Her music has run the gamut from tipsy “Tik Tok” party anthems to songs about serious social issues, and that’s by design: Kesha knows she doesn’t have to limit herself to one sound, one message, one genre or even one planet. “I obviously care about what other people do, especially politically, because it’s affecting the entire world. But for me? I just want to write music that makes people feel good,” she previously told Paper, adding, “I’m going to be as happy as possible because I could get hit by a bus in 10 minutes. So f**k the world—in the most beautiful way.” Kesha isn’t just a solo artist, but also a highly-sought after collaborator. While our list features her own songs, be sure to also check out her features on Britney Spears’ “Til the World Ends (Femme Fatale Remix),” Flo Rida’s “Right Round,” Pitbull’s “Timber,” Alice Cooper’s “What Baby Wants,” The Struts’ “Body Talks,” the Flaming Lips and Biz Markie’s “2012 (You Must Be Upgraded),” Big Freedia’s “Chasing Rainbows,” Macklemore’s “Good Old Days,” Zedd’s “True Colors,” Walker Hayes’ “Fancy Like (Remix)” and Wrabel’s “Since I Was Young”—to name a few! From her dollar-sign days to her “High Road” era and deep cuts, here are the 20 best Kesha songs yet. They were very difficult to narrow down!
Best Kesha Songs
“Hunt You Down”
“Hunt You Down” would make for a great wedding song for a bride with a sense of humor. Complete with Johnny Cash references, this outlaw country-tinged ode to a lover is as much a love letter as it is a warning: Do. Not. Mess. This. Up.
“Tik Tok”
The tune that started it all, “Tik Tok” introduced the world to Kesha’s hard-partying, sassy swagger. While dentists may not necessarily have approved of brushing one’s teeth with a bottle of Jack, the world certainly did: It was the global best-selling single of 2010 and landed at No. 61 on the Billboard Hot 100 Songs of All Time. Despite the track’s success, Kesha herself was relatively unimpressed with it. “I thought it was just another song, I thought it was just like all the other ones I’d written. I didn’t even know if it was very good,” she admitted to The Herald Sun in 2010. “I wanted to rewrite the verses, I didn’t think it was funny or clever. I thought it kind of sucked. But everyone else liked it.”[
“C’Mon”
Kesha’s sense of humor is on full display once more in the cute “C’Mon.” Who can resist come-ons like “We been keepin’ it Kosher / But I wanna get it on fo’ sure?” The song was a slow burn to success, initially not making too much of a chart impact upon its January 2013 release, but eventually (and deservedly) going platinum by December 2018. As a bonus, the music video is full of furries, once more showcasing the singer’s silly side.
“Resentment”
A collaboration with Brian Wilson, Sturgill Simpson and Wrabel, “Resentment” is a heartbreaking song about the banalities of a toxic relationship. “Resentment is such a powerful and destructive emotion and in my experience is more complex than hate or anger,” Kesha said of the song. “Brian Wilson is one of my personal musical heroes, so when he said he would collaborate with me on the recording … that moment was one of the most exciting in my career. Then add in Sturgill who I respect and admire so much, as well as my close friend the insanely talented songwriter Wrabel, and this record felt more like a dream than just another song to me.”
“Machine Gun Love”
“Machine Gun Love” is an unreleased track intended for Warrior and a fan favorite from Kesha’s live shows. It’s not just an Animal favorite, but also one of Kesha’s own favorite tracks thanks to the grinding guitars and gritty, rock n’ roll feel. Her label allegedly turned it down for Warrior for not being “pop” enough.
“Only Wanna Dance With You”
“Only Wanna Dance With You” features The Strokes’ Julian Casablancas and Fabrizio Moretti, giving it a hint of a rock vibe while still being a quintessentially perfect pop song. Kesha said she connected with the band through mutual friends, telling Spin, “I’m a huge fan of their music, and they’re on one of my favorite songs on the record. They’re part of a long list of some of my favorite bands that have actually collaborated with me on this record. It’s really exciting for me to work with people that are unexpected. I hope people freak out. I kind of freaked out when he was like, ‘Sure.’ I was like, ‘Really?!’” The fact that this was never released as a single is borderline criminal.
“We R Who We R”
While “We R Who We R” seems like a fun “anthem for weirdos” (her words!) on the surface, it’s got a deeper meaning behind it: It was Kesha’s response to a spike in suicides in the LGBTQIA+ community, especially among teens. “I was really affected by the suicides that have been happening, having been subject to very public hatred [myself],” Kesha told Rolling Stone in 2010. “I have absolutely no idea how these kids felt. What I’m going through is nothing compared to what they had to go through. Just know things do get better and you need to celebrate who you are. Every weird thing about you is beautiful and makes life interesting. Hopefully the song really captures that emotion of celebrating who you are.” If the self-love anthem doesn’t get you dancing like you’re dumb (dumb dumb dumb dumb), do yourself a favor and please check your pulse.
“My Own Dance”
Kesha pokes fun at the dichotomy of her public persona in “My Own Dance”: “You’re the party girl / You’re the tragedy / But the truth is / I’m f**king everything.” She refuses to be defined and admonishes the listener, reminding them, “Don’t circumcise my circumstance.” Preach!
“Godzilla”
You don’t need to hail from Skull Island to appreciate the adorable ditty that is “Godzilla.” Written by Kesha’s mom, songwriter Pebe Sebert, Kesha told NPR of the tune, “My mom started writing it a long time ago. And she played it to me and I remember just thinking like, ‘This is the greatest song. I f**king love this song.’ And I thought someone else was going to release it. This was years ago. And I was like, ‘I’m so happy for you. But if someone doesn’t release it, I would definitely love to do this song.’” “It’s just so whimsical,” she added. “It like, reminds me of Brian Wilson’s ‘Vegetables’ song. It’s just so bizarre but brilliant and beautiful and strange.”
“Blow”
Cementing her status as both hilarious and mega-talented, “Blow” has one of the funniest music videos ever. From the introductory monologue (delivered to two unicorns, of course) about being elected to the parliament of Uzbekistan to her feud with a very game James Van Der Beek, Animals love this track for a reason: When “it’s time to lose control and let your crazy out,” there are few better songs to be the soundtrack to your insanity.
“This Is Me”
Kesha’s rendition of “This Is Me” from The Greatest Showman is bold, moving, fierce and utterly unapologetic—just what we’d come to expect from her. The cover showcases not only her powerful pipes, but also her ability to simultaneously emote and enunciate, which is no small feat.
“Gold Trans Am”
Wham, bam, thank you man! “Gold Trans Am” is sexy, raucous and reminiscent of Joan Jett. She told Q Magazine of the song—a bonus track on deluxe edition of Warrior, “[‘Gold Trans Am’] began as a song about my car, which is a gold Trans Am, and it works about 40% of the time. I don’t have another car because I love that one so much. But then like all great pop it became a metaphor for something else—my pu**y. But my vagina is in tip top working order. Valeted and souped-up and working 100% of the time.”
“Father Daughter Dance”
Kesha told The Guardian that her song “Father Daughter Dance” is about the emotional journey she goes through from never knowing her dad. She explained to the outlet that it inspires some good old-fashioned nihilism, noting, “Nothing matters, the world is going to burn up one day so I might as well have a good time while I’m here, because what is the point of life? I don’t know. But I have found that speaking from the heart and creating have made me more able to cope with that intensity.”
“Your Love Is My Drug”
“Your Love Is My Drug,” Kesha’s ultimate crush song is a complete earworm, right down to her utterance of her fondness for facial hair the track’s conclusion. Also: “My steez is gonna be affected / If I keep on acting like a lovesick crackhead.” C’mon man, who hasn’t been there?
“Crazy Beautiful Life”
The song that inspired her MTV docuseries, “Crazy Beautiful Life” is an optimist’s anthem about embracing your past (i.e., “Been a sh**ty waitress”) because it makes you who you are—while also living in the moment and looking forward to the future.
“Woman”
Hear Kesha roar in “Woman,” featuring the Dap Kings! The track celebrates the strength in the feminine, and sassy asides like “Don’t touch my weave / Don’t call me honey” inject just enough of her signature attitude to make the song as cheeky as it is empowering.
“Take It Off”
“Take It Off” wasn’t inspired by a strip club. Instead, Kesha revealed to Esquire, she found the creative spark at a drag show, where she found herself turned on by the performers.
“Chasing Thunder”
Irresistibly catchy with touching lyrics about embracing your inner child and protecting your sense of personal freedom, “Chasing Thunder” from 2020’s High Road is one of Kesha’s best—especially with the hand claps and gang vocals in the choruses.
“Rich, White, Straight Men”
Preach Kesha! Like many of the rest of us, Kesha’s pretty fed up with wealthy caucasian cis-gender heterosexual males who try to dictate literally everything, and she vents those frustrations in the brilliantly simple protest song “Rich, White, Straight Men.” “In one listen, you’ll understand where I stand on a lot of social issues,” she told The Atlantic. “It is one of my favorite songs I’ve ever written … And talk about therapeutic.” She expounded further in an interview with The Guardian, noting, “Very basic human rights—women’s rights, trans rights, gay rights, gun control—are being challenged and ruining people’s lives. The basis of my constitution is all humans should be treated equally and lovingly. Musicians used to be the rebellious ones. But now I feel an overwhelming responsibility to be as empathetic and kind and loving and as safe of a place as humanly possible for people.” Kesha released this video version of the song in late June 2022 following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, but its messages—slamming xenophobia, homophobia, racism, misogyny, greed and the United States’ lack of socialized healthcare and poor public education system—are tragicomically timeless.
“Backstabber”
“Backstabber” is an Animal favorite. Haters, jealous jerks and gossips, beware: Kesha’s on to you and she’s calling you out!
“Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright”
Kesha’s take on Bob Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright” astonished the music world at the time because most people associated her with partying and “Tiktok,” not with soul. The original sounds like a relatively lighthearted song about moving on from a consistently a disappointing lover, but Kesha’s cover—complete with sniffles and audible weeping—is a devastating portrait of a broken heart.
“Dirty Love”
Kesha teams up with Iggy Pop for “Dirty Love,” song about getting filthy in the most fun way. The Stooges frontman drops irresistible wisecracking lines like “Cockroaches do it in garbage cans / Rug merchants do it in Afghanistan / Santorum did it in a v-neck sweater / Pornos produce it, but wild child can do it better.”
“Hymn”
Another song dedicated to the plight of the misfit, “Hymn” is a hymn about finding where and with whom you belong—and if you feel like that’s nowhere and with nobody else, fret not. Kesha has your back.
“Raising Hell”
“Raising Hell” is a rollicking good time and trademark Kesha (lyrics include “Hungover, heart of gold, holy mess / Doin’ my best, b**ch I’m blessed” and “Solo cup full of holy spirits). A feature from larger-than-life Big Freedia only adds to the pop perfection, and the the outro asking for an “amen” is golden. If there’s anyone who can make raising hell a truly religious experience (outside of, say, theistic satanists), it’s these two.
“Praying”
Written and released amidst her still-ongoing legal battle with producer Dr. Luke—and long before the Time’sUp, #MeToo and #FreeBritney movements were mainstream—“Praying” is a heartwrenching ballad that showcases not just Kesha’s powerhouse pipes, but also an incredible sense of empathy for someone who’s caused her pain. Next, test your musical knowledge with 100 trivia questions and answers!
