Artist News Releases

Kesha announces new album, releases new single

By Andy Malt | Published on Friday 7 July 2017

Kesha will release her first album for nearly five years, titled ‘Rainbow’, on 11 Aug. Collaborators on the record include Dolly Parton, Ben Folds, Eagles Of Death Metal, Ryan Lewis and her mother Pebe Sebert. Ahead of the release, she’s put out new single ‘Praying’.

Since her last album – 2012’s ‘Warrior’ – Kesha’s career has effectively been on hold as she became embroiled in a number of lawsuits against her label boss and former producer Dr Luke. The main case, and the last one still ongoing, called for her to be released from her contracts with the producer’s various companies on the grounds that he raped her as a teenager. He denies this, and has continued to fight hard in the courts throughout.

Certain concessions have been made along the way, but Kesha’s deals with Dr Luke remain, meaning that this new album will be released through his Sony-affiliated Kemosabe label. Although it does seem that she has been granted more creative control than on earlier releases, which is one of the things she had been pushing for.

In an article for Lena Dunham’s Lenny website, Kesha wrote: “‘Praying’, my first [solo] single in almost four years, comes out today. 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 goes on: “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”.

Watch the video for ‘Praying’ here: