Kesha’s Song “Praying” Responds to Abuse from her Producer, Dr. Luke
- Haley Snyder
- Jul 7, 2017
- 2 min read
via Kesha - still from the single "Praying"
Yesterday, Thursday, July 6th, Kesha released her first single since Warrior back in 2014. That year also marks the beginning of a legal battle between Kesha and her producer Dr. Luke.
Kesha’s Story of Abuse
Kesha sued Dr. Luke for sexual, physical, and emotional abuse. She claims that, on multiple occasions since she was 18, Dr. Luke had drugged and raped her, and had made physical threats to hurt her and her family. The pop star’s attorney additionally argues that Dr. Luke's behavior was directly the cause of some mental health issues that Kesha dealt with, including depression and an eating disorder that put the star into rehab.
Denying the allegations, Dr. Luke counter-sued Kesha for defamation. He claimed that she was merely attempting to get out of a contract between the two of them, which required her to produce three more albums under his label.
Kesha Bounces Back
Kesha has since pulled out of her lawsuit to focus on music, but Dr. Luke’s suit remains. Her new single, Praying is both a response to the hardships she has been dealing with over the past three years, and serves as the premiere of her next album, Rainbow; this album is the first of three that will finally fulfil her contract to Dr. Luke.
In a public letter published on Lenny Letter, Kesha writes:
[In my new single] 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. [...] 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.
She adds: “Finding the strength to come forward about these things is not easy, but I want to help others who are going through tough times.”
This message is one that resonates deeply with her fans. Yiska Kenepah, a 21 year old musician from Bellingham, WA, told Millennial Trash:
Kesha became a hero of mine pretty fast. [...] I am a survivor of sexual and mental abuse myself, and I know that feeling of desperation when it comes to getting away from your abuser. For Kesha to finally be able to come back with a single like ‘Praying,’ it's a miraculous feeling. The lyrics about finding our own power to succeed and move on in spite of this trauma simultaneously filled me with joy and yet brought me to tears. ‘I hope you find your peace… but some things, only God can forgive.’ It's both a battle cry, and a shoulder to cry on. It's a perfect way for her to return.
Kesha’s full album, Rainbow, is expected to release on August 11th of this year. While her journey with her alleged assailant is certainly far from over, this album marks her first public step towards personal and professional independence from Dr. Luke’s clutches.
Haley Snyder
A graduate of the New School's Eugene Lang College of the Liberal Arts, and the founder of Millennial Trash. [she/her]
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