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[THEORY] Animal is a Character Concept Album

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A character concept album you say Rosé?

 

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Indeed!

 

A basic rundown of what I think the story is about:

A girl between the ages of 16 and 22 has grown up in "the hood" with little money in her life. She's likely been abused in some way, having lived in a low income area where crime would be more prominent and she roams at night. This has lead her to be more promiscuous and a tad self destructive. She has often had to go out and make her own fun since she was young, which often lands her in unusual situations (stalking boys, partying with drag queens and getting hit on by old men who want to by her affections [VIP sort of enforces this]) and in the company of "bad boys", who she ends up dating. Kesha's character falls head over heals for these boys. There are two romanic relationships: One where her issues get the best of her and she ruins the love and another where her partner cheats on her and gets involved with her ex-friend (Jeanie), who had previously betrayed Kesha's character. Her abuse issues manifest as she starts treating men as sexual conquests to help fill the void her abuse and boyfriends have left inside her. She eventually becomes drastically depressed (potentially suicidal). After going through her darkest period she realises that she has to accept her problems and acknowledge that they're embedded in her nature and move on.

 

Now for the explanation!

I'm going to go through the tracks in the album and explain how they link to the narrative of Kesha's character.

(When I say "Kesha", I'm referring to her character).

 

TEEN YEARS: Tik Tok, Take It Off, Stephan, Party At A Rich Dude's House & Dinosaur

These songs represent Kesha's early to late teens and her experiences. She parties, drinks, stalks a boy, visits drag bars and get's hit on by old men.

In Tik Tok she indicates that she finds Mick Jagger attractive, which shows her attraction to bad boy figures. Kesha also makes us aware that she is broke, but finds her way in the line "Ain't got no money in my pocket, but I'm already here".

Take It Off shows her encounters with "freaks" (social outcasts) and that she has spent time in drag bars. I think the party locations are drag bars, because of the references to "glitter on the floor" and "freaks". Kesha's bad drinking behaviour and subsequent regrettable decisions are also mentioned when she sings, "Got a water bottle full of whisky in my hand bag. Got my drunk text on. I'll regret it in the morning.

Stephan (song) shows that Kesha doesn't see a man's woman as a barrier worth respecting to get to him in the line, "I watched your ugly girlfriend smear across the room. As if I really care that she's here with you". Another thing that could be apart of Kesha's self destructiveness.

Party At A Rich Dude's House reinforces all the party behaviours.

She often encounters creepy old men (dinosaurs), which leads me to believe she was taken advantage of by one of them at some point, which then results in her self destructive behaviour of constantly partying, binge drinking and later, sleeping with lots of men.

 

THE LOVE: Your Love Is My Drug

Basically shows how she falls in love with with and becomes addicted to the boys.

"Maybe I need some rehab or maybe just need some sleep. I got a sick obsession. I'm seeing it in my dreams. I'm looking down every alley. I'm making those desperate calls. I'm staying up all night hoping hitting my head against the wall"

These are bad boys that her social circle warns her against, but Kesha doesn't care about the warnings, she's too deeply in love.

"Won't listen to any advice. Momma's telling me I should think twice. But left to my own devices, I'm addicted – it's a crisis. My friends think I've gone crazy".

She's deluded and committed.

"My judgment's gettin' kinda hazy. My sleaze is gonna be affected. If I keep it up like a love sick crack head".

 

FIRST BREAKUP / EX-FRIEND DRAMA: Kiss N Tell, Backstabber, Blind

We all know the Backstabber story. Kesha's friend betrays her by stealing Kesha's car and talking shit about Kesha and they aren't friends afterwards. 

Kiss N Tel is Kesha's breakup with her first bad boy, who she discovers is cheating on her.

Blind is where she finds out her ex-boyfriend was cheating on her with her backstabbing ex-friend.

 

SECOND BREAKUP: Blah Blah Blah, Hungover, Dancing With Tears In My Eyes, Boots & Boys

Kesha is devastated over this breakup, because it meant much more than the last. This breakup "was all her fault". To try get over it, Kesha parties, but is brought back to reality to her hangovers hit and  she is miserable. This is the combined premise of Hunger and Dancing With Tears In My Eyes.

Along with the partying, Kesha is also sleeping with men left, right and centre (Blah Blah Blah, Boots & Boys) to "fill the void [they] left". She's also buying things to fill the void, as are represented by the boots in Boots & Boys.

This part of the story is supported by the Animal outtake "While You Were Sleeping", which made me see the connection these other four songs have.

Lyrics:

Spoiler

So far away.

From the place where I feel safe.

And I cant recall,

The beauty in your face.

The distance, between us, stores its dirty seeds.

Spreading inside of me, with every breath I breathe.

 

While you were sleepin'

I was wondering with the lonely people.

While you were sleepin'

Trying to fill the void you've left.

Life is short and the nights are long.

And tonight I moved on.

While you were sleepin'

 

A stranger for the night,

So I don't wake up alone (all alone)

To fake what we had, (to fake)

But it doesn't feel like home.

The distance between us,

Grows its dirty seeds.

Consuming my insides,

With every breath I breathe.

 

While you were sleepin'

I was wondering with the lonely people,

While you were sleepin' (while you were sleeping)

Trying to fill the void you've left.

Life is short and the nights are long, 

And tonight, I moved on.

While you were sleepin',

 

Don't look for me, don't wait for me.

I found my path. (while you were sleeping)

Over sticks and stones, over broken bones. 

I won't look back. (while you were sleeping)

There's a place for you,

Somewhere in my heart.

But that's the past,

 

While you were sleepin' (while you were sleeping)

I was wondering with the lonely people. 

While you were sleepin', (while you were sleeping)

Trying to fill the void you've left. 

(tonight) life is short and the nights are long, (tonight) and tonight I moved on.

While you were sleepin'

 

HEALING PERIOD: Animal

 

Kesha realises that she needs to accept life and people as is and take a step back and appreciate everything she has and how beautiful life can be. 

"I am in love with what we are, not what we should be. And I am, I am starstruck, with every part of this whole story"

Kesha now understands that she can't fully control her pain and accepts it as part of her nature. She decides to take the bad when it comes at her and ride it out until things are better again.

"So if it's just tonight, the animal inside, let it live then die. Like it's the end of time. Like everything inside. Let it live then die".

Kesha knows now that life is too short to not make the most of it.

"This is our last chance. Give me your hands, cause our world is spinning at the speed of light. The night is fading, heart is racing Now, just come and love me like we're gonna die".

She's ready to make the most of life...

"I'm not asleep, I'm up for the fight, into the magic".

... and not just give up and die. (I think the concrete is a reference to a gravestone)

"And I don't want the concrete".

Accepts that one day she will eventually die.

"I am alive comes with the tragic".

 

Kesha has come through her fun, but hard young life victorious having gained a greater outlook on life.

- END -

 

Sorry if this was messy and has any bad grammar. I wanted to get it all down and out of my head. If anyone wants me to clarify anything, just ask.

IS THIS A REACH? dead2

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Interesting theory! I never thought of Animal as a record that told a cohesive story.

 

However, I don't know if it was as much of a character as we think, I feel like that was really Kesha's personality and lifestyle amped up. I believe this because in an August interview (I think with Elvis Duran) she said that was really her life back then, where she would wake up with a bottle of jack. But also, this somewhat is contradicted by what she said in the Rolling Stone interview, where she says she doesn't even like to drink. But in MCBL, she is basically drinking every episode jj4 

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40 minutes ago, Dan said:

Interesting theory! I never thought of Animal as a record that told a cohesive story.

 

However, I don't know if it was as much of a character as we think, I feel like that was really Kesha's personality and lifestyle amped up. I believe this because in an August interview (I think with Elvis Duran) she said that was really her life back then, where she would wake up with a bottle of jack. But also, this somewhat is contradicted by what she said in the Rolling Stone interview, where she says she doesn't even like to drink. But in MCBL, she is basically drinking every episode jj4 

I'm sure she meant that now she doesn't even like to drink anymore moo1

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2 hours ago, Rosé said:
  Reveal hidden contents

So far away.

From the place where I feel safe.

And I cant recall,

The beauty in your face.

The distance, between us, stores its dirty seeds.

Spreading inside of me, with every breath I breathe.

 

While you were sleepin'

I was wondering with the lonely people.

While you were sleepin'

Trying to fill the void you've left.

Life is short and the nights are long.

And tonight I moved on.

While you were sleepin'

 

A stranger for the night,

So I don't wake up alone (all alone)

To fake what we had, (to fake)

But it doesn't feel like home.

The distance between us,

Grows its dirty seeds.

Consuming my insides,

With every breath I breathe.

 

While you were sleepin'

I was wondering with the lonely people,

While you were sleepin' (while you were sleeping)

Trying to fill the void you've left.

Life is short and the nights are long, 

And tonight, I moved on.

While you were sleepin',

 

Don't look for me, don't wait for me.

I found my path. (while you were sleeping)

Over sticks and stones, over broken bones. 

I won't look back. (while you were sleeping)

There's a place for you,

Somewhere in my heart.

But that's the past,

 

While you were sleepin' (while you were sleeping)

I was wondering with the lonely people. 

While you were sleepin', (while you were sleeping)

Trying to fill the void you've left. 

(tonight) life is short and the nights are long, (tonight) and tonight I moved on.

While you were sleepin'

IS THIS A REACH? dead2

I think many things are right but I don't think it's been intended as a concept album, the themes and lyrics are definitely her life before the album and that's the main difference between a real songwriter and...puppets katy3

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3 hours ago, Chris Morlock said:

what would be the revised tracklist after this jj2 

Oh yeah! I didn't think anyone would care.

  • Tik Tok
  • Stephan
  • Party At A Rich Dude's House
  • Dinosaur
  • (VIP)
  • Take It Off
  • Your Love Is My Drug
  • (Dirty Picture)
  • Backstabber
  • Kiss N Tell
  • Blind
  • Dancing With Tears In My Eyes
  • Blah Blah Blah
  • Boots & Boys
  • (C U Next Tuesday)
  • Hungover
  • Animal
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1 hour ago, Rosé said:

Oh yeah! I didn't think anyone would care.

  • Tik Tok
  • Stephan
  • Party At A Rich Dude's House
  • Dinosaur
  • (VIP)
  • Take It Off
  • Your Love Is My Drug
  • (Dirty Picture)
  • Backstabber
  • Kiss N Tell
  • Blind
  • Dancing With Tears In My Eyes
  • Blah Blah Blah
  • Boots & Boys
  • (C U Next Tuesday)
  • Hungover
  • Animal

(while you were sleeping)

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1 minute ago, Chris Morlock said:

(while you were sleeping)

I know what you mean, but WYWS is not on the tracklist, so it wouldn't be apart of the final concept. I read an interruption of WYWS a while ago and that lead to this narrative forming out of the official Animal tracks.

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5 minutes ago, Rosé said:

I know what you mean, but WYWS is not on the tracklist, so it wouldn't be apart of the final concept. I read an interruption of WYWS a while ago and that lead to this narrative forming out of the official Animal tracks.

maybe it goes into Cannibal jj2 

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Just now, Chris Morlock said:

maybe it goes into Cannibal jj2 

I thought about that. Cannibal would likely be the aftermath, minus C U Next Tuesday. This would be her gaining confidence and self respect period. Potentially the character becomes famous. IDK, it wouldn't fit in the strictest sense. You could also toss them into the original Animal narrative too.

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8 minutes ago, Rosé said:

I thought about that. Cannibal would likely be the aftermath, minus C U Next Tuesday. This would be her gaining confidence and self respect period. Potentially the character becomes famous. IDK, it wouldn't fit in the strictest sense. You could also toss them into the original Animal narrative too.

someone should make a movie out of this jj2 

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