Your Love Is My Drug

"Your Love Is My Drug" is a song by American recording artist and songwriter Kesha, from her debut album, Animal. The song was released as the album's third single on May 21, 2010. The song was written by Kesha, 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 wasn't meant to be taken too seriously.

Critical reception of the song has been mixed to 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. Since being released as a single it has gone on to reach 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 two million copies in the US alone.

Kesha performed the song alongside "Tik Tok" on the thirty-fifth 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 aspect 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. 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."

Composition

Vorlage:Listen "Your Love Is My Drug" is a midtempo dance song drawing from the electropop and dance-pop genres. The song combines heavy Auto-tune that is layered with a heavy electronic backdrop. Kesha's vocals throughout the song have been described as a shouty sing-speak style. Musically, the song uses a simple, upbeat lyric line. 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". According to sheet music published at Musicnotes, the song is written in common time with a moderate beat rate of 132 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 C₄ to the note of C₅.

Critical reception

Fraser McAlpine from BBC complimented the song and Kesha for knowing her way around a strong pop chorus, giving the single a 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". 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". 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". 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".

Bill Lamb of About.com met the song with a mixed review. Lamb was impressed with the songs extremely "catchy hook" and "upbeat, positive lyrics", but criticized the chorus for its "predictab[ility]" and "cheesy electro-pop backing". He went on to state, "I want to back away from the speakers and tell her to tone it down" when she starts singing "Your love, your love, your love is my drug". 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". He also brands the song a "bubblegum electro stomper" but adds that the song doesn't have the "novelty value" of her previous singles.

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 forty-eight, twenty-seven, and sixty-three respectively. In the United States the song was listed for six weeks before dropping off to re-enter at ninety-one on the week of April 3, 2010. After weeks of steadily ascending the charts the single reached a peak of four where it was listed for two weeks. The charting gave her her third straight top-ten hit in the country. On June 09, 2010, "Your Love Is My Drug" reached the number one position on the Billboard's 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. "Your Love Is My Drug" also peaked at number one on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Songs where it stayed for one week. The song has since sold over two million downloads in the US as of July 2010.

In Canada, the song spent a total of six weeks on the chart before dropping off to re-enter at ninety-eight. After steadily ascending the charts, the song moved up to reach a peak of six. 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.

The song entered at number sixty-three 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 sixty. On June 19, 2010 after four weeks of the single climbing the chart, it reached a new peak of thirteen. "Your Love Is My Drug" has spent more weeks in the UK top 20 than its higher charting predecessor "Blah Blah Blah". In New Zealand the song debuted at number twenty-nine and as of the May 17, 2010, issue it has gone to fifteen. The single entered the ARIA Charts at number twenty-five, the following week the single moved up to seventeen. As of the June 6, 2010, edition the song has reached a peak of three. It has since been certified Platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for shipments of 70,000 units.

Music video

Background and Synopsis

A cartoon type image with a desert scene in the background. A woman with long hair with the words "Your Love is My Drug" on the hair, and elephant to the left of the woman, with its trunk in the air blowing a heart.

Kesha in the music video, seen in digital animation inspired by the Beatles "Yellow Submarine" video

The music video for the song was directed by Honey. It was shot on April 6 and April 7, 2010 in the Lancaster, California desert. The video premiered on Vevo at 12:01 a.m. on May 13, 2010. Kesha described the concept behind the video in an interview, "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." 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".

The video begins with Kesha waking up next to her love interest; she then proceeds to run away while being chased by the man. They are later seen on a boat singing while digitally animated water is added, it then cuts to a scene of all animation. 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. The video ends with Kesha and her lover sitting around a campfire while still in the desert.

Reception

James Montgomery from MTV said the "Your Love Is My Drug" video is a "supremely catchy pop tune, and the video is the perfectly blissed-out accompaniment". Montgomery commented on 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 Ke$ha of many things — but don't ever say she's not smart. "

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. On May 29, 2010, Kesha performed "Your Love Is My Drug" alongside previous single "Tik Tok" at the MTV Music Awards in Japan.

Track listings

• Australian CD Single

1. Your Love Is My Drug (Album Version)  – 3:06
2. Your Love Is My Drug (Instrumental Version)  – 3:06

• United Kingdom CD Single

1. Your Love Is My Drug  – 3:06
2. Your Love Is My Drug (Dave Aude Radio)  – 3:49

• United Kingdom EP

1. Your Love Is My Drug  – 3:06
2. Your Love Is My Drug (Dave Aude Radio)  – 3:49
3. Your Love Is My Drug (Bimbo Jones Radio)  – 3:07
4. 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

Charts and certifications

Charts

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Chart (2010)	Peak position
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Certifications

Region	Certifications
Australia	Platinum
New Zealand	Gold

Radio and release history

Radio add dates

Country	Date
United States	April 20, 2010

Release history

Region	Date	Format
Australia	May 21, 2010	CD single
United Kingdom	June 6, 2010	Digital download
		CD single

External links

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