How Diddy Inspired Kesha’s ‘Tik Tok’
Sean “Diddy” Combs is such an icon that he’s shown up in popular culture several times. For example, chart-topping diva Kesha discusses feeling like Diddy in her song “Tik Tok.” Kesha revealed a moment from her life inspired the lyric. “Tik Tok” became a massive hit and its musical impact is still being felt today.
Kesha felt she was surrounded by more women than Diddy when she wrote ‘Tik Tok’
During a 2009 interview with Esquire, the “Your Love Is My Drug” singer said her songwriting was personal. “Like this single I have out right now, called ‘Tik Tok’: One morning I just woke up, and I live in this house with I-don’t-even-know-how-many roommates — it’s this Laurel Canyon house with seven rooms and roommates fluctuating monthly,” she recalled.
“I woke up one day after we went to a party, and I was surrounded by 10 of the most beautiful women you’ve ever seen,” she added. “And I was like, I’m like P. Diddy — there’s no man like this in the entire world. So that became the first line of the new single, and we just went from there. It’s a daily process in my life.”
Kesha was in a house that was part of rock ‘n’ roll history
The “Die Young” singer gave fans more insight into the house that inspired “Tik Tok.” “Well, it was the house The Eagles recorded Hotel California in,” she explained. “So it’s just this huge hippy … There are a bunch of hippies who come in and out, and there are all these people sleeping on the couches. I don’t really care, I don’t mind it.”
Kesha mentioned how some of her other songs were based on actual events. For instance, a performance by some exotic dancers influenced her hit “Take It Off.” Her ballad “Stephen” was about a man whom she wanted to call her back. The singer’s modus operandi was going out for a night of partying and writing a few lyrics based on what happened. Her music was part of a wave of party songs that took over the United States between 2009 and 2012. The Black Eyed Peas, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, LMFAO, Britney Spears, and Rihanna were some of the artists who rode that trend.
‘Tik Tok’ ruled the chart
“Tik Tok” became a massive hit. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 for nine weeks, making it Kesha’s longest-running No. 1 single. It lasted on the chart for a total of 38 weeks. None of her other singles lasted longer on the chart except her Pitbull collaboration “Timber.”
“Tik Tok” appeared on Kesha’s debut album, Animal. That record was No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for a week and lasted on the chart for 85 weeks altogether. Animal produced three other top 10 singles besides “Tik Tok.” Those songs are “Blah Blah Blah,” “Your Love Is My Drug,” and “Take It Off.” Through these songs, Kesha ruled 2010 and helped usher in a new era of dance-pop hegemony. Her early music became a template for the pop music subgenre known as hyperpop.
“Tik Tok” was one of the defining songs of the 2010s and it helped introduce Diddy to a new generation.
