The best albums of 2023 so far

Gag Order
★★★★☆
Kemosabe/RCA
Her legal disputes with the producer Dr Luke continue to stoke the fire in Kesha Sebert’s belly on a fifth album that offers further proof that the Californian is too free a spirit, too artistically wilful, to have ever fitted the pop-puppet mould. As ever, she is as candid and unsparing about her own faults as she is when turning her gaze towards those who have crossed or belittled her. Musically, the topically titled Gag Order is a showcase for Kesha’s ability to have fun with the pop form and bend it into new shapes. The album is the opposite of formulaic, repeatedly setting up the listener for something relatively safe before gleefully pulling the rug away. On lyrically blunt songs