From the "Praying" music video set at Salvation Mountain
Whether you loved or hated her, Kesha has undeniably been through an abundance of strain and humiliation in the last few years (especially most recently with Jerry Seinfeld's red carpet hug dis). Her very public dispute and lawsuit with Dr. Luke (Lukas Gottwald) raised a lot of media attention yet overall didn’t have the outcome she had originally hoped for. Sony, which owns Dr. Luke’s label Kemosabe records, has allowed Kesha to work with another producer for the remaining records set in her contract. The court could not grant her a complete breach of contract from her record deal with Kemosabe. Dr. Luke will still benefit from her royalties and sales. UGH.
Like the magical phoenix unicorn she is, Kesha rose from the ashes of her hardship and is using her experience as motivation for new music and a new Kesha. Her new soulful sound is quite a drastic 180 from the “Tik Tok” singers previous electronic pop records. She takes us on her emotional aftermath ride following the Dr. Luke allegations. There’s no beating around the bush. The context of the song slaps us right in the face right from the opening dialogue. She has channeled her pain into power, victim into survivor. She addresses Dr. Luke particularly directly in the first true verse saying,
“'Cause I can make it on my own
And I don't need you, I found a strength I've never known
I've been thrown out, I've been burned
When I'm finished, they won't even know your name”
Fuck, girl.
(Dr. Luke is one of the most successful producers in the world and based on sexual assault allegations in history, the lawsuit most likely won't affect his career... which sucks. We commend your badassery anyway, Kesha!)
Her pipes have benefitted from the couple years of rest. Her vocals sound truly better than ever. The last note of the bridge she appears to have hit a high ‘F’ has the production climaxes. Gah zamn, woman! If you didn’t have goosebumps listening to this, you don’t have a soul.
Regardless of how her music has been perceived in the past or whether or not you think her music has value, she tells her unapologetic truth. Her bravery is nothing short of inspirational.
The album release date is still unconfirmed but after hearing “Praying” we’re more than stoked to hear more from this new Kesha.
Slay, girl! We’re ready to welcome you back with open arms.