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30億回以上のストリーミング再生、トップ10ヒット10曲、ポップラジオ1位シングル4曲、そしてチャートトップを飾ったアルバム2枚を誇る、グラミー賞2度ノミネート経験を持つシンガー・ソングライター、ケシャのニューアルバム『.』。自身のレーベル、ケシャ・レコードからリリースされる今作は、束縛から解放され、自らの声とビジョンを完璧に表現した作品となっている。

No typo, Keshas sixth studio album, 2025s ., is literally the period at the end of a sentence, and one that marks a new era of personal and creative freedom for the singer. Its a bold declaration thats been long in the making for Kesha, who, unless you havent been paying attention, has had a rough decade. Along with her legal battle with producer Dr. Luke and subsequent wrangling with her former labels RCA and Kemosabe Records, she also sought treatment for an eating disorder, spoke openly about dealing with body dysmorphia, and was diagnosed with common variable immunodeficiency disorder (CVID), the latter adding a physical fatigue to her career woes. She addressed many of these issues 2017s Rainbow, 2020s High Road, and 2023s Gag Order -- albums whose titles underscored what she was going through. And while . certainly finds her having worked through past traumas, it is also a convincing fresh start. Literally this is true, as it is her first album released on her own independent Kesha Records. Yet it also feels fun and effervescently inspired. Co-producing with a small trio of collaborators, including NOVA Wav, Pink Slip, and Zhone, Kesha comes off as both a seasoned industry pro and the maverick pop instigator shes always been. She kicks things off in bold fashion with the six-minute "FREEDOM," whose heady blend of atmospheric new age soundscapes and 80s house music grooves sets a clubby, cathartic tone. "I only drink when Im happy and Im drunk right now," she repeats on the song, offering a mantra for the albums blend of spiritual liberation with a side of debauchery. More giddy, genre-mashing moments follow, including the bandoneon-accented tango-house jam "JOYRIDE," the twangy hip-hop country of "YIPPEE-KI-YAY," and the sultry disco electro-soul of "TOO HARD." We also get the empowered uplift of "DELUSIONAL," "RED FLAG," and "THE ONE," big rousing anthems that smack you in the face with hooks and a hard-won sense of mature, protective self-love. However, Kesha hasnt lost her taste for hyperpop camp fun as the gleefully horny, tongue-in-cheek "BOY CRAZY" affirms. More than just a conceptual conceit, the all-caps titles speak to the mood of declarative joy Kesha conjures throughout. Its a vibe she underscores on the epic power ballad closer "CATHEDRAL," singing, "Im summoning my divine.". isnt just a good album, its a decisively great one, full stop. ~ Matt Collar

Drルークと示談して自主レーベルから再出発。ブーティーなエレポップや大合唱系の変則カントリーなど、良い意味でゴチャついた曲調を、人懐っこい歌で1つのアルバムに束ねていく豪快さがたまりません。続投となるハドソン・モホーク関与曲も今回はアゲ仕様。初作や『High Road』でのパーティー・ガールなケシャが好きな人にはこれ以上ない、胸のすくようなカムバック盤です。
bounce (C)山西絵美