Your Love Is My Drug

"Your Love Is My Drug"
Single by Kesha
from the album Animal
Released	May 14, 2010
Format	Digital download CD single
Recorded	2009; Conway Recording Studios (Los Angeles, California)
Genre	Electropop dance-pop
Length	3:06
Label	RCA
Writer(s)	Kesha Sebert Pebe Sebert Joshua Coleman
Producer(s)	Dr. Luke Benny Blanco Ammo
Kesha singles chronology "My First Kiss" (2010) "Your Love Is My Drug" (2010) "Take It Off" (2010)

"Your Love Is My Drug" is a song by American singer-songwriter Kesha, taken from her debut studio album, Animal (2010). It was released as the album's third single on May 14, 2010. The song was written by Kesha and Pebe Sebert, with Ammo, who co-produced the song with Dr. Luke and Benny Blanco. "Your Love Is My Drug"'s initial writing took place during a plane ride. Kesha stated the song had a carefree message and was not meant to be taken too seriously. The song's inspiration came from Kesha and her ex-boyfriend; it is about their psychotic relationship with their love for one another being compared to a drug. According to Kesha, the song sounds happy but also contains a dark undertone, of an obsession for someone and is about being heartbroken.

Critical reception of the song has been generally positive. Critics complimented the hook but had mixed reactions with the chorus. Some praised Kesha for knowing her way around a strong pop chorus, while others called it predictable and dull. Prior to the release of Animal, the song charted in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. After being released as a single the song reached the top five in Australia and the United States, as well as reaching the top ten in Canada. It has gone on to sell over three million copies in the US alone.

Kesha performed the song alongside "Tik Tok" on the 35th season of Saturday Night Live where she was covered in glow in the dark tribal-like make-up. In the music video, Kesha is portrayed in the desert while being chased around by her love interest. The main idea behind the video is being so in love with someone that you lose your head, comparable to love being a drug. The video features a digital animation sequence which was inspired by The Beatles' Yellow Submarine.

Writing and inspiration

"Your Love Is My Drug" was written by Kesha, alongside her mother Pebe Sebert and Joshua Coleman. The song was produced by Dr. Luke, Benny Blanco and Ammo. In an interview with MTV, Kesha stated the song was "written on an airplane, in like 10 minutes" and that the song had a carefree message; it is "stupid and fun" and not to be taken too seriously.^[1] When asked about the final line of the song ("I like your beard") and where it came from, Kesha explained, "I've always been into bearded dudes. Hello, I'm from Nashville, I'm into hillbillies[...] the redneck look is hot right now, and that's great for me. I'm over dudes trying to look like they're in boy bands."^[1] Kesha later elaborated explaining the song's inspiration,

"It’s about me and my ex-boyfriend, and our tumultuous, psychotic relationship. We’d act weird, like drug addicts with each other, calling and seeing each other all the time. I was in love at the time, and (the song) sounds pretty happy, but it’s a little bit of a dark song. You’re so obsessed with somebody you start acting like a weirdo. … I write about falling in love, being in love, breaking up because he’s a loser, being heartbroken. I not only sing about getting rowdy, but love."^[2]

Composition

	"Your Love Is My Drug" "Your Love Is My Drug" is composed in F♯ major and is layered with a heavy electronic backdrop.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

"Your Love Is My Drug" is a midtempo song drawing from the electropop and dance-pop genres.^[3] The song combines heavy Auto-Tune that is layered with a heavy electronic backdrop.^[4] Kesha opens the track singing "Maybe I need some rehab / Or maybe just need some sleep / I've got a sick obsession, I'm seeing it in my dreams" while she depicts the tale of a teen love obsession.^[5] Her vocals throughout the song have been described as a shouty sing-speak style. Sara Anderson of AOL Radio called the song a "bubblegum track" that fuses elements of "’80s glam rock", with "Kesha's signature auto-tuned vocals and casual chatty ad-libs".^[5] Kesha ends the song saying "Your love is my drug...I like your beard," which was inspired by her ideal man.^[1][5] According to sheet music published at Musicnotes, the song is written in common time with a moderate beat rate of 120 beats per minute. The song is written in the key of F♯ major and Kesha's vocal range in the song spans from the note of C♯₄ to the note of Eb₅.^[3]

Critical reception

Fraser McAlpine from BBC complimented the song and Kesha for knowing her way around a strong pop chorus, giving the single four out of five stars. McAlpine noted that "some evidence of range would be welcomed at this point,[...] [since] there's a whole other side to her that you'd never know if you just listened to the singles" commenting that her persona was the "boozy floozy card" and that the power ballads on her album could have been better for a release. He went on to conclude "even though her 'act' is to be far too revealing about her dirty habits, she has still managed to create something of a mystique cloud around herself".^[6] Billboard magazine's Monica Herrera was impressed with the song, calling it "blissful". She went on to compliment the song for its strong chorus that has the ability to "stick with the listener for days".^[7] Sara Anderson of AOL Radio called the song "a playful take on a teen love obsession", complimenting "Kesha's signature auto-tuned vocals and casual chatty ad-libs". Anderson commented on the chorus of the song calling it "a modern Cyndi Lauper-inspired chorus".^[5] Nate Adams of No Ripcord was positive in his review of the song, calling it "a fun little disco tune", and wrote that the singer "isn't reinventing the wheel by any stretch of the imagination, but she has her share of catchy would-be hits."^[8]

Robert Copsey of Digital Spy gave the song four out of five stars, commenting that although she sings through the verses in her "usual speak-sing fashion", the chorus is "joyously irresistible".^[9] He also brands the song a "bubblegum electro stomper" adding that the song distinguishes itself from her previous singles writing that it manages to "put some distance between the singer and the novelty sound of her previous hits, while still being the fun, trashy and frankly quite filthy".^[9]

Chart performance

In January 2010, due to strong digital sales, the song charted in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom, debuting at numbers 48,^[10] 27,^[11] and 63 respectively.^[12] In the United States the song was listed for six weeks before dropping off to re-enter at 91 on the week of April 3, 2010.^[11] After weeks of steadily ascending the charts the single reached a peak of four where it was listed for two weeks.^[13] The charting gave her her third straight top-ten hit in the country.^[13] On June 9, 2010, "Your Love Is My Drug" reached the number one position on the Billboards Pop Songs chart, making Kesha the fifth female artist since the beginning of 2000, and the third in the last two years, to earn at least two number ones from a debut album.^[14] "Your Love Is My Drug" also peaked at number one on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Songs where it stayed for one week.^[15] The song has received 2× Platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of 2,000,000 units.^[16] As of August 2012, the song has sold 3,110,000 copies in the United States.^[17]

In Canada, the song spent a total of six weeks on the chart before dropping off to re-enter at 98. After steadily ascending the charts, the song moved up to reach a peak of six.^[18] The single fell the following week to the number seven position where it stayed for two weeks. In the succeeding week the song rose to the number six position where it stayed for an additional three weeks.^[18] The song entered at number 63 on the UK Singles Chart, dropping off the chart the following week. The single re-entered the chart on the week of May 16, 2010, at 60. On June 19, 2010 after four weeks of the single climbing the chart, it reached a new peak of 13. "Your Love Is My Drug" has spent more weeks in the UK top 20 than its higher charting predecessor "Blah Blah Blah".^[12] In New Zealand the song debuted at number 29 and as of the May 17, 2010 issue it has gone to 15.^[19] The single entered the ARIA Charts at number 25. The following week, the single moved up to 17. As of the June 6, 2010 edition the song has reached a peak of three.^[20] It has since been certified Platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for shipments of 70,000 units.^[21]

Music video

An image of the California desert near Lancaster, where the video was initially filmed (left) and Kesha (right) seen in the digital animation sequence of the video, this was inspired by The Beatles' film Yellow Submarine.

The music video for the song was directed by Honey^[22] and it was shot on April 6 and April 7, 2010, in the Lancaster, California desert.^[23] It premiered on Vevo at 12:01 a.m. on May 13, 2010.^[24] Kesha described the concept behind the video in an interview with MTV, stating, "I wanted it to be like a psychedelic trip of the mind, comparable with being so disgustingly in love with someone that you lose your head."^[1] She chose to also incorporate an animal aspect to the video explaining that she was "a huge animal lover".^[25] Kesha elaborated on the experience, "I also ride an elephant — no big deal! — and, um, I dance around a cave with black-light body paint and a python. I was in a cave, in the desert, and it was really fun."^[1] When asked about the inspiration for the video, she said "This video was inspired by the Beatles' Yellow Submarine movie, the animation aspect. There's a little bit of [that] in there too".^[1] Her love interest in the clip was portrayed by Marc-Edouard Leon, a member of the directing team Skinny.^[26]

The video begins with Kesha waking up next to her love interest; she then proceeds to run away while being chased by the man. Kesha walks through the desert while split scenes of her are shown where she is riding an elephant and wearing a tiger mask while crawling around in the sand. They are later seen on a boat singing and pretending to row while digitally animated water is added. It then cuts to a scene of all animation in which Kesha is portrayed as a mermaid. The mermaid and the man share a kiss; the video then jumps to a scene on a rocky hillside with Kesha walking around the sand with the man standing above on a rock. The video then cuts to another scene where Kesha is covered in glow in the dark body paint while dancing around in a cave with a python around her neck.^[27] The video ends with Kesha and her lover sitting around a campfire while still in the desert.^[28]

James Montgomery from MTV said that "Your Love Is My Drug" was a "supremely catchy pop tune" and that the video was "the perfectly blissed-out accompaniment." Montgomery chided the video for "not making much sense" but noted "that hardly matters" as "Kesha has stumbled on a perfect formula for pop success: Don't think too big, or too much. Sometimes an elephant ride is just an elephant ride". His conclusion of the video and of Kesha herself was, "It's a lot harder than you'd think to make something seem this effortless. Like I said, you can accuse Kesha of many things — but don't ever say she's not smart."^[27]

Live performances

This song was performed on Saturday Night Live on April 17, 2010. During the performance, Kesha was covered in tribal-like make-up and performed in the dark with only black light lighting, making the make-up glow in the dark.^[29] On May 29, 2010, Kesha performed "Your Love Is My Drug" alongside previous single "Tik Tok" at the MTV Video Music Awards Japan.^[30] She also performed the song in a set for BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend.^[31] On August 13, 2010, Kesha performed "Your Love Is My Drug" on NBC's Today Show.^[32]

Popular culture

"Your Love Is My Drug" was featured in one episode of Degrassi: The Next Generation. In Chile, the song was used the promo Chilean TV channel La Red in 2010 Mujeres primero.

Track listings

Australian CD single[33] "Your Love Is My Drug" (Album Version)   – 3:06 "Your Love Is My Drug" (Instrumental Version)   – 3:06 Germany/UK single[34] "Your Love Is My Drug" (Album Version)    – 3:06 "Your Love Is My Drug" (Dave Audé Radio Mix)   – 3:49

United Kingdom EP[35] "Your Love Is My Drug"   – 3:06 "Your Love Is My Drug" (Dave Audé Radio)   – 3:49 "Your Love Is My Drug" (Bimbo Jones Radio)   – 3:07 "Your Love Is My Drug" (Music Video)   – 3:28

Credits and personnel

• Songwriting – Kesha Sebert, Pebe Serbert, Joshua Coleman
• Production – Dr. Luke, Benny Blanco, Ammo
• Instruments and programming – Dr. Luke, Benny Blanco, Ammo
• Vocal Editing – Emily Wright
• Recording – Vanessa Silberman, Megan Dennis, Becky Scott
• Engineering – Emily Wright, Matt Beckley

Source ^[36]

Charts and certifications

Charts Chart (2010) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[20] 3 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[37] 12 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[38] 27 Belgium (Ultratip Wallonia)[39] 2 Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[18] 6 Czech Republic (Rádio Top 100)[40] 21 Denmark (Tracklisten)[41] 34 Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[42] 34 Germany (Official German Charts)[43] 19 France (SNEP)[44] 38 Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)[45] 7 Ireland (IRMA)[46] 10 Japan (Japan Hot 100)[47] 33 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[48] 22 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[19] 15 Scotland (Official Charts Company)[49] 11 Spain (PROMUSICAE)[50] 23 Spanish Airplay Chart[51] 10 Slovakia (Rádio Top 100)[52] 9 South Korea (GAON) (International Chart)[53] 6 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[54] 34 UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[12] 13 US Billboard Hot 100[55] 4 US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[56] 17 US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[57] 1 US Dance/Mix Show Airplay (Billboard)[58] 6 US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[59] 1 US Rhythmic (Billboard)[60] 7

Year-end charts Chart (2010) Position Australia ARIA Charts[61] 51 Canadian Hot 100[62] 23 Hungarian Airplay Chart[63] 72 UK Singles Chart[64] 120 US Billboard Hot 100[65] 28 US Pop Songs[66] 13 US Hot Dance Club Songs 32 All-time chart Chart Position Australia (ARIA)[67] 980

Certifications

Region	Certification
Australia	Platinum[21]
New Zealand	Gold[68]
Sweden	Gold[69]
United Kingdom	Silver[70]
United States	3× Platinum[16]

Radio date and release history

Country	Date	Format
United States	April 20, 2010[71]	Mainstream airplay
South Korea	May 14, 2010[72]	Digital download
Australia	May 21, 2010[73]	CD single
United Kingdom	June 6, 2010[34][35]	Digital download
		Digital EP

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External links

• Ke$ha – Your Love Is My Drug (Music Video)