While it might have taken Ariana Grande over a year to deliver the truly deluxe edition (instead of the “Slightly Deluxe” one) of Eternal Sunshine, Eternal Sunshine: Brighter Days Ahead, Kesha waited no longer than a mere four days after the release of Period to give her listeners what amounts to the deluxe version of the record—stylized as . (…). Of course, the reason it didn’t take that long is because Kesha pulled one of the quintessential gimmicks: stuffing it with remixes and “reworkings” (another word for remix, really), with “Trashman” and “Attention” featuring Slayyyter and Rose Gray (which was already expected to make an appearance on the deluxe) being the only new songs of note.
Apart from these two offerings, Kesha relies mostly on “Yippee-Ki-Yay” remixes to bulk up the album to a total of twenty tracks. Even so, the addition of “Trashman” alone is what makes Period (Deluxe) worth it. It’s on this particular ditty that Kesha’s newfound confidence level post-Kesha v. Dr. Luke reaches another apex. Taking back her power in every way, Kesha’s long-missed braggadocio shines through in the verse, “Hold up, may I gеt cunty for a minute?/There’s nothin’ morе dangerous than a powerful woman with nothin’ left to lose/Nothin’ left to prove, I got nothin’ but the truth.” It feels like a pointed dig at Dr. Luke (as many lyrics from Period do, whether “intentionally” or not), reminiscent of the “Praying” lyric, “And we both know all the truth I could tell.”
Unfortunately, as the Diddy trial once again reiterated to women who are victims of physical and/or emotional abuse by men, it often doesn’t seem to matter how much truth a woman shouts from the mountaintops. The man in question is still somehow the one believed. The one deemed to be more “credible.” And that’s a familiar tale that Kesha is all too familiar with. So it’s no wonder that she was among the few to respond so openly to the outcome of the trial by writing on her Twitter (never X) account, “Cassie, I believe you. I love you. Your strength is a beacon for every survivor.”
As is Kesha’s. And it’s a strength that has given her the wherewithal to start her own record label and help ensure that young artists—especially women—never have to deal with the kind of bullshit that she did at the outset of her career. One that took years to flourish under Dr. Luke’s so-called tutelage despite signing with him in 2005. Four years later, in a move that was telling of Dr. Luke’s penchant for silencing Kesha, she would get her first number one single as an uncredited feature artist on Flo Rida’s “Right Round.” There’s a tinge of that voice in her saucy “Trashman” vocals, including her warning, “You better run [recalling the same warning on “Cannibal,” “I eat boys up, you better run”], I’m on the loose, bitch/Should you ever stop to think about them, I keep makin’ them crazy/The picture, I can shake, me and bitches on a pretty, yeah/Don’t be such an egomaniac/It comes too quick like a heart attack/And I can do it better, get it wetter by myself.”
With an instrumental opening that sounds like something Thomas Newman (cousin to Randy) composed for Desperately Seeking Susan (courtesy of production by Kesha, Hudson Mohawke and Heavy Mellow), the “clap”-esque backing track of “Trashman” builds up to its most “cunty” verse, the abovementioned “Hold up, may I gеt cunty for a minute?” And while spitting the words that follow, Kesha somehow manages to channel Ed Sheeran-style intonations (think: “Shape of You”), yet another sign of her underrated versatility.
Another highlight on the deluxe follows “Trashman” in the form of a “Boy Crazy” remix featuring Jade, who has been having a moment for the past year thanks to her debut single “Angel of My Dreams,” followed by “Fantasy,” “FUFN (Fuck You for Now)” and “Plastic Box” (all to appear on her forthcoming debut solo album, That’s Showbiz Baby). With her own flair for “impudence” (just as many men have a flair for impotence), Jade’s vocals stand out on the revamped verse, “Lisbon to London, boys are my Jägerbomb/Let me be your femme top, giddy up, now I’m your dom/Countryside in the bond, city boys, big job/It’s not about the size, it’s how you use it that can turn me on/So when you gonna turn me on?/Motherfucker, are you dumb?/Boys better beware, boys better beware/Hey, Kesha, let’s party.”
Kesha continues to receive that command on “Attention,” with the cunty energy really ramping up on a song that would have been right at home on the standard edition of Period as well. But perhaps the song didn’t come together until after Period had been put to bed, so to speak. Whatever the case, it’s part of the album now, and rightfully so. For its themes of empowerment, camp and bitchiness as camp are all in keeping with the nature of this record. And while Kesha has always promoted those themes in some way or another, they’ve never been as authentic as they are now, with the Tennesseean-by-way-of-Los Angeles finally being in total control of herself (a.k.a. Latrice Royale’s acronym for “BITCH”).
It’s after “Attention” that Period (Deluxe) starts to feel slightly less, well, deluxe with the following remixed songs tacked on for good measure: “Yippee-Ki-Yay” featuring T-Pain, “Delusional” (Edit)—not even a remix so, honestly, what’s the point?—“Yippee-Ki-Yay” (A. G. Cook remix [clearly, Kesha has “made it” in the Charli XCX crew post-“Spring Breakers” remix] featuring T-Pain), “Yippee-Ki-Yay” (Hosed Down remix), “Joyride” (Revved Up remix) and “Boy Crazy” (Only Fire Smash remix).
So naturally, there’s bound to be those who might express disdain for or dissatisfaction with Kesha ostensibly “phoning it in” in terms of what she considers “deluxe.” In truth, however, it would actually be more disappointing if this were an anniversary edition of the album (à la Britney Spears with her remix-stuffed 25th anniversary edition of Oops!…I Did It Again). But since it’s not, it just feels like an unexpected bonus/gift from the (party) gods to have some additional music from Kesha so quickly.
