Ke$ha, pronounced Kesh-ah, is the pop star of the moment and Scott Simon managed to pin her down, not literally, this week and talk to her about her debut album, “Animal.” An album that Rolling Stone magazine called “repulsive, obnoxious and ridiculously catchy.” I have to admit that after I watched the video to Ke$ha’s song, “Tik Tok” and listened to some of her CD, I thought that maybe she would have a bit of an “animalistic” side.

But there’s more to this girl than raunchy clothes and, at times, explicit lyrics. Ke$ha is not the type of girl who will let a bad word or two get her down. In fact, she doesn’t seem to let much get her down, not failed relationships or even “backstabbers.” If she’s ever feeling vulnerable she says she writes a song about it, calling it, “the best revenge.”

What was also very revealing about this 22-year-old pop-rapper-singer is that she will be performing at this year’s resurrection of Lilith Fair, a music festival that celebrates women in music. And who would have thought that one of Ke$ha’s favorite albums is Bob Dylan’s “Nashville Skyline.”

This girl who grew up in Nashville not only has musical talent but has brains and brashness, and you could say a somewhat mischievous side. She admits to sneaking into the house of Prince himself. She says the house wasn’t hard to find because the driveway is lined with “purple velvet.” She snuck under the gate but got stuck and had to be helped by the gardener, but even after that, she managed to navigate her way into the house. She says she saw Prince rehearsing. Before she was discovered and booted out of the house, she dropped off her CD for him and even tied a purple ribbon – purple being Prince’s favorite color – around it. But Prince never called her. Ke$ha has a great defense for her actions. She says it’s advice that comes from her mother: “If you want something, then you go take it. You can’t depend on anybody else.”

If there’s one thing that I’ve learned this week, it’s that I should never judge a girl by her cover. Have a listen below to find out what Ke$ha listens to in her spare time.

Source: NPR