Submitted by Flodo_McFloodiloo t3_10pi140 in Music
There aren't necessarily too many artists that people get a bad first impression of upon first look, only to find hidden depth to when they hear more of them. But do people here have any?
For me, the surprise answer is Kesha (formerly known as Ke$ha). First heard singing guest vocals on what many (myself included) considered an utter evisceration of a classic Dead or Alive song, and soon after premiering looking like the very epitome of self-indulgent white trash, she was a pop-culture punching bag from the moment she was a pop star. I did have a soft spot for "Tik Tok", but most other singles from that era were way too grating, and future generations aren't likely to forgive that song simply because of its title.
Eventually, the world would learn that a lot of what so many people hated about her was actually done at her producer's behest, and she made attempts to move past that, so I recently caved in and actually started listening to her albums. I was pleasantly surprised by many things; even in her earlier albums that featured her contentious singles there's a lot more musical variety than I expected, songs with a lot more lyrical depth than just the inebriated party-hard anthems she was known for, and legitimately good singing. Not the prettiest voice I've heard by a long shot but one that can sincerely convey emotion. Her "post-image" albums are even better.
jonnyinternet t1_j6kkp0l wrote
I never liked Taylor Swift, and while I would still not say I'm a huge fan, I do think she is a very good song writter