Wouldn’t it Be Nice? The Twisted Fantasy of Ke$ha’s ‘Die Young’

Times have changed. For youth and the music scene, growing old isn’t really much of an option, let alone the subject of a song. Ke$ha’s newest album Warrior and her Billboard Top 100 #3 hit song “Die Young” are key examples for a shift in youth culture. It communicates two primary things:

1. A shift from being young forever to being young and then you die.
2. No longer seeking to grow up and mature, and, as a result, escaping from responsibility and accountability.

Ke$ha leaves no room to speculate on her outlook on life: “Let’s make the most of the night like we’re gonna die young.” She doesn’t want to miss out on any experience or anyone and aims to do whatever pleases her as if she is going to, in fact, “die young.”

She sings, “Looking for some trouble tonight / take my hand I’ll show you the wild side / like it’s the last night of our lives / let’s make the most of tonight like we’re gonna die young.” This showcases a new dream, that youth is all there is. While enticing, this is a deceptive dream. But aging is inevitable, and youth can be seen as a platform for growth and maturity in the future.

If Ke$ha will in fact “die young” as her song suggests, then it will not matter how she spends her evening or who she spends her evening with. “Die Young” is about a fear of responsibility above all, even death.