Kesha‘s 2017 album Rainbow was a marvel of vulnerability and strength, and the singer-songwriter is back with another politically charged release for 2019.
Kesha surprised fans on Sunday with a brand new song, “Rich, White, Straight, Men.” Kesha’s sound has evolved a lot from her “TiK ToK” days, but “Rich, White, Straight, Men” showcases an entirely different style than anything she’s put out before. Over a playful melody that sounds like a twisted “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” or a villain’s song in a musical, Kesha sings about a humble dream she has — “What if rich, white, straight men didn’t rule the world anymore?”
Obviously, not every rich, white, straight man is evil, and obviously Kesha is not calling for them to go to another planet entirely. But Kesha does make some points — if marginalized voices had an equal chance to speak, the world would be a lot kinder to a lot more people. “If you’re from another land then come here / You won’t have to climb a wall / And if you are a boy who loves a boy / You’ll get a wedding cake and all,” she sings.
The song’s message feels especially prescient with the 2020 election coming up. Kesha doesn’t endorse any specific candidate in the song, but as for God, she’s a woman, and Kesha knows her.
Listen to Kesha’s new song “Rich, White, Straight, Men” above.
