Ke$ha Responds to Radio Dropping ‘Die Young’ in Wake of School Shooting

Ke$ha on Tuesday responded to several radio stations dropping her hit single “Die Young” from rotation in the wake of Friday’s school shooting in Newtown, Conn. The pop singer, whose song dropped from No. 1 to 2 on Billboard‘s Pop Songs chart this week with an 11 percent decrease in plays, expressed her own grievances with the track via Twitter.

“I understand,” Ke$ha wrote. “I had my very own issue with ‘die young’ for this reason. I did NOT want to sing those lyrics and I was FORCED TO.” She added, “I’m so so so sorry for anyone who has been effected by this tragedy and I understand why my song is now inappropriate. words cannot express.”

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“Die Young,” the flagship single off Ke$ha’s sophomore album, Warrior, was produced by Dr. Luke and co-produced by Benny Blanco and features a co-write between Ke$ha and fun. frontman Nate Reuss. The chorus includes the line, “Let’s make the most of this night/Like we’re gonna die young,” a sentiment that the singer has said is meant to embrace the spirit of carpe diem.

It’s unclear who Ke$ha is referring to in her tweet when she writes that she was forced to sing the chorus of “Die Young” — and whether that reference involves someone she was in the studio with or another party. Dr. Luke, Blanco and Reuss have yet to comment on the issue, though Blanco tweeted his condolences on Friday, writing, “Thoughts for all the families during this tragedy!!!”

As previously reported, program directors have removed several songs from rotation in both the Sandy Hook Elementary School region and around the country, including “Die Young” and Foster the People’s “Pumped Up Kicks” out of respect for victims of the tragedy. The latter song’s lyrics include the lines “You’d better run, better run, outrun my gun” and “You’d better run, faster than my bullet.”

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Rich Minor, program director/morning host at WDAQ-FM in Danbury, Conn., told Billboard, “We’ve been playing [‘Die Young’] before Friday but not since, and I think we’re now done with it. Even though it’s a fun pop/dance record about seizing the moment, all people are going to hear right now is those two words in the title.”

In September, Ke$ha told Carson Daly on AMP Radio, “It’s a celebration song, which I’m obviously known for writing those, but this one, the concept of it was to live each and every single day like it’s your last and to always remain having a youthful spirit no matter how old I get.”

UPDATE: Hours after posting, Ke$ha deleted the tweet that read, “I did NOT want to sing those lyrics and I was FORCED TO.” Her second tweet, apologizing to those affected by the tragedy, remains.

Twitter: @THRMusic