Ke$ha’s “Die Young” Video: Review Revue
Good news, animals: The critics who weren’t totally bewildered by the occult imagery in Ke$ha‘s “Die Young” video responded to it enthusiastically! The clip, which dropped yesterday, is a bizarre hodgepodge of influences and ideas — in particular, wolves in space! — but reviewers liked it mostly even more than we did, since we found the video a little underwhelming, given all the hype.
But then, even for K$, it’s hard to live up to all those expectations — so all she can do is give us a taste of her very odd imagination, and “Die Young” certainly provides that. Head after the jump to see all the reviews.
:: The Los Angeles Times noted, as did many critics, the occult imagery, calling it an evolution from her earlier image: “Ke$ha is calling her upcoming album Warrior, so we can’t be surprised to find the pop star busting up chairs and kicking down doors in the music video for the disc’s lead single, ‘Die Young.’ But that hardly means that the clip, posted to YouTube on Thursday, fails to raise eyebrows. A fast-moving pastiche of occult imagery, Nat Geo-style wolf footage and lots (and lots!) of black leather, it presents a darker, sexier version of Ke$ha than we saw back in the party-starting ‘TiK ToK’ days.”
:: Entertainment Weekly compared the clip to the film Eyes Wide Shut, for better or for worse: “The clip for her latest Warrior single is a messy-good peek into the strange world Ke$ha inhabits — a scantily clad, animalistic, almost occult club similar to the one from Eyes Wide Shut, but with Forever 21 employees instead of Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman.”
:: MTV News made much hay of the fashions of the video, and how good K$ looked sporting them: “Whoever thought that cult leaders can only wear long robes and billowy, drapey clothing needs to broaden their horizons by checking out Ke$ha’s sexy outfits in this video. She shows off a very toned body in several skimpy ensembles. One is a black leather swimsuit-like number accessorized by a half-cowboy-chap-type adornment on one leg; another is a lacy set of white lingerie over which Ke$ha wears a furry white caplet/mini shawl on her back.”
:: Vulture, perhaps wisely, considered all of the factors in the video and compiled a list of things to avoid if trying not to die young: “Herewith, a not-at-all-comprehensive list of situations and dangers that one should probably avoid if one is concerned with early mortality: satanic cults; skull and crossbone signs; creepy warehouses that lack a functioning door; chair-smashing; activities that require one to send a text message reading, ‘We made it South of the Border’; eagles (or condors, or whatever that was); dirty mattresses; being lifted up in the air like a sacrificial lamb by a group of people who are clearly distracted; wolves.”
:: NewNowNext had an altogether different point of reference — Mad Max — but also compared it to a high-fashion shoot: “Serving us all some Mad Max South of the Border realness, Ke$ha and her merry, and hunky, band of misfits arrive in town via a hearse, and in no time are kicking down church doors, ransacking furniture and getting their crazy choreography on. It is a beautiful, beautiful sight to behold. This is intercut with scenes of Ke$ha doing what she does best — mugging for the cameras. Pouting her lips, tossing her hair and basically looking like a dirty David Yurman model. A dirty and super hot David Yurman model mind you.”
:: Billboard also thought the Illuminati imagery was fairly explicit, but that wasn’t a problem: “With tons of blatant Illuminati imagery and some sort of illegal orgy going on, the clip (released on Thursday, Nov. 8) takes the singer’s button-pushing ability to dizzying new heights. As Ke$ha and her pals head to Mexico, Illuminati symbols — the all-seeing one eye, the upside-down cross, and so, so many triangle — pop up amongst the fun. ‘We made it… SOUTH OF THE BORDER… they’ll never find us here,’ reads a text, sent by Ke$ha to some unknown party apparently interested in some choreographed sexuality.”
:: MTV Buzzworthy had even more references still, but seemed tickled by the clip’s madcap style: “Tucked away somewhere in an abandoned jungle warehouse, Cult Ke$ha HQ is decorated with a crap-ton of satanic imagery and other things you might only see in The Craft sequel. Or True Blood. Or a Wiccan documentary. Whichever. Fortunately, all of the Warrior singer’s fellow cult members happen to be hot male models (best cult evar!!) who spend their days doting on Ke$ha and making sure all her ‘needs’ are taken care of.”
What did you think of Ke$ha’s new video? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter or in the comments.
