Kesha Recalls ‘Tik Tok’ Hit Being ‘Dumb’

Kesha didn’t know she had a hit on her hands with “Tik Tok.” In fact, the singer once thought the song’s lyrics were “too dumb.” After all, she does sing about swapping toothpaste for a bottle of Jack Daniel’s whiskey.

Kesha recently shared the revelation on The Jennifer Hudson Show. “When I was writing ‘Tik Tok’ it was weird because the dumber it got, the better it got,” she said. “It just got dumber and dumber and better and better,” she added. The whole thing was confusing for the singer, especially once “Tik Tok” topped the Billboard Hot 100 and became Kesha’s first Number One hit. “When I listened to the final product I was like this is too dumb and it’s like 1.5 billion streams at this point,” Kesha continued. The song recently earned its most streams ever on Spotify this past New Year’s Day.

“Tik Tok” went on to catapult the singer into pop stardom back in 2009. Since then, the singer has continued to make music, releasing a range of projects from catchy dance-pop hits to grungey, experimental electronica.

Now, Kesha is gearing up to release her sixth album, . (Period) on July 4 via Kesha Records. It’s a monumental release for the seasoned pop star, marking the first album since she settled a defamation lawsuit with Dr. Luke in 2023. That suit came years after she filed a suit against the producer in 2014 alleging sexual, physical, and emotional abuse. . (Period) will also be Kesha’s first full-length project under her label, after years of being under Dr. Luke’s Kemosabe label via RCA.

“I’m really excited for the world to hear this because I’ve been in control of everything. I’ve written every song, co-produced everything,” Kesha said on the show. “It’s been all of my vision,” she continued, adding, “[It’s] really coming back home to myself and feeling what freedom looks like, feels like, sounds like.” The release date is no coincidence; Kesha dropped her first single under Kesha Records, “Joyride,” on Independence Day last year. “This is the first album that I have legal rights to my own voice,” she said.