The last thing one would expect the author of “Tik Tok” and “Timber” to do is go country. Kesha, a bonafide jack of all trades, has done it. Performing with Old Crow Medicine Show on CMT’s Crossroads, Kesha saddled up next to Ketch Secor to deliver “Love Is My Drug.” The song is all about how the euphoria of love can feel like the high from a drug. Perhaps not a novel concept, but certainly an interesting pairing of a pop star and a group of former buskers.

That’s right, Old Crow Medicine Show used to play on the streets. On one particular street in Boone, North Carolina, Doc Watson happened upon these men doing their thing. That was in 2000, they’ve since contributed to the bluegrass banjo-picking revival that’s been blowing across the country like a tumbleweed.

Kesha did not lose her laissez-faire party attitude during this trip to another realm. The pop-star displayed the same spark fans remember from her early days. Flo Rida’s hit single, “Right Round” featured Kesha in 2009 and rocketed her to stardom. Her first record, Animal, topped charts in multiple countries. All the while she’s managed to write for other artists, earning her the justified respect of the songwriting community. The performance displayed Kesha’s capable range and the very special things that musical collaboration can produce.

Photography Credit: Sharon Alagna