Released: 2010
Alright, let’s dive straight into “TiK ToK” by the queen of pop rebellion, Kesha. The song screams carefree party vibes and youthful defiance. It’s like Kesha’s saying: Yeah, I might not have much, but I’m here to start the party and have a great time.
When she sings about waking up feeling like P. Diddy, it’s about that high-on-life feeling, like she’s on top of the world. The part where she brushes her teeth with Jack, she’s not really promoting bad dental hygiene, rather she’s expressing her wild, unstoppable party spirit where conventional rules don’t matter.
Kesha’s rebellious streak extends to her taste in men. She has no care for guys that lack the rockstar allure of the legendary Mick Jagger. She enjoys her freedom, the thrill of the party, and has no intention of slowing down – that’s what she’s saying with Tick tock on the clock, but the party don’t stop.
She uses the po-po shutting her down part to show she’s living on the edge. The scenario of the cops closing the party is both a fun element in her night and a badge of honor, symbolizing she parties hard and free.
With the chorus, Don’t stop, make it pop, DJ, blow my speakers up, Kesha’s telling the DJ to keep the music loud and the party popping. It’s a universal call to let loose, live in the moment and savor the nightlife until we see the sunlight.
Here again, she’s not literally asking the DJ to blast the speakers into smithereens. She’s just emphasizing how totally immersed she wants to be in the music and party mood.
In the bridge, when she repeats you build me up, you break me down, she’s speaking to the DJ’s power over the dance floor. Their tunes can lift the crowd’s spirits or make them crave a slow jam. And at the end of the night, the party doesn’t start until Kesha walks in, emphasizing her place at the heart of the good times.
