(Danielle Lam • The Student Life)
When people hear the name Kesha, they often think of the early 2000s pop star icon with a dollar sign in her name. They remember her greatest hits, “TiK ToK,” “Cannibal” and “Die Young.” They remember her classic look: blue hair extensions, bold makeup and lots and lots of jewelry. But they never think of today’s Kesha: the Kesha that escaped her abusive producer, came back to the music industry, re-emerged as a queer icon and is now releasing songs that top the charts.
Pop fans need to rise in support of the Kesha comeback. It is our responsibility as responsible consumers to uplift positive, socially conscious voices in the media. For too long, we have been giving the wrong people the largest platforms.
I understand why old Kesha gets so much attention. Her old songs from 2010 are undeniable dance party commandments, even 15 years later. However, we need to bring attention to artists like the new, and dare I say, improved Kesha — artists who speak from the heart and stand by their morals, like Kesha, who sings about being “a motherfucking woman” and never letting the bastards get you down.
Present-day Kesha faded into the background of the music industry amidst mental health struggles and a legal battle with her producer, Dr. Luke. In 2014, Kesha sued Dr. Luke for sexual assault and battery, and went public about her mental health struggles and eating disorder caused by Dr. Luke’s treatment of her. He countersued for defamation, which kept them trapped in a legal entanglement until the counter-suit’s charge was dropped in 2023, preventing Kesha from touring for nearly a decade. Meanwhile, she was contractually obligated to continue releasing music under Dr. Luke’s record label, “Kemosabe.”
During and after the lawsuit, Kesha’s music evolved. She intentionally moved away from the upbeat and rebellious electro-pop that characterized her junior popstardom, to more personal, mature and defiant comeback records. Her third album, “Rainbow,” was the first to shift genres, as it was a declaration of her resilience and a message of hope released during a period of active litigation.
Her four most recent albums: “Rainbow” (2017), “High Road” (2020), “Gag Order” (2023) and “. (Period)” (2025) issue listeners the message to be yourself, fight for your freedom and take back what’s yours.
She announced the release of her album “Gag Order” in 2023 and the coinciding “Only Love Tour” to celebrate the end of her contract with Dr. Luke and her transition to industry freedom. The tour marked Kesha’s official reclamation of her career; this was her first album to host more raw, personal and complex emotions, reflecting her anger, frustration and subsequent soul-searching inspired by the complexities of her legal battles. In her live performances, she included songs from all eras of her career, hosted drag artists and exuded pure joy.
Kesha’s most recent album “. (Period)” was released on July 4th, 2025. This was the first album she was able to release free of her five-album contract with Dr. Luke, after meeting the obligations and founding Kesha Records, a record company committed to building a new platform for musicians, prioritizing safety, accountability and fair compensation.
Her tour following the release of the album, “The Tits Out Tour,” saw the celebration of Kesha’s continued freedom and return to success, featuring remastered versions of songs originally released under the guise of Dr. Luke, topping Billboard charts.
As a “The Tits Out Tour” attendee, I can attest that her rekindled passion for her music and fans is overwhelming. She began the show by holding a bloody mannequin head replica of her past self while singing her famous song “TiK ToK,” eventually discarding the head as a cleansing ritual, marking her new era of freedom. At another point, she rode on the shoulders of one of her dancers, walking around the stadium hugging fans and taking selfies, creating an intimate connection. She danced across the stage for several hours, performing remastered renditions of old songs remixed with songs off the new album.
The re-emergence of Kesha is now. The mainstream at its current state is noticeably overcrowded by unrelatable stars that selfishly waste their platforms on self-promotion and possess loose conceptions of morality. We need to bring Kesha back into the mainstream not only because her newest albums are beautiful compositions, but because she is someone that we can stand for politically.
Kesha uses her platform to talk about important issues, supporting self-love and social justice. She fearlessly advocates for mental health awareness and the LGBTQ+ community at her concerts and in the media.
As consumers of media, the attention that we pay to celebrities empowers the platforms that they host. One relevant example of this is the attention and streams paid to Katy Perry’s 2024 album promotion and release despite the fact that she willingly collaborated with Dr. Luke, an alleged rapist, in its production. We have the power to prevent apologists from having an audience.
Kesha’s journey has been filled with ups and downs, but ultimately, she used her music and voice to get through hard times, and I encourage everyone to do the same. No matter how many times I listen to her music, I find new meanings behind the lyrics that fill me with excitement and reflection. If you have ever needed a song to scream in the car after a bad day, or one to lift you up when the world feels heavy, Kesha has written it.
At the end of the day, Kesha is someone to trust with the spotlight, and I am proud of her. In the wonderful and wise words of Kesha, “Fuck P. Diddy.”
Livia Mayfield PO ’28 is from Louisville, KY and likes Kesha more than she likes KFC.
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