless.
You don’t like Kesha (I’m not using the $ sign in her name) and EW has no credibility, BUT you allude to seeing her perform live and you’re clicking on an article about her…on EW. Mmmmkay.
i gave her a chance yes but then i actually started to really listen to it and i realzied how horrible it is. and im home sick today and for some reason can’t resist commenting on a kesha post..she just annoys me so much.
@ duffy — if it makes you feel any better, I totaly agree with you. I gave her a chance and her CD and live performances really disappointed.
* totally
Um, it’s an entertainment site and she has the #1 song in the country. Wouldn’t they technically lose more credibility if they ignored her?
Ughhhh
Well said.
What an idiot.
I don’t know what everyone’s talking about–this interview is freaking hilarious. She had me at “And at the end of my shows why don’t I put a backpack on that’s like a hand-held cannon and blast glitter at people?” I don’t know if her music is any good but I would go out partying with that gal anytime!
This. She’s just funnnnn. She’s real not robotic or pompous. And, I can’t stand Tik Tok but some of her songs are yummy. Just fun.
Lmao, id go partying with her any day too
she’s awesome!!!!
I only made it to the 3rd paragraph before I stabbed myself in the eye with a felt Sharpie.
“I wouldn’t call myself bi. Like, if I didn’t eat meat for a week…”
I thought that was going someplace else.
ha!
Hehehe
Lmfao!!
TO all those calling her a skank and whatnot, were you prudes your entire lives, or did you get to have some “fun” before you were against having some “fun”? If so, you’re hypocrites, if not, you missed out and your frustration is understandable. Some of the most content and wise/mature people later in life had some periods in their lives that could be construed as being skankish (male or female), and as long as everything is consensual, why not?
I’m not calling her any of that, but you don’t necessarily have to engage in stupid behavior to have fun; and just because someone doesn’t party all the time and makeout with girls doesn’t make them a prude. Judgmental.
“Engage in stupid behavior to have fun”. Judgmental much?
She seems like a fun girl, but I bet an overwhelming majority of people would say going out, getting wasted, drunk texting/dialing/frisking people isn’t exactly smart behavior…. She’s what, 21 or 22…nothing unexpected but still.
Oh lay off.
Like partying and drinking is “stupid” lmao, what the….?
It’s called having fun and a SOCIAL LIFE. What happened to balance?
She dropped out of college and her lyrics aren’t exactly deep but she’s not a stupid girl.
actually, she dropped out of high school.
I don’t demand that my artists be articulate or even that intelligent. I mean, let’s face it – not everyone is a genius. However, I would like a small little bit of class. Ke$ha, you just came up empty.
word
yes. word.
The whole interview reads like she’s TRYING to make herself sound “soooo cooooool.” i kick stuff, i steal cars, i wear glitter and trash clothes, i get in trouble with the cops, and i have questionable oral hygiene. it just comes off as pretentious.
oh and also: “glutinous”? as in “having the quality of glue”? I hope that was a typo and she really said was “gluttonous” as in gluttony and someone at EW is a moron. Because if she seriously said glutinous, that’s a hilarious trying-to-be-smarter-than-she-is fail.
Yeah, she really reeks of teen angst braggery. But what do I know, she lost me at the dollar sign. The only points I’ll give her is that ‘excessiveness’ IS gross and glitter DOES make everything better.
Well. Only the good musicians last, if that’s any consolation. That’s mine.
Tik ToK is pretty catchy but she seems like a hot mess.
What’s wrong with hot messes?