In my sophomore year of high school, Ke$ha came to Dartmouth for a concert. My friends had tickets so I reluctantly decided to attend. I was pleasantly surprised with the show and decided to buy her first album, “Animal.” If one were to look at my play counts in iTunes, they would find songs from Animal ranking amongst the top. The simple melodies and computer generated harmonies aren’t a testament to Ke$ha’s talent, but they sound terrific. The versatility of the album is one its best features. Songs like “Take it Off” and “Kiss n’ Tell” are perfect for a party scene, while softer numbers like “Dancing With Tears In My Eyes” and “Hungover” are perfect for sulking. Aside from the technical aspects of the music, the nostalgia that Animal evokes personally is what keeps me listening again and again. I associate these songs with good and bad times, but ultimately the growth I experienced in high school from sophomore year to now. Although “Animal” received decent reviews, I generally listen to indie and stray away from pop music. Consequentially, I’m completely embarrassed to love such a commercial album. Listening to Ke$ha doesn’t exactly give me cultural capital amongst other musicians and listeners. Regardless, I’ve yet to find an album that I enjoy as purely as I do “Animal.”