Kesha's new song feat. T-Pain took me out of a 3 day depression
vroom vroom yeehaw boopboop
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Shows!
[San Diego, CA] **HEADLINING** Margaret Star’s Musical Comedy Show at MicDrop San Diego - Clairemont neighborhood - Thurs April 3
[Burbank, CA] Clean Comedy at Flappers - Sat April 5
[San Diego, CA] TBD - North Park - Weds April 16
[Hollywood, CA] The Hollywood Comedy - Friday April 18
[DC] The Comedy Loft [featuring for Ray Lau!] - Friday May 16
[Future Shows] Fill out this form to lemme know what city you’re in if you wanna see me perform there! Takes 5 seconds! Helps me make my grand plans!
Hello Sternal Journalists,
This week, I am doing a public service announcement and just going straight to the recs, one in particular: YIPEE-KI-YAY by Kesha featuring T-Pain.
You either get why this is ~important~ or you don’t.
Let’s say you’re one of the people who understands. That means you were probably born in the late 80s/early 90s and therefore you were there.
You were on the ground, both metaphorically and also literally you were beer-adhered to the floors of basements at house parties, dancing to Right Round and Tiktok; Bartender and I’m Sprung. For reference, here is a picture of what it felt like:
No matter how far you’ve matured or what your net worth has ballooned to in the decade and a half since that time; no matter how many Slack messages or kids’ travel soccer games fill your days, you still get just a little bit Manchurian-candidate-activated when you hear either one of these artists and their expertly-and-overly-deployed autotune.
And this new song, this YIPEE-KI-YAY is not an update on that sound. It is a full return. It’s a time capsule. It feels like it was made in 2009 in the best way possible. So (a) that music rocked, and therefore this rocks. But (b) no matter who you’ve become and how far you might feel from those far more careless, reckless days, YIPEE-KI-YAY serves as a reminder that you always got a little old you left in the tank for special occasions.
But then let’s say you’re one of the people who doesn't understand. Let’s say you were born way before or way after I was. You don’t like Kesha, you don’t care for T-Pain. You think they’re both hacky, tacky, and wacky.
I’m going to put aside my bias and avoid just outright saying you’re wrong. I will even go so far as to acknowledge that, for a very long time, neither of these artists was respected, even by their peers. T Pain has famously talked about how Usher once told him he “f***ed up music for real singers.” And Kesha was regularly used as an eyerolly punchline about the sad state of the music industry’s misplaced priorities.
But in the ensuing years, they both earned the respect that was unfairly withheld from them. For T-Pain’s part, people had to start shutting the hell up about how he couldn’t actually sing when he proved at various times that he actually could sing incredibly well, perhaps most buzzily in a NPR Tiny Desk concert from ten years ago which you should absolutely watch if you have not.
Kesha’s journey was less petty and more tragic, as it was revealed via lawsuits that her early albums were made under the toxic, abusive control of her producer Dr. Luke. Though her upcoming album will be her first release on her own label, her last three albums basically shut up the critics because she (a) also showed she was not only auto-tune and (b) did a ton of different, cool, and introspective shit (see: many real music writers for a better explanation).
So anyway, you shouldn’t be a Kesha/T-Pain hater or even Kesha/T-Pain agnostic in my opinion, but even if you are, you must respect these two for: making some absolute bangers that were loved but performatively hated, then proving that the haters were wrong and bad and that they were actually capable of doing whatever they wanted artistically, and then getting right back to the original fun stuff they made and showing they knew what they were doing all along.
In short: no matter who you are, this song is so much mindless but intentional fun made by two geniuses who should inspire you to fight for the life you want and live it to the fullest. I had literally been depressed for three straight days and this changed that, and Kesha and T-Pain, I thank you.
Okay, now…
Other Recommendations
A Working Man. Film. This spiritual sequel to The Beekeeper (also starring Jason Statham and directed by David Ayer) is not quite as good, but still very fun. If you want Russian henchmen in over-the-top bucket hat jumpsuit combos, and someone shoehorning the title of the film into dialogue, and no need to pay close attention to the plot, then this is for you.
Peaky Blinders. Television Show. I finally finished this. I have no idea what I’m going to workout to now. I miss Tommy Shelby even though he’s a mostly bad guy. Also, no spoilers, but there is an actor who is in both this and A Working Man and I watched that actor die as two difference characters in the same day.
Project Hail Mary. Audiobook. I also finished this audiobook. Sci-fi that is equal parts delightful and intense, the “performer” of the audiobook is very good. It put me to sleep every night for like two months. I’ll miss it.
Rose Bowl. Song. The Alchemist and Your Old Droog. Very nice, very fun. I also like the Jim Sharp remix.
Alrighty! Scroll up and listen to YIPEE-KI-YAY if you actually got this far without doing it. Have a great week!
Love!
Julian!
Normally, I use this area to say that you can upgrade to paid if you’re rich. I hugely appreciate those of you who have, but nobody should ever feel pressured to! AAAAALSO though, if you’re the type to hit a like or leave a comment and you just haven’t thought of doing it on the SternJourn yet, come on in! Lemme know if you love or hate the recs! All engagement unfortunately is good engagement. But if you do not have time, get outta here and don’t worry about it! I’ll see ya next week!
Also also, if you would come to a show if I was in your city, fill out this form (same form as before, so no need to refill if you already have!) It helps me plan and also prove to bookers that I have some sway in your place!
In my nostalgia, Mile Jones came to mind too. Throw him on the basement speaker and 80s babies will go crazy.