Kesha, ‘Here Comes the Change’ | Track Review

Kesha delivers a well-rounded, socially- conscious single with “Here Comes the Change,” which appears on the ‘On the Basis of Sex’ soundtrack.

Kesha showed a different side of herself previously unseen on her 2017 album, Rainbow. The biggest and brightest moment from the Grammy-nominated LP was “Praying”, where the pop singer/songwriter was both authentic and personal. Why am I mentioning a previously released record instead of the one at hand? Perhaps had we not heard a more mature Kesha on Rainbow, specifically “Praying,” a mature, socially-conscious number like “Here Comes the Change” would sound totally uncharacteristic. “Here Comes the Change” appears on the soundtrack for the film, On the Basis of Sex.

“Here Comes the Change” is clocks in at a respectable length, about three-and-a-half-minutes. The sound can be described as a folk-pop, singer/songwriter record. Some key features include acoustic guitars, thudding kick drum, harmonica, and of course, powerhouse vocals. On the first verse, Kesha sings about eventual death, and hoping that when it happens, she’ll leave with the world being a better place. On the second verse, she hopes that equality isn’t disputed when she brings children into the world. Notably, harmonized vocals appear on the second verse. Backing up a bit, the pre-chorus truly serves as a pre-cursor to the change, foreshadowing the central theme and message:

“Oh, it’s hard, I know it’s hard
To be the lightning in the dark
Hold on tight you’ll be alright
You know it’s time.”

The chorus ushers in the change:

“Here comes the change
We’re comin’ of age
This is not a phase
Here comes, here comes, the change.”

Later, the bridge is patterned similarly to the two verses that precede.

Final Thoughts

All in all, Kesha delivers a thoughtful, socially-conscious performance with “Here Comes the Change.” It’s not the second coming or anything like that, but this is a well-rounded song.

Kesha • Here Comes the Change – Single • Kemosabe • Release: 9.19.18
Photo Credit: Kemosabe