Kesha, once an icon of female pop music, has not released music on her own in over 5 years because of a legal battle between herself and her manager, Dr. Luke, embroiled in accusations of sexual assault and battery.
Her return began last year when she was invited by Zedd to sing on his track “True Colors,” and then she also toured on Mad Decent Block Party in a number of cities. Now, Kesha has dropped a new single and announced the news that fans have been waiting years for – her new album, Rainbow, is due out on Aug. 11.
The album will contain 14 tracks, and tapped features from Eagles of Death Metal, Dolly Parton, and The Dap-Kings Horns.
The first single from the album dropped today, titled “Praying.” It’s a deeply emotional and heart-wrenching song, reminiscent of Mike Posner’s “Be As You Are” in terms of tone and content. The song begins with a spoken word introduction from Kesha, hitting deep and cutting to the core.
“Am I dead? Or is this one of those dreams? Those horrible dreams that seem like they last forever? If I am alive, why? Why? If there is a God or whatever, something, somewhere, why have I been abandoned by everyone and everything I’ve ever known? I’ve ever loved? Stranded. What is the lesson? What is the point? God, give me a sign, or I have to give up. I can’t do this anymore. Please just let me die. Being alive hurts too much.”
The song’s lyrics are just as bare and honest, “I’m proud of who I am/ No more monsters I can breathe again/ And you said that I was done/ But you were wrong and now the best is yet to come/ Cuz I can make it on my own/ I don’t need you, I found strength I’ve never known.”
The song was co-written by Kesha, Ryan Lewis (of Macklemore & Ryan Lewis fame), Ben Abraham and Andrew Joslyn; Lewis produced the track.
Listen below:
H/T Billboard