Kesha fans’ prayers have been answered! The singer is back with “Praying,” her first single after a four-year hiatus.
The “Tik Tok” singer, 30, released her new song and a music video on Thursday, July 6. In the video, Kesha begins with an emotional monologue as she floats on water in black and white. The video turns to color as the star wears angel wings while playing piano and kneeling at an altar.
Kesha explained in a candid Lenny letter that the tune was inspired by her recent struggles. “I have channeled my feelings of severe hopelessness and depression, I’ve overcome obstacles, and I have found strength in myself even when it felt out of reach,” she wrote. “I’ve found what I had thought was an unobtainable place of peace. This song is about coming to feel empathy for someone else even if they hurt you or scare you. It’s a song about learning to be proud of the person you are even during low moments when you feel alone. It’s also about hoping everyone, even someone who hurt you, can heal.”
As previously reported, Kesha and her former music producer Dr. Luke had been involved in an ongoing legal battle. In 2014, she alleged that he drugged her and was physically, sexually and mentally abusive. He has denied the allegations and maintains his innocence. She eventually dropped the case in California in August 2016 to focus on releasing new music, claiming Sony, which Dr. Luke’s Kemosabe label is under, was blocking her from doing so. Sony denied that claim.
Despite the court battle, Kesha is moving on with her music. On Thursday, she also announced plans to release her third album, Rainbow, on August 11. “There were so many days, months even, when I didn’t want to get out of bed,” she added on Lenny. “But I dragged myself out of bed and took my emotions to the studio and made art out of them. And I have never been happier with a body of work as I am with this record.”
“In the past couple of years, I have grown into a strong, independent woman,” she continued. “I have realized through this long journey of ups and downs that if I’m lucky enough to have a voice that people listen to, then I should use it for good and for truth. I’ve battled intense anxiety and depression, a relentless eating disorder, and all the other basic bullshit that comes with being human. I know I’m not alone in that battle. Finding the strength to come forward about these things is not easy, but I want to help others who are going through tough times.”
