Album Review: "." - Kesha

Victoria Fitzgerald
Jul 10
5 min read

On July 4th, 2025, Kesha released her sixth studio album, “.” or “Period”. It was released by her own independent label Kesha Records and announced on March 27th, 2025. Key collaborations include a feature by T-Pain, co-writing and producing with Zhone, Kesha’s mother, and Pink Slip. This song marks a return to Kesha’s pop roots, with inspiration drawn from EDM and country music. To promote this album, Kesha embarked on the Tits Tour in July of. 2025.

TRACKLIST

FREEDOM.

JOYRIDE.

YIPPIE-KI-YAY. (Feat. T-Pain)

DELUSIONAL.

RED FLAG.

LOVE FOREVER.

THE ONE.

BOY CRAZY.

GLOW.

TOO HARD.

CATHEDRAL.

Kesha Rose Serbet was born on March 1st, 1987 in Los Angeles, California. She is an American singer and songwriter. Her first major success came in the form of a feature on Flo Rida’s track “Right Round” in 2009. Through her genius artistry and branding, she propelled herself to major success. Two of her albums reached number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. She has had major advocacy work with the Time’s Up movement, standing in support of women who have been victims of sexual harassment.

FREEDOM.

The beginning track for Kesha’s new album creates intrigue with a mysterious piano melody. Vocals enter with harmonies that echo beautifully. Tension rises in the instrumental as the lyrics begin. Kesha describes the freedom of letting go and feeling good after a hard time. The percussion picks up with a groovy bass underneath, creating an exciting beat with sassy vocals that drives the song towards the end. “FREEDOM.” is the perfect song to begin this album, as it builds excitement for what is to come.

JOYRIDE.

“JOYRIDE.” initiates with an exciting percussion rhythm and chord progression in the introduction. This song is all about freedom and messiness, and embracing one’s true desires even if it can be a little crass sometimes. The lyrics take pride in this way of life, encouraging others to join in the party. A techno sound is continuous throughout the entire track. “JOYRIDE.” is the perfect song for partying and embracing the fun in life’s messiness.

YIPPIE-KI-YAY. (Feat. T-Pain)

This track begins with heavy autotune on the vocals that is reminiscent of early 2000s Kesha. I grew up listening to her early songs, so this made me feel very nostalgic. This song is about embracing happiness and fun after and in spite of hard times. The rhythmic cadence of the lyrics is similar to many folk or country songs. For this reason, the song gives me a homey feel that reminds me of my hometown. The T-Pain verse continues on the established rhythm before transitioning into a new rap, presenting a variety of sounds and attitudes for listeners to enjoy.

DELUSIONAL.

“DELUSIONAL.” begins with a synth intro that has an exciting but almost melancholic feeling. This track features clear vocals over groovy drums and echoey synths. The lyrics are about the pain of letting someone drain you and finally getting the power to leave them. There’s a lot of strength in realizing one’s own worth, and this song embodies it with the lyrics and the instrumentals. The vocal harmonies on the chorus create a unique emotional impact. When you leave someone who is holding you back, you get the ability to grow into your full potential, noted with lyrics such as “watch me gettin’ hotter on your cheap TV”.

RED FLAG.

This next track begins with an echoey electric guitar and vocals that lie on top of the guitar while also being integrated into the sound cleanly. Sometimes you meet someone who is bad for you, but you don’t care. You want to lean into the intrigue of a red flag. That’s what these lyrics describe. Vocal harmonies and groovy drums in the chorus create a nostalgic feeling, creating the sense of youthful fun found in chaotic and wild connections. Sometimes you want something fun and exciting after being emotionally injured in serious commitment.

LOVE FOREVER.

“LOVE FOREVER.” begins with repetitive lyrics with an electronic tone. It is an extremely human experience to desire a dreamt love story, which is what the lyrics of this track want to describe. More importantly, wanting this beautiful connection with a particular person. This song is an emotional request, seen in the vulnerability presented in the more exposed nature of the vocals and thinner instrumentation in the pre-chorus. The verse on top of the guitar and drums have a summery feel, adding to the yearning while also creating a fun atmosphere.

THE ONE.

For the introduction for “THE ONE.”, there is a trumpet fanfare in the beginning that feels victorious, combining with synths that creates that signature Kesha sound. Through heartbreak, sometimes you are able to find solace in yourself. This song is about recognizing your own worth through devastating. The belting vocals on top of the trumpet fanfare and drums in the chorus create that victorious feeling, because being able to choose yourself above all is a victory. You stay with yourself for your entire life, so you need to find home in your own body and mind. This song presents this idea beautifully.

BOY CRAZY.

This next track begins with an automatic voice chanting the lyrics, before transitioning into vocals that imitate the automated voice with audio effects and low, even tone over the pulsing percussion. This song jumps out to me because it talks about men in a similar way that songs have talked about women in the past. However, rather than sounding vengeful, it’s empowering. It is taking pride in sexuality. This song will no doubt raise heart rates and spirits of listeners everywhere.

GLOW.

“GLOW.” has a retro sounding introduction and reminds me of old arcade games. These lyrics are about turning someone away once it is clear they’re not meant for you. This could be in their lifestyle, attitude, or actions. Furthermore, you are able to glow after leaving these connections as they truly hold you back from taking pride in your accomplishments and acknowledging your own worth. The percussion is pervasive in the entire song and ties the varying tones of the songs together in a tasteful way as Kesha experiments within her own genre.

TOO HARD.

This song is about feeling betrayed by someone you though would support you through anything. It’s about loving someone in spite of the pain because you cannot bring yourself to truly hate them. The low vocals feel vulnerable while also seeming a little resentful. Sometimes you want to heal someone, but it’s not enough, and they end up dragging you down with them. This song is repetitive in nature but no less moving.

CATHEDRAL.

“CATHEDRAL”. has a mellow introduction, contrasting the rest of the album while also calling back to the introductory track. Through beautiful celestial imagery and Kesha’s powerful vocals, this song describes coming back to yourself after experiencing pain and grief. Piano is the main backing track, creating a powerfully moving sound while vocal harmonies and string tones create a distinctly emotional experience. The ending chorus pulls in the electric sounds from the rest of the album as the lyrics describe turning outward energy that was being spent on partying and other people back inward and promoting healing and growth.

My favorite track off of this album is, without a doubt, the ending song “CATHEDRAL.” This song carries a strong message to leave listeners with as they finish out the album while communicating it through beautiful imagery and strong lyricism. The instrumental is also incredibly stunning, combining a variety of aural tastes that tie together tastefully into one track. Kesha’s vocal and lyrical prowess are some of the most impressive and underrated in the industry and seeing her truly flex her abilities is incredibly moving and inspiring for listeners everywhere.

Written By Victoria Fitzgerald