Ke$ha

Kesha Rose Sebert (/ˈkɛʃə roʊz ˈsɛbərt/ KESH-ə ROHZ SEB-ərt; born March 1, 1987; formerly stylized as Ke$ha) is an American singer, songwriter, and rapper. In 2005, at age 18, Kesha was signed to producer Dr. Luke's label Kemosabe Records. Her breakthrough came in early 2009 after appearing on American rapper Flo Rida's number-one single "Right Round". Her debut album, Animal, and her first extended play, Cannibal, were released in 2010. Kesha's music and image propelled her to immediate commercial success, with Animal debuting as the number-one album in the United States. She also achieved two number-one singles, "Tik Tok" and "We R Who We R", and a string of top-ten singles from the album and its re-release. At the same time, she continued to write songs for other artists, including "Till the World Ends" for Britney Spears. Warrior, her second studio album, was released in December 2012, spawning Kesha's eighth top-ten single with "Die Young", and her ninth and tenth Top 40 hits with "C'Mon" and "Crazy Kids". "Tik Tok" is among the best-selling digital singles in history, selling over 14 million units internationally.

Influenced by various genres and artists, Kesha primarily draws inspiration from music of the 1980s; Madonna, Queen, and Beck have been cited as instrumental to her music. After experimenting with country, pop rock, and electronic music, Kesha stuck with the latter. Thematically, her music generally revolves around escapism, partying, individuality, supernatural moments, rebellion, and grief. Kesha has been involved with animal rights and LGBT activism. She has received several awards and nominations, including her win for MTV Europe Music Award for Best New Act in 2010. As of November 2013, she has reportedly sold over 33 million records (albums, tracks, and ringtones) in the United States and 60 million records worldwide.