So empowering! Just one day after her performance at the 2016 Billboard Music Awards, Kesha sang an emotional cover of Bob Dylan’s “I Shall Be Released” in Nashville.
The “Die Young” singer, 29, took the stage at Dylan Fest — a star-studded tribute concert in celebration of the iconic songwriter’s 75th birthday — to perform the 1967 song on Monday, May 23.
“Any day now, I shall be released,” she sang. The lyrics are likely very meaningful to Kesha, given her ongoing legal battle with music producer Dr. Luke.
As Us Weekly reported in February, a judge ruled that Kesha could not be released from her Sony contract, despite her claims that Dr. Luke, 42, had been sexually, physically, verbally and emotionally abusive since she signed on with him at age 18. The record producer (né Lukasz Sebastian Gottwald) has repeatedly denied the allegations.
On Sunday, May 22, Kesha performed another Dylan cover, “It Ain’t Me Babe,” at the Billboard Music Awards. Clad in a white pantsuit, she belted out the tender tune, just days after her set was initially canceled by Dr. Luke and Kemosabe Records. Once the company was assured that she wouldn’t address the legal battle during the live broadcast, she was allowed to perform.
