In the wake of news that bullying and harassment had led to multiple suicides of gay youth, Kesha wrote the song in hopes that it would become a pride anthem.

The song became Kesha's fifth consecutive solo top-ten hit in the United States, Canada, and Australia.

The song's accompanying music video was directed by Hype Williams and was filmed in downtown Los Angeles.

The song has been performed in North America at the 2010 American Music Awards, and on her worldwide Get Sleazy Tour.

[1] After reading about the surge of gay teen suicides, Kesha was inspired to write "We R Who We R",[2] along with Dr. Luke, Benny Blanco, Ammo, and Jacob Kasher Hindlin.

After receiving 6 nominations at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards, Kesha elaborated on the song's initial inspiration.

[14] Copsey praised Kesha for not buckling under the harsh scrutiny she has been subject to over the length of her career, citing her boozy antics and processed vocals as areas that have been criticized.

The song's chorus was highlighted in the review, with Copsey calling it "her poppermost effort to date" that contained "bouncy Dr Luke beats and her usual bubblegum melodies".

[14] Jocelyn Vena from MTV News gave the song a positive review, writing "[Kesha] has found a chart-topping formula, combin[ing] killer beats with lyrics about super-fun parties and hot pants.

"[12] Vena commented that, although the song was not groundbreaking and did not stray too far away from previous singles "Tik Tok" or "Take It Off", that hardly matters as "it's another uber-fun tune about how awesome it is to dance the night away" with an "inspired [message about] the recent rash of suicides among gay youth.

The review concluded that the song "demonstrates that [Kesha] still has mileage left in her electro-pop sound as she gears up for her next album.

"[8] Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly called the song a "companion piece" to Pink's "Raise Your Glass" citing their similar subject matter and close releases.

[10] Nitsuh Abebe from New York magazine complimented the song's chorus and trance pop elements.

[7] Melinda Newman of HitFix called the song "incredibly stupid, but it has the main ingredients to make it a global hit: an insistent beat and positive lyrics that promise to suspend time and keep us 'forever young,' or better yet, transport us back to a time when we felt like we were."

Newman referred to herself as one of the singer's biggest detractors, but wrote, "I like one of her songs--or at least begrudgingly admire its crass charms.

Hawgood compared the song to the likes of Taylor Swift, Pink, Katy Perry and Lady Gaga, all of which "represent a new wave of young (and mostly straight) women who are providing the soundtrack for a generation of gay fans coming to terms with their identity in a time of turbulent and confusing cultural messages.

Club, in the album review of Cannibal, wrote that her "let's get fucking fucked-up" attitude on the track was a positive calling her "a complete and utter genius.

"[23] In a separate publishing from The New York Times, David Browne criticized the song's overuse of processed vocals, writing that: "As heard on her current single 'We R Who We R' from her new mini-album, Cannibal, Kesha has a thin, often computer-manipulated voice that recalls '80s new-wave pop acts.

Filming of the video involved a partial closure of the 2nd Street Tunnel and part of downtown Los Angeles spread out over a 48-hour period.

Kesha, seen in a ponytail wearing gray and black makeup, chains, ripped stockings, and a sparkly one-piece leotard made of shards of broken glass, walks through the 2nd Street Tunnel with fellow partygoers.

[52] Prior to the performance a minor controversy was sparked when Kesha's male background dancers were seen wearing red armbands that had been supplied locally.

Confetti fell from the ceiling during the song's synth-filled finale and as the performance ended, Kesha played riffs on a guitar.

Dan Savage, the original creator of the "It Gets Better" campaign, which Kesha participated in, stated that she and other music artists that wrote songs addressed to the gay community were vital in helping fans come to terms with their sexualities and identities.

"These songs are countering a hateful message that a peer, family member, politician or a bully might be saying, I get frustrated with gay politicos who discount or undermine the importance of pop stars, They're a huge part of this fight.

"[13] Singers Josh Erdman and Ben Klute began posting cover versions of various songs on YouTube, later adding a logo to their videos originally titled "Legalize Gay".

The duo changed the logo to represent the song stating, "The lyrics obviously spoke to us, What these artists are doing means the world to the gay community.

"[56] In October 2011, Kesha teamed up with the Human Rights Campaign and designed a unisex T-shirt embroidered with purple zebra print – intended to represent "spirit" in the LGBT's pride flag.