Ke$ha likes Townes? You have my attention...

Hmm. Maybe she's different than the shallow idiots who end up with "music" that saturates the airwaves these days. Time will tell.

Ke$ha Loves Partying, Drag Queens and Country
Now is definitely Ke$ha's moment. Her party anthem 'Tik Tok' sold more downloads in a single week than any female artist in history, hitting number one in five countries. Her album 'Animal' debuted atop the US Billboard chart. And she's already got a notorious backstory that would make Madonna jealous.

Kesha Rose Sebert grew up in Nashville as the daughter of songwriter and single mom Pebe Sebert -- who wrote Dolly Parton's 'Old Flames Can't Hold A Candle To You.' She appeared on 'The Simple Life' (Paris and Nicole tried to set her mom up on a date) and later went to a party at Paris Hilton's house and threw up in her closet.


She once snuck into Prince's home -- and made it up to the third floor where he was jamming with his band before being escorted out by security. Many have pegged her as the inheritor of Lady Gaga's crazy-pop throne (as if Ms. Gaga's going to be abdicating anytime soon).

But would it surprise you to learn that Bob Dylan's 'Nashville Skyline' is one of her favorite albums of all time? She may be a bonafide pop tart, but Ke$ha is no cliché.

You've said your album 'Animal' is about irreverence.

I'm just celebrating not caring. And being young and the whole youthful, rowdy energy. Just not caring what anyone thinks about it.

We're coming out of a recession. Do you think people are responding to your message of "Let's just have fun, let's not worry about it?"

Well, those were exactly my thoughts while making the record. I was totally broke and you can kind of hear it on the songs. So I think people are responding to the fact that I was still having a good time and was still celebrating -- and it had nothing to do with money. I think you can't overlook how important it is to just have fun. Don't think about it too hard, just have a good time.

There's the famous story about you throwing up in Paris Hilton's closet. When you were introduced to that socialite world, what did you think of it?

I was introduced to that world as an outsider, Then I went to one party and barfed everywhere, so I remained an outsider to that socialite world. I'm definitely not friends with Paris Hilton or that group of people. I actually think that what I stand for is me and my friends being broke, without cars and walking from place to place, eating free food where we can find it.

Have you had to deal with the pressure many young women in the entertainment industry are faced with, to be skinnier, cuter, blonder?

Yeah well, I'm already blonde. But, I get that "try to be sexier" thing. But as you can see, there's no cleavage in sight and I'm still wearing flats so I don't really care. I think that is what might be refreshing to people -- that I more or less just dress like a crazy, normal person, not like a super-skank. And I think I'm pretty enough to get by. It's worked thus far. As far as being skinny, I think as long as you're healthy, it's fine. I'm not going to starve myself.

You love old country, but most of your 14-year-old fans probably wouldn't know anything about it. What would you recommend to them?

I think people should know the classics -- Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, also Townes Van Zandt, I'm a huge fan of him. The Rolling Stones obviously aren't necessarily country, but I think they wrote some of the best songs ever written.

Bob Dylan's 'Nashville Skyline' is one of your favorite albums?

One of my favorite albums of all time, because I grew up in Nashville, and so everything about that record is really special to me. When you listen to that record, especially on vinyl, and you're either falling in love or waking up after a long night and you're with all your friends, it just brings up a lot of nostalgia. It's definitely worth a listen, I think everybody out there should be familiar with that record.

Do you have a dream collaboration at the moment?

I do have a few. I'd love to collaborate with Prince.

Having snuck into his house?

I mean, that was the goal when I snuck into his house. But also David Byrne from Talking Heads. I'm in love with Talking Heads.

For someone like you with such diverse interests, do you see your music changing and growing over the years?

Absolutely. I think this record was about celebrating youth and vitality and craziness and irreverence and just pure fun, because I thought that's what people need. Unapologetic, not pretentious, just fun, period. And I think I really captured that, I really bottled that up and that's what 'Animal' is.

But even the title song 'Animal' is one of the last songs I wrote on the record, and you can tell it's me growing and changing into something possibly a little more mature, and taking things a little more seriously as I've had to grow up through the process of touring, being responsible, being on time, stuff like that. But I definitely will be writing all my own records, so I think they will be a reflection of how I grow and change in the next few years.