Maps of Music

Warrior (2012)

Where the lyrics of Warrior take you, and where it was really made.

Kesha's second album was first announced under the title Spandex on the Distant Horizon, but by May 2012 Billboard described the project as untitled before it became Warrior.

Key places

Recorded at Blackbird Studio in Nashville (2012)

Recording site Blackbird Studio — Blackbird Studio in Nashville is listed as a recording location for Warrior. The listing points to the studio itself, not an exact street address. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recorded at Conway Recording Studios in Los Angeles (2012)

Recording site Conway Recording Studios — Conway Recording Studios in Los Angeles is listed as a recording location for Warrior. The point marks the studio's city-level listing and may not match the exact building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recorded at Record Plant in Los Angeles (2012)

Recording site Record Plant Studios — Record Plant in Los Angeles is listed as a recording location for Warrior. The listing covers the studio, and the exact date of its use is not known. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recorded at Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles (2012)

Recording site Westlake Recording Studios — Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles is listed as a recording location for Warrior. The listing covers the studio, and the exact date of its use is not known. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recorded at South Beach Studios in Miami Beach (2012)

Recording site South Beach (Miami) — South Beach Studios in Miami Beach is listed as a recording location for Warrior. The listing covers the studio, and the exact date of its use is not known. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York City (2012)

Recording site Electric Lady Studios — Electric Lady Studios in New York City is listed as a recording location for Warrior. The listing covers the studio, and the exact date of its use is not known. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recorded at Luke's in the Boo, Malibu (2012)

Recording site Bob Dylan's garage studio (Malibu) — Luke's in the Boo in Malibu, California is listed as a recording location for Warrior. The point is set at the city centre, not at the building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Engineered at MXM Studios in Stockholm (2012)

Recording site Master Plan — MXM Studios in Stockholm is listed as an engineering and recording location for Warrior. The point is set at the city centre, not at the building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recorded at Echo Studio in Los Feliz (2012)

Recording site Echo Studio — Echo Studio in Los Feliz, California is listed as a recording location for Warrior. The point is set at the district centre, not at the building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recorded at Pink Floor Studios in Oklahoma City (2012)

Recording site The Ford Center — Pink Floor Studios in Oklahoma City is listed as a recording location for Warrior. The point is set at the city centre, not at the building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Warrior: second studio album by American singer-songwriter Kesha
• Released 30 November 2012 by Kemosabe and RCA Records
• Music spans pop, EDM, rock, punk, rap, country and folk
• Kesha said the album was an attempt to revive rock and called it a "cock pop" record
• Described as more personal than her previous material
• Theme said to be magic
• Lead single "Die Young", second single "C'Mon", third single "Crazy Kids"
• Acoustic EP Deconstructed released alongside it, sold through Kesha's website for the fan edition

Background

• Kesha discussed her second album with MTV News in June 2010, saying it would reflect her growth
• Followed debut album Animal (2010) and her first worldwide tour, the Get Sleazy Tour, during 2011
• Songwriting started on the tour; recording waited until the tour ended
• Release first slated for late 2011, then May 2012, and delayed each time as Kesha kept recording
• In 2011 she took a break from music, became the first global ambassador of the Humane Society and made a documentary for National Geographic
• Kesha wrote most of the album while touring internationally and during a spiritual journey
• Writing ran from late 2011 to early 2012
• Title announced as Spandex on the Distant Horizon in March 2011, later described as untitled by Billboard in May 2012
• Theme of an inner warrior tied to the final title, announced through social media in September 2012

Recording

• Recording took place from January through August 2012
• Kesha entered the studio with Dr. Luke in January 2012, according to MTV
• Dr. Luke was executive producer and a longtime collaborator; Max Martin, Shellback, Ammo and Benny Blanco also contributed
• Iggy Pop provided guest vocals; he has been cited as a major influence on the album
• Writing contributions came from Nate Ruess of Fun., will.i.am, Bonnie McKee, Patrick Carney, the Strokes, the Flaming Lips and Kesha's mother Pebe Sebert
• Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips worked with Kesha; the track "2012" appeared on the Lips' album The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends
• Billboard reported in April 2012 that Calvin Harris had contributed several tracks, though recording dates were not known
• Kesha drew on 1970s rock: Led Zeppelin, AC/DC and Iggy Pop's album The Idiot were cited as inspirations

Cover

• Cover photo taken by Yu Tsai
• Shows Kesha at the dawn of a colorful desert wearing a rainbow crystal suit

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · es.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Kesha Rose Sebert, born March 1, 1987, in Los Angeles; stylized Ke$ha until 2014.
• Signed to music publishing company Prescription Songs in 2005 at age 18.
• Signed with David Sonenberg's DAS Communications in 2006.
• Her 2009 debut single "Tik Tok" came after she signed a multi-album deal with RCA Records.

Career

• Kesha's breakthrough came with "Right Round" (2009) as a featured artist for Flo Rida, though she is uncredited on the US release.
• Her debut album Animal (2010) reached number one on the US Billboard 200; the single "Tik Tok" sold about 14 million copies worldwide.
• Her second album Warrior (2012) was released on November 30, 2012, and its single "Die Young" peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.
• Her third album Rainbow (2017) debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.
• Her fourth album High Road was released January 31, 2020.
• Her fifth album Gag Order was released May 19, 2023, produced by Rick Rubin.
• Her sixth album Period was released July 4, 2025.
• Kesha's legal dispute with producer Dr. Luke, filed in 2014, was settled out of court in June 2023.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Warrior received mostly positive reviews from music critics
• On Metacritic, the album scored 71 out of 100 from 19 reviews, indicating generally favorable reviews
• Entertainment Weekly: Melissa Maerz gave it a positive review, graded B
• Drowned in Sound: rated 8 out of 10, called it a party album on a mission
• BBC Music: Nick Levine was positive and said the singer had broadened her approach without losing her USP
• Slant Magazine: mixed review, three stars out of five
• The Guardian: two stars out of five, criticized the use of Auto-Tune
• USA Today: Elysa Gardner felt the release was full of catchy, cannily produced tunes
• AllMusic: Stephen Thomas Erlewine praised the artist for choosing the best direction for her second set, gave four stars out of five
• New York Times: reviewers were positive and found the record offered strong fun
• Some critics faulted the use of Auto-Tune and the formulaic nature of the record

Reappraisal

• Kesha later alluded to a disdain for the record due to her limited creative control while making it
• In 2025 she said she had fallen back in love with the album after listening to it again with some distance

Records

• US: debuted at number six on the Billboard 200, selling 86,000 copies in its first week
• Predecessor Animal debuted at number one in the US with 152,000 copies in its first week
• US: RIAA Platinum certification in 2024 for sales over 1 million album-equivalent units
• UK Albums Chart: debuted at number 66, peaked at number 60
• Lead single Die Young peaked at number two on the Hot 100
• Second single C'Mon peaked at number 27 on the Hot 100
• Third single Crazy Kids peaked at number 40 on the Hot 100

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · es.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The title was first announced as Spandex on the Distant Horizon in March 2011, and Billboard later called the project untitled.
• The Deconstructed EP was released digitally on 30 November 2012 alongside the album and was offered as a bonus disc with the fan edition.
• Die Young fell to number 4 after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, when critics read its lyrics negatively and airplay and sales were cut.
• Crazy Kids peaked at number 40 on the Hot 100, becoming Kesha's least successful single at the time.
• Supernatural contains a portion of the 1984 composition Wouldn't It Be Good by Nik Kershaw.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org

Maps of Ages ↗ (mapsofages.com)

Privacy · Contact