Dinosaur (Kesha song)

Last updated

"Dinosaur"
Song by Kesha
from the album Animal
ReleasedJanuary 1, 2010
Recorded2009 at Maratone Studios, Stockholm, Sweden
Length2:55
Label RCA
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Max Martin
  • Shellback

"Dinosaur" (stylized as "D.I.N.O.$.A.U.R.") is a song by American recording artist and songwriter Kesha, taken from her debut studio album Animal (2010). The song was written by Kesha in collaboration with Max Martin and Shellback; the latter two also produced the song, while all three are responsible for the instrumentation. The song's conception stems from an encounter Kesha had with an older man that had been hitting on her, which she compared to a prehistoric dinosaur. The lyrics discuss an older man that is attempting to hit on a younger female, which is ultimately rejected. The song received generally negative reviews from music critics.

Contents

Writing and inspiration

Max Martin (pictured) co-wrote the song. Max Martin.jpg
Max Martin (pictured) co-wrote the song.

"Dinosaur" is a song written by Kesha Sebert, in collaboration with Max Martin, Shellback; the latter two are responsible for the song's production. [1] The song's lyrics and conception use a metaphor, comparing an older man to a prehistoric, carnivorous dinosaur. All three composers were responsible for providing the song's instruments. [1] The song's recording was commenced at Maratone Studios, in Stockholm, Sweden, by Martin and Shellback. [1] While being interviewed by Rolling Stone , Kesha was asked about her writing technique and how her songs come to fruition, which she explained using "Dinosaur" as an example. The singer explained that the song's conception was auto-biographical and that it stemmed from a previous experience she had when an older man had been hitting on her, which she elaborated on: "I just write about what I live — literally, my entire record is totally autobiographical, because I think there's a great pop song in anything and everything, any situation. There's a song called 'Dinosaur' about this old guy who was hitting on me, and his toupee was kind of falling off, and I was like, 'Oh my God, you're so old, you're prehistoric, you're like a dinosaur. D-I-N-O-S-A-you are a dinosaur.'" [2]

Composition

Gnome-mime-sound-openclipart.svg
"Dinosaur"
"Dinosaur" is composed in a jungle beat tempo and incorporates a whistle-synth. The lyrics discuss an older gentleman attempting to flirt with younger females.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

According to digital sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Sony-ATV Music Publishing, "Dinosaur" is written in the key of E major and the tempo moves at 128 beats per minute at a jungle beat. [3] Kesha's vocal range in the song spans from the lower note of E3 to the higher note of E5. [3] The song encompasses keyboards, a cowbell, and a whistle in its production, the latter of which has been described as a "whistle-synth." [1] [4] The song's lyrics revolve around an older man who is attempting to persuade a younger girl to leave the club with him, to which the protagonist responds with "a scattergun spray of insults." [5]

Rebecca Blissett of The Georgia Straight described the song as a "percussion-bombed snot-rapper". [6] According to Andrew Burgess of musicOMH, "Dinosaur" features a "Mark Mothersbaugh-like whistle-synth" and focuses on "the grossness of older men hitting on younger girls". Burgess cites the line "hey carnivore, you want my meat, I know it" as evidence for this. [4] The UrbanWire's Cheryl Chia noted that the song is similar to "Girlfriend" by Avril Lavigne and Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl", [7] while Monica Herrera of Billboard found it reminiscent of Vanity 6. [8] According to Althea Legaspi of the Chicago Tribune , "Dinosaur" contains "lyrical merit in that most women have experienced unwanted advances from a creepy way-too-old man". [9]

Critical reception

"Dinosaur" received generally negative reviews from most music critics. Ian Gittins of The Guardian called it a "bitchy put-down of ageing suitors". [10] Doug Rule of Metro Weekly criticized the song's chorus, which according to him is "spelt out like a "modern-day Toni Basil", saying: "Are we supposed to think that's cute, even clever? It's neither." [11] The UrbanWire's Cheryl Chia was critical of the song, saying that it "has the potential to be very annoying after a few rounds." [7] Billboard 's Monica Herrera also gave a negative review. She used the song as an example of one of the album's "missteps", stating that it could "only appeal to the most heartless of teens". [8] Ailbhe Malone of NME stated that "Dinosaur" contains the pay-off "Honey, your toupee is falling to the left side/Get up and go bro/Oh wait, you're fossilized". [12]

Fraser McAlpine of the BBC was positive in his review of the song. McAlpine felt that "Dinosaur" was the album's best track, and went on to note that its conception was enough to "drive rock-bores into a state of spluttering fury." McAlpine's consensus on the song was that "it is made of nothing but sugar and sass and additives, a song from a young girl to an older man who is attempting to pick her up in a club. All she has to offer him is a scattergun spray of insults, and cutie-pie whistling. It's childish and Parental Advisory Required at the same time, and is going to infuriate any adult within hearing range." [5]

Live performances and covers

Actress Heather Morris (pictured) covered the song in the television series Glee, aired on May 8, 2012. Heather Morris by Gage Skidmore.jpg
Actress Heather Morris (pictured) covered the song in the television series Glee, aired on May 8, 2012.

The song was first performed live for MTV Push, a program broadcast by MTV Networks worldwide. [13] [14] The song was later performed as part of her world tour, the Get Sleazy Tour, as it was part of the concert's set-list. [15] During the performance, Kesha was backed with dancers and band members that were dressed in an array of dinosaur costumes. [16] Actress Heather Morris covered the song in the television series Glee in the episode titled "Prom-asaurus". [17] It was aired on May 8, 2012, and is the 19th episode of that season. [18] The episode's plot revolves around prom with its theme involving dinosaurs. [18] Morris' character, Brittany S. Pierce, covered the song in the episode, performing a choreographed dance routine to it. [18] Erica Futterman of Rolling Stone wrote that the episode's performance was "a small victory", and concluded that it was the best performance of that episode. [17] Erin Strecker of Entertainment Weekly wrote that the song was "auto-tuned within an inch of its life", but praised Pierce's performance, writing "but Brittany can totally move." [19] Glee's cover was released for digital download through the iTunes Store on May 8, 2012. [20]

Credits and personnel

Recording
Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Animal, Kemosabe Recordings, via RCA Records. [1]

Charts

Chart performance for "Dinosaur"
Chart (2010)Peak
position
South Korea (Circle) [21] 115
UK Singles (OCC) [22] 180

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [23] Gold500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

Maratone is a music production company, and started by two music producers and songwriters, Max Martin and Tom Talomaa. Based in Stockholm, Sweden, it was started in January 2001 after the closing of Cheiron Studios. Maratone moved in at Cosmos Studios after the production team Kai Erixon and Kent (Gillström) Isaacs decided to split up after working together for 10 years on numerous productions. Isaacs bought the old Abbey Road/EMI Studios that is now Cosmos Studios. Cosmos Studios is closely affiliated with Cosmos Music Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tik Tok (song)</span> 2009 single by Kesha

"Tik Tok" is the debut single by American singer Kesha, who co-wrote the song with its producers Dr. Luke and Benny Blanco. It was released on August 7, 2009, as the lead and debut single from her debut studio album, Animal (2010).

<i>Animal</i> (Kesha album) 2010 studio album by Kesha

Animal is the debut studio album by American singer and songwriter Kesha. The album was released on January 5, 2010, by RCA Records. Kesha worked on the album with a variety of record producers and songwriters such as Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald, Benny Blanco, David Gamson, Greg Kurstin, Max Martin and others. Kesha had been recording demos for several years when one eventually ended up in the hands of Samantha Cox, senior director of writer/publisher relations at BMI. Cox passed along the demo and it ended up in the hands of Gottwald, who decided to have Kesha perform on the song "Right Round" with American rapper Flo Rida. Within two months, the song became a hit in multiple countries around the world. The event led to Kesha being sought after by many major labels, and she eventually signed a multi-album deal with RCA Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blah Blah Blah (Kesha song)</span> 2010 single by Kesha featuring 3OH!3

"Blah Blah Blah" is a song by American recording artist Kesha from her debut album, Animal (2010). Produced by Benny Blanco, and co-written by Kesha, Blanco, Neon Hitch and Sean Foreman, it was released as the album's second single on January 29, 2010, and features 3OH!3. Initial writing of the song took place when Kesha, Blanco, Hitch and Foreman were discussing which sex talked more and which one was more "obnoxious." The song is a midtempo electropop song that speaks of men in the same way that they have talked about women in the music industry. The lyrics depict a woman who would rather have sex than listen to a man speak and features blatant come-ons throughout the song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kesha</span> American singer (born 1987)

Kesha Rose Sebert, known mononymously as Kesha, is an American singer and songwriter. Kesha's first major success came in early 2009 when she was featured on rapper Flo Rida's number-one single, "Right Round".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dirty Picture</span> 2010 single by Taio Cruz

"Dirty Picture" is a song by British R&B singer Taio Cruz, which features vocals from American singer Kesha and was released from his second studio album, Rokstarr (2009). The song was written and produced by Cruz alongside Fraser T Smith, and later released as the album's third single on 5 April 2010. Originally, Cruz wanted the female vocals to be done by Lady Gaga but opted to switch to Kesha due to heavy influence by Dr. Luke and for finding her voice unique. The song was later re-recorded as an album bonus track for Kesha's debut album, Animal (2010), and dubbed the "Kesha edit" or "Dirty Picture Pt. 2". Lyrically, the song is about sending a dirty picture to a significant other whom you miss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Your Love Is My Drug</span> 2010 single by Kesha

"Your Love Is My Drug" is a song by American singer-songwriter Kesha, taken from her first album, Animal (2010). It was released as the album's third single on May 14, 2010. The song was written by Kesha, Pebe Sebert and Ammo, who co-produced the song with Dr. Luke and Benny Blanco. Described by Kesha as a "pretty happy" song with dark undertones, the song's inspiration came from Kesha's relationship with an ex-boyfriend. Written about the couple's codependency, the song compares their love for one another to a drug.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Take It Off (Kesha song)</span> 2010 single by Kesha

"Take It Off" is a song by American recording artist and songwriter Kesha, from her debut album, Animal. It was written by Kesha Sebert, Lukasz Gottwald and Claude Kelly and it was produced by Dr. Luke with vocal editing done by Emily Wright. It was released as the fourth and final single from the album on July 13, 2010. "Take It Off"'s initial writing consisted of Kesha attending a drag show and becoming turned on by drag queens taking their clothing off. The song is an upbeat song that uses heavy amounts of auto tune and utilizes an electro infused beat, driven by a melody known as the Arabian riff.

<i>Warrior</i> (Kesha album) 2012 studio album by Kesha

Warrior is the second studio album by American singer and songwriter Kesha, released on November 30, 2012, by Kemosabe and RCA Records. Its music incorporates a wide range of genres, including pop, EDM, rock, punk, rap, country, and folk. Kesha described the album as more personal than her previous material in addition to mentioning it was her attempt at reviving the rock genre, calling it a "cock pop" record. Its theme is said to be magic.

<i>Cannibal</i> (EP) 2010 EP by Kesha

Cannibal is the first extended play (EP) by American recording artist Kesha, released on November 19, 2010. The EP is a follow-up companion to her debut album, Animal (2010). Originally, the record was thought to be released as a deluxe edition of Animal, but was instead sold and released as both an EP and a deluxe edition of Animal. Kesha worked with a variety of producers and writers such as executive producer Dr. Luke, Benny Blanco, Ammo, Max Martin, Bangladesh and others. Musically, the songs on Cannibal are of the dance-pop genre, with some songs incorporating elements of electro and electropop in their production and beats. Throughout the album, the use of Auto-Tune and vocoders is prominent. Lyrically, the songs on Cannibal speak of ignoring judgement or hate and experiences based on love and heartbreak.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">We R Who We R</span> 2010 single by Kesha

"We R Who We R" is a song by American singer Kesha from her first extended play (EP), Cannibal (2010). The song was released as the EP's lead single on October 22, 2010. It was written by Kesha, with Jacob Kasher Hindlin, Dr. Luke, Benny Blanco and Ammo. Production of the song was completed by Dr. Luke, Blanco, and Ammo. In the wake of news that bullying and harassment had led to multiple suicides of gay youth, Kesha wrote the song in hopes that it would become a pride anthem. The song is intended to inspire people to be themselves, and as a celebration of anyone deemed quirky or eccentric.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Get Sleazy Tour</span> 2011 concert tour by Kesha

The Get Sleazy Tour was the first concert tour by American recording artist Ke$ha in support of both her first album, Animal, and first extended play, Cannibal. Officially announced on November 8, 2010, the tour visited the Americas, Australia and Europe. It was scheduled to visit Asia but due to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, the tour was postponed indefinitely. Described by Kesha as "a ridiculously fun dance party", the concerts were presented as underground rave ups drawing inspiration from parties she would attend while growing up in Tennessee. The tour kicked off on February 15, 2011, in Portland, Oregon, and ended September 29, 2011, in Rio de Janeiro.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blow (Kesha song)</span> 2011 single by Kesha

"Blow" is a song by American singer and songwriter Kesha from her first extended play (EP), Cannibal (2010). The song was released on February 1, 2011. It was written by Kesha, along with Klas Åhlund and the producers, Dr. Luke, Kool Kojak, Benny Blanco, and Max Martin. According to Kesha the song's lyrics are representative of herself and her fans. "Blow" is dominantly an electropop and dance-pop song and is described as a party anthem as it portrays a simple message of having a desire to have a good time at a club.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">C'Mon (Kesha song)</span> 2012 single by Ke$ha

"C'Mon" is a song by American singer Kesha from her second studio album, Warrior (2012). It was released as the album's second single on November 16, 2012. The song was written by Kesha, Dr. Luke, Benny Blanco, Max Martin, Cirkut, and fellow pop singer and longtime collaborator Bonnie McKee, while production was handled by Dr. Luke, Blanco, and Cirkut. Containing elements of pop rap, "C'Mon" is a techno-pop, bubblegum pop, and dance song with brash lyrics that center on partying and falling in love. Stylistically, the song follows a verse-chorus pattern typical in pop music, with Kesha adding traditional singing in the latter and the discordant enunciation and stresses of vowels to force assonance and rhyme that epitomize her rap technique in the former.

"Nationals" is the twenty-first episode of the third season of the American musical television series Glee, and the sixty-fifth overall. Written by Ali Adler and directed by Eric Stoltz, the episode is the second of two new episodes that aired back-to-back on Fox in the United States on May 15, 2012. It features New Directions facing off against Vocal Adrenaline at the Nationals show choir competition in Chicago, and several special guest stars: Whoopi Goldberg as NYADA dean Carmen Tibideaux, Jonathan Groff as Vocal Adrenaline director Jesse St. James, Lindsay Lohan as herself judging the competition and Rex Lee playing a Chicago alderman who is another of the judges.

"Stephen" is a song by American recording artist and songwriter Kesha, taken from her debut studio album, Animal (2010). The song was written by Kesha in collaboration with David Gamson, Pebe Sebert, and Oliver Leiber. It was produced by Gamson with additional production by Leiber. The song's instrumentation was by Gamson, with the exception of the accordion, which was played by Kesha. Kesha wrote the song about a boy that she had been stalking and who had refused to call the singer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crazy Kids</span> 2013 single by Kesha, will.i.am, Juicy J

"Crazy Kids" is a song by American singer Kesha. It was released on April 29, 2013, as the third and final single from her second album Warrior (2012), with will.i.am or Juicy J as the featured artist depending on the version. An additional remix surfaced online featuring Pitbull. The lyrics were written by Kesha with assistance with Dr. Luke, Benny Blanco, Cirkut, who also helmed production of the track. Each featured artist wrote their own contribution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Die Young</span> 2012 single by Kesha

"Die Young" is a song by American singer and songwriter Kesha. It was released on September 25, 2012, as the lead single from her second studio album, Warrior (2012). Kesha co-wrote the song with its producers, Dr. Luke, Benny Blanco, and Cirkut, with additional writing from Nate Ruess, the lead singer of Fun. Ruess wrote the words for the chorus, but Kesha wrote the lyrics after traveling around the world and embarking on a spiritual journey.

<i>Kesha: My Crazy Beautiful Life</i> 2013 American TV series or program

Kesha: My Crazy Beautiful Life is an American documentary television series about the life of singer Kesha. It aired on MTV for two seasons from April 23 to December 18, 2013.

MXM and Wolf Cousins are a pair of Swedish songwriting and production organisations, founded and established by songwriter and record producer Max Martin. MXM Studios and its affiliated producers are based in New York City, and Wolf Cousins Music are in Los Angeles. Both MXM and Wolf Cousins are headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, where their works originate, as they both derive from the works of Maratone Studios and Cheiron Studios.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Animal (liner notes). Kesha. RCA Records. 2010.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. ↑ Scaggs, Austin (January 26, 2010). "Party Animal: Behind Ke$ha's Big Debut". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on December 16, 2012. Retrieved May 14, 2012.
  3. 1 2 "Ke$ha – D.I.N.O.$.A.U.R Sheet Music (Digital Download)". Musicnotes.com. Sony-ATV Music Publishing.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  4. 1 2 Burgess, Andrew. "Ke$ha – Animal – album reviews – musicOMH". musicOMH. Archived from the original on October 4, 2012. Retrieved May 12, 2012.
  5. 1 2 McAlphine, Fraser (January 29, 2010). "BBC – Music – Review of Ke$ha – Animal". British Broadcasting Corporation . Retrieved May 12, 2012.
  6. ↑ Blissett, Rebecca (September 10, 2011). "Ke$ha refreshingly real in Vancouver - Vancouver, Canada - Straight.com". The Georgia Straight . Archived from the original on October 27, 2011. Retrieved May 12, 2012.
  7. 1 2 Chia, Cheryl (January 8, 2010). "Ke$ha's Animal unleashed – The UrbanWire". The UrbanWire. Archived from the original on August 30, 2012. Retrieved May 12, 2012.
  8. 1 2 Herrera, Monica (January 6, 2010). "Ke$ha, "Animal" - Billboard.com". Billboard . Prometheus Global Media . Retrieved April 14, 2012.
  9. ↑ Legaspi, Althea (August 26, 2011). "Ke$ha at Charter One review – Chicago Tribune". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved May 12, 2012.
  10. ↑ Gittins, Ian (December 17, 2010). "Ke$ha – review – Music – The Guardian". The Guardian . Retrieved May 12, 2012.
  11. ↑ Rule, Doug (January 27, 2010). "Di$po$able Pop: The dollar sign in Ke$ha's name serves as shorthand for not just all that's wrong with her music, but pop music today: Music section: Metro Weekly". Metro Weekly. Archived from the original on March 5, 2012. Retrieved May 12, 2012.
  12. ↑ Malone, Ailbhe (January 22, 2010). "NME Album Reviews - Album review: Ke$ha - Animal (Sony) - NME.COM". NME. IPC Media . Retrieved May 12, 2012.
  13. ↑ "Watch Ke$ha on MTV Push!". columbia.com. Columbia Records. Archived from the original on January 1, 2010. Retrieved May 14, 2012.
  14. ↑ "MTV NETWORKS INTERNATIONAL ROLLS-OUT MTV WORLD STAGE & MTV PUSH". MTV Networks. Viacom. Archived from the original (Press release) on July 29, 2011. Retrieved May 14, 2012.
  15. ↑ Finn, Timothy (February 21, 2011). "Ke$ha: 90 minutes of excess at the Midland". The Kansas City Star . The McClatchy Company. Archived from the original on September 27, 2012. Retrieved May 14, 2012.
  16. ↑ Carter, Lauren (April 14, 2011). "Ke$ha fans Get $leazy, and then some". Boston Herald . Boston Herald and Herald Media. Archived from the original on October 5, 2012. Retrieved May 14, 2012.
  17. 1 2 Futterman, Erica (May 9, 2012). "'Glee' Recap: You're Insecure, Don't Know What For One Direction, Selena Gomez and Ke$ha soundtrack a lackluster prom episode". Rolling Stone. Jann Wenner. Retrieved May 14, 2012.
  18. 1 2 3 Strecker, Erin (May 9, 2012). "'Glee' recap: Dinosaurs or Bust. Rachel throws an anti-prom party and Quinn is keeping a big secret". Entertainment Weekly . p. 1. Retrieved May 14, 2012.
  19. ↑ Strecker, Erin (May 9, 2012). "'Glee' recap: Dinosaurs or Bust. Rachel throws an anti-prom party and Quinn is keeping a big secret". Entertainment Weekly. p. 2. Retrieved May 14, 2012.
  20. ↑ "Dinosaur (Glee Cast Version)". iTunes. Apple Inc . Retrieved May 14, 2012.[ permanent dead link ]
  21. ↑ "GAON DIGITAL CHART | gaon music chart". Circle Chart. January 9, 2010. Archived from the original on March 23, 2014. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  22. ↑ "zobbel.de/cluk/100213cluk.txt". February 13, 2010. Archived from the original on March 22, 2010. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  23. ↑ "American single certifications – Kesha – Dinosaur". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved December 20, 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.