Kesha’s Comeback to The Music Industry

After a long, tumultuous 5 years since her album “Warrior” was released, Kesha has finally set the stage for her comeback to the music industry. With the upcoming release of “Rainbow” on August 11, 2017, Kesha will mark a significant turning point in her recent career, which has been plagued by eating disorders, contract disputes, and the horrific ongoing ordeal with Dr Luke. Kesha’s comeback is set to be a powerful one, as she simultaneously tackles her past and pushes forward to redefine her own future.

Already released off the upcoming album are music videos for the songs “Praying” and “Woman”. The release of “Praying” is especially important because it immediately addresses the extreme lengths Kesha has had to go to get back to this point in her career, the most of which was the insecurity she felt after being sexually abused by Dr Luke. The song highlights Kesha’s new attitude, which harnesses the pain of her recent career and turns it into her motivation to push forward in a powerful way:

As “Praying” addresses her past, the single “Woman” pushes Kesha’s new voice further. “Woman” is about Kesha embracing her ability to influence people and to reach for new goals, instead of being intimidated by those already above her. In her essay describing the song’s influences, released on , Kesha describes her desire for the song to have a unique, organic, and raw sound that does away with the flashy lyrics and “gimmicks” of the pop music world. Like the lyrics and meaning of this song, Kesha’s musical style on this song no longer copies those above her, but embraces its own uniqueness.

The “Rainbow” release also carries other significant meaning. It will be Kesha’s first full length studio album since changing her name from Ke$ha in 2014. The dropping of the ‘$’ shows a complete change in Kesha’s identity as an artist. Maturing from her once “corny” use of autotune, the name change signifies Kesha learning to embrace her own identity and accepting who she is as a person. Like the somber lyrics and tone of “Praying”, the “Rainbow” album reflects the new attitude Kesha has taken towards embracing this identity.

For more on Kesha’s journey, check out her interview with VICELAND: