The unashamed glitter queen Kesha has stormed back into the music scene this summer with her first new music since 2013. After several years battling Dr. Luke, she has quickly and courageously reclaimed her pop stardom with the soul-baring “Praying” and the kickass, anthemic proclamation “Woman.”
Most recently, Kesha did a tell-all interview with Elvis Duran in which she talks about censorship, womanhood, and the difficulty and importance of healing after her abuse and legal struggles. She came forward to say that she wasn’t sure if she would see the day that she would be doing what she loves and releasing music again.
“I just didn’t know if I was ever going to be able to put out music ever again. I really didn’t know, and some days it felt like I was kind of clinging onto this ghost of an idea that got me through a lot of years,” she disclosed. “You know, sometimes it felt more real, sometimes it felt less real, and I kept waking up and I’d say, ‘OK, you can’t just lay in bed, you got to get up, you got to go to the studio.’ And even when I really didn’t want to, I would. It’s kind of a testament to like, you got to show up for yourself.”
Kesha also discussed the inspiration behind her forthcoming record Rainbow, which will be out August 11. Rainbows and “bright imagery” give her a feeling of warmth and nostalgia for a painless, lighthearted time.
“The reason I wanted to name this record Rainbow is because I kind of associate healing with kind of going back to my childlike mind, before I got all twisted and turned and beaten and heartbroken and all those things,” the pop star confessed. “Everything was magical and I didn’t understand it. The world was so big and beautiful, and I trusted everyone and everything, and it was just so perfect and wonderful.”
Kesha is living proof for all who “have struggled with hard times and depression” that with time and resilience, all wounds can be mended.
“I’ve done a lot of healing. … I kind of reference that a lot. What’s left in my heart is still made of gold, you know? You heal what you can and keep going.”
Watch Kesha’s full intimate discussion with Elvis Duran above.
