First Listen: Warrior by Ke$ha

December's most anticipated album is Warrior from Ke$ha! After taking a bit of a break to explore new musical options, pop's crazy rebel is back with a brand new album, and I've got your first preview of what to expect.

1. Warrior - I love the dark feeling I'm getting from this album, and it's easily distinguishable from her old sound. Her vocals sound really good, probably because of the obvious lack of AutoTune. This one is definitely dubstep influenced. I love the chorus breakdown and the dubstep break toward the end is interesting to say the least. Great start.

2. Die Young - The lead single off the album, I don't really need to cover old ground.

3. C'mon - The first song that sounds like the old Ke$ha, but that's not a bad thing at all. It's instantly catchy, and the lyrics are sing-a-long ready. It's more of the bubblegum pop than the dubstep sound delivered on the first two tracks. The lyrics are childish, but that's kinda the feeling I get from this song anyway.

4. Thinking of You - Immediately recognizable rock influences and they work really well. Mixed with dance influences and cheeky lyrics, it's a really fun track. The driving beat of the verses lead nicely into the slowed-down chorus. It rides the line of Ke$ha coming across as a jilted ex and a lamentful lover, which makes it kind of interesting to listen to, no matter your mood.

5. Crazy Kids - Beware the language in this song. It's dark, and it kinda reminds me of Die Young. Ke$ha wants to make it clear she doesn't care what you think, and I think she gets her point across very well. It's an interesting song...and I don't know if that necessarily makes it good.

6. Wherever You Are - Call this a dubstep ballad. It's interesting that we're already 2 for 6 with songs that have Ke$ha missing a man, especially considering most of her previous songs were about getting rid of the guys. But, I really like this one. The chorus is sick, and the final bridge breakdown is awesome.

7. Dirty Love - A full on embrace of love and sex. This is full-on rock and roll, and it's a lot of fun. In fact, Ke$ha sounds like she's having a lot fun on this track, which makes it really fun to listen to. Iggy Pop shows up to list people that have had sex (?) but it's interesting to hear Ke$ha with a counterpart. But a fun song, indeed.

8. Wonderland - I've always said that Ke$ha's ballads are underrated. This one is probably the closest she's ever gotten to an actual ballad. It's good. Her vocals are the most impressive part of the song. The content of the song is actually meaningful. It is a very good song.

9. Only Wanna Dance with You - An okay song. It's not entirely dancey or rock, a middle of the road combo. It's a rather innocent song for Ke$ha. There is a random guy at the end, and no one knows who it is soooo...there's that.

10. Supernatural - This is the song Ke$ha wrote about having sex with a ghost....anyway. This demo has been out for God knows how long, and it's a good song. It's got a dubstep heavy chorus, so if that's your thing, you'll probably like it. It's just a good song overall though.

11. All That Matters (The Beautiful Life) - Really, really like this song. It's a little safe for Ke$ha, but it's catchy and fun and the repeated chorus is shout-worthy. It sounds like it could've been sung by Katy Perry, and that's not a jab at either of these artists, but it's definitely an awesome song, probably my favorite on the album.

12. Love Into the Light - Not the biggest fan of this song. It's got a really interesting vibe, yet I don't know how well it works with the rest of the album. There is definite experimentation, I'm just not sure it's a hit.

The next four tracks are on the deluxe edition only:

13. Last Goodbye - Nice ballad. It's still got a danceable beat, like most Ke$ha ballads, but when she really tries, she can put together a good ballad. Full of little details, it's more striking than her party songs. I would love to see her write a song like this as an upbeat radio-ready song, it would show a lot of versatility.

14. Gold Trans Am - Not by any means the best song on this album, but it does have those rock influences that were experimented on earlier in this album. It almost kinda samples "We Will Rock You." It's catchy, although I wish the writing were a little more crisp. It's just a little bit away from being an awesome song.

15. Out Alive - Another pretty basic song, this one back completely to the dance roots. Her vocals on this one are pretty cool, I like the strain on "No one's getting out alive." The dubstep breakdown before the final chorus is siiiiick. I like it.

16. Past Lives - The deluxe edition album closes out with a ballad. It has potential, but I think it falls a little short. There is another guy singing and I don't know who it is. There is a lot of production here, and I think I would have liked it better with the simple percussion that the song starts off. Her vocals here aren't that stellar, either.

Overall, the album has some high points, but a fair share of misses. You can tell she did try to switch up the sound and she succeeds, for the most part. Animal and Cannibal had surefire hits, and I don't know if this one has as many, but I do appreciate the change in artistic style.

Favorite tracks: Warrior, C'mon, Thinking of You, Wherever You Are, All That Matters (The Beautiful Life)

What are you thinking of Ke$ha's first album in forever? You like the new sound? Got a favorite track? Let me know what you're thinking below in the comments section!

Evan