Eat the Acid

"Eat the Acid" is a song by American singer-songwriter Kesha from her fifth studio album, Gag Order (2023). It was released as the lead single for the album, as a double A-side alongside "Fine Line", on April 28, 2023, ahead of the album's full release on May 19, 2023. An accompanying visualizer was released the same day. The song was written by Kesha, her mother Pebe Sebert, and Stuart Crichton.

"Eat the Acid"
Single by Kesha
from the album Gag Order
A-side	"Fine Line"
Released	April 28, 2023 (2023-04-28)
Studio	Shangri-La
Genre	Dark wave[1]
Length	4:02
Label	RCA Kemosabe
Songwriter(s)	Kesha Sebert Pebe Sebert Stuart Crichton
Producer(s)	Kesha Rick Rubin Jason Lader Crichton
Kesha singles chronology
"Drop Dead" (remix) (2023) "Fine Line" / "Eat the Acid" (2023) "Only Love Can Save Us Now" (2023)
Visualizer
"Eat the Acid" on YouTube

Background

"Eat the Acid" was the first song to be written for the album, after Kesha had a spiritual awakening during the coronavirus pandemic. The title refers to advice that her mother gave her about not taking acid as it showed her "too much",^[2] and the lyrics speak about Kesha's mother telling her not to take LSD as well, so that she wouldn't experience what she experienced, even if she did anyways (as she stated in the Zach Sang Show interview).^[3]

Composition and lyrics

The song lasts 4 minutes and 2 seconds, and is described as a dark-wave minimalist^[1] composition that makes use of auto-tuned vocals, and uses bass guitars, drum machines, synthesizers and a piano. The song is in minor-key and the singer sings over wheezing synths and a bass rumble: "I searched for answers all my life / Dead in the dark, I saw the light."^[4]

Release and promotion

In the months leading up to the song's release, Kesha revealed portions of the song to fans across several occasions. In November 2022, a six-second snippet of the song was posted online.^{[citation needed]} On March 8, 2023, she live streamed portions of several songs, including "Eat the Acid", on Instagram.^{[citation needed]} She also shared a portion of the song on SoundCloud from a since-deleted account, eventually removing the song in the weeks leading up to the official announcement of her album.^[5][6]

Accolades

Select year-end rankings of "Eat the Acid"

Publication	List	Rank	Ref.
Los Angeles Times	The 100 Best Songs of 2023	—	[7]
Stereogum	The Top 40 Pop Songs of 2023	16	[8]
Variety	The Best Songs of 2023	26	[9]
Vulture	The Best Songs of 2023	—	[10]

Release history

Release dates and formats for "Eat the Acid"

Region	Date	Format(s)	Labels	Ref.
Various	April 28, 2023	Digital download streaming	Kemosabe RCA	[11]

References

1. Attard, Paul (May 17, 2023). "Kesha Gag Order Review: A Disarmingly Strange Musical Thesis Statement". Slant Magazine. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
2. Sebert, Kesha (April 25, 2023). "Kesha Shares Her Manifesto Behind New Album Gag Order (Exclusive)". Nylon.
3. "Kesha's interview at the Zach Sang Show: Stream". YouTube. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
4. Cragg, Michael. "'I would walk in and just cry for two hours': Kesha on cats, court cases, and the dangers of 'toxic positivity'". The Guardian. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
5. Paul, Larisha (March 30, 2023). "Kesha Walks 'Fine Line Between Genius and Crazy' as She Leaks Teaser Snippets of Two New Tracks". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
6. "Kesha Announces New Album Gag Order Out May 19 – New Songs "Eat the Acid" and "Fine Line" to Drop April 28". RCA Records. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
7. "The 100 best songs of 2023". Los Angeles Times. December 6, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
8. St. Asaph, Katherine (December 19, 2023). "The Top 40 Pop Songs Of 2023". Stereogum. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
9. "The Best Songs of 2023". Variety. December 28, 2023.
10. "The Best Songs of 2023". Vulture. December 6, 2023. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
11. "Fine Line / Eat the Acid by Kesha on Spotify". Spotify. Retrieved May 5, 2023.