Kesha Rose Sebert (/ˈkɛʃəˈsiːbərt/ⓘKESH-əSEE-bərt; born March 1, 1987), formerly stylized asKe$ha, is an American singer and songwriter. Her first major success came in 2009 when she was featured on rapperFlo Rida's number-one single, "Right Round".
Kesha's career was halted betweenWarrior andRainbow due to a legal dispute with her former producerDr. Luke, which began in 2014. A series of lawsuits, known collectively asKesha v. Dr. Luke, were exchanged between the two parties in which Kesha accused him of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse and employment discrimination against her, while Dr. Luke claimed breach of contract and defamation. The case was settled out of court in June 2023.
Kesha had sold over 100 million records worldwide, including 87 million tracks and streams as of 2017 and 14 million album equivalent units as of 2019.[2] She was also listed as the 26th top artist onBillboard's 2010s decade-end charts.[3] She has received various awards and nominations, including theMTV Europe Music Award for Best New Act in 2010. Kesha has also co-written songs for other artists, including "Till the World Ends" (2011) forBritney Spears and songs forAriana Grande,Miley Cyrus andMiranda Cosgrove.
Early life
Kesha Rose Sebert was born on March 1, 1987, inLos Angeles.[4][5] Her mother,Rosemary Patricia "Pebe" Sebert, is a singer-songwriter who co-wrote the 1978 single "Old Flames Can't Hold a Candle to You"[6] withHugh Moffatt forJoe Sun, made popular by country music artistDolly Parton on her 1980 albumDolly, Dolly, Dolly. Pebe, a single mother, struggled financially while supporting herself, Kesha, and Kesha's older brother Lagan; they relied on welfare payments andfood stamps to get by.[7] When Kesha was an infant, Pebe would often have to look after her onstage while performing.[8] Kesha says she has no knowledge of her father's identity.[7] In 2011, a man named Bob Chamberlain who called himself her father approachedStar with pictures and letters, claiming they proved that he and Kesha had been in regular contact as father and daughter before she turned 19.[9] Her mother is mostly of Hungarian descent.[10] One of Kesha's great-grandfathers was Polish.[11]
Pebe moved the family toNashville in 1991 after securing a new publishing deal for her songwriting. She frequently brought Kesha and her brothers along to recording studios and encouraged Kesha to sing after noticing Kesha do so.[7] Kesha attendedFranklin High School andBrentwood High School, and said she did not fit in, explaining that her unconventional style (such as homemade purple velvet pants and purple hair) did not endear her to other students.[12] She played the trumpet and later the saxophone in the school marching band, and has said she was a diligent student.[13]
She dropped out of school at 17 afterMax Martin convinced her to return to Los Angeles to pursue a music career and earned herGeneral Educational Development (GED) after.[14] In a 2024 interview, Kesha contradicted past statements, saying that she never earned her GED.[15] After attaining a near-perfect score on herSAT, she was offered a scholarship toBarnard College, an affiliate college ofColumbia University, but decided to pursue her music career.[13][16][17][18][19]
In addition to taking songwriting classes,[20] Kesha was also taught how to write songs by Pebe, and they often wrote together when she returned home from high school.[7][16] Kesha began recording demos, which Pebe gave to people she knew in the music business.[20] Kesha was also in a band with Lagan.[21][19] Kesha and Pebe co-wrote the song "Stephen" when Kesha was 16. Kesha then tracked downDavid Gamson, a producer she admired fromScritti Politti, who agreed to produce the song.[19] Around this time, Pebe answered an advertisement from the American reality TV seriesThe Simple Life looking for an "eccentric" family to hostParis Hilton andNicole Richie.[22] The episode featuring the Sebert family aired in 2005.[23] Martin had received one of Kesha's demos from Samantha Cox, senior director of writer/publisher relations atBroadcast Music Incorporated, and was impressed.Billboard described two of the demos in a cover story, the first as "a gorgeously sung, self-penned country ballad" and the second as "a gobsmackingly awfultrip-hop track" where Kesha rapsad lib for a minute after running out of lyrics. It was the latter track that attracted attention.[24]
"I was so happy being broke. And I'm happy not being broke. It doesn't really affect me either way. I care about taking care of people that have taken care of me – that's important to me. But to be honest, I'm kind of repulsed by the gluttony and excesses of a lot of people in the limelight."[25]
—Kesha explaining the dollar sign in her stylized name.
In 2005, at age 18, Kesha was signed to the music publishing companyPrescription Songs.[24] Kesha later sang background vocals for Paris Hilton's single, "Nothing in This World".[22] Kesha then signed withDavid Sonenberg's management company, DAS Communications Inc., in 2006. DAS was tasked with obtaining a major label record deal for Kesha in a year's time in exchange for 20 percent of her music income, with her having the option of ending the relationship if they failed.[26] She worked with several writers and producers while at the company and ended up co-writing Australian pop groupthe Veronicas' single "This Love" with producerToby Gad.[24][27] While furthering her career in the studio, Kesha earned her living as a waitress.[7] While struggling to get by, she began stylizing her name as 'Ke$ha', explaining the dollar sign as an ironic gesture.[25]
Kesha performing at The Echo in 2009
In 2008, Kesha appeared in the video for her friendKaty Perry's single "I Kissed a Girl", and sang background vocals forBritney Spears' "Lace and Leather".[28] DAS soon attracted the attention of songwriter andA&RKara DioGuardi, who wanted to sign Kesha toWarner Bros. Records.[24] The deal fell through due to her existing contract with Kemosabe.[24] Kesha parted ways with DAS returned to Dr. Luke.[24] Kesha would appear on rapperFlo Rida's number-one single "Right Round" in early 2009, which exposed her to some mainstream attention.[29]
According to the parties present, the collaboration happened by accident; she had simply walked into a recording session for the song and Flo Rida happened to have wanted a female voice on it.[30] It was reported that Flo Rida liked the result so much that he recorded one more track with Kesha for his album.[31] However, she is not credited for her feature on the United States release of "Right Round" and did not collect any money for the part.[24][29] She also refused to appear in the video, explaining to men's magazineEsquire that she wanted to make a name for herself on her own terms.[28]
After failing to negotiate withLava Records andAtlantic Records in 2009, Kesha signed a multi-album deal withRCA Records.[24] Having spent the previous 6 years working on material for her debut album,[32] she began putting finishing touches to the album. For the album, she wrote approximately 200 songs.[32] It was certified Platinum in the United States and had sold two million albums worldwide by September of that year.[33] The album's lead single, "Tik Tok", broke the record in the United States for the highest sales week for a single, with 610,000 digital downloads sold in a single week, the highest ever by a female artist since digital download tracking began in 2003.[34]
It spent nine weeks at number one in the country and became the longest running number-one by a female artist on her debut single sinceDebby Boone and "You Light Up My Life" in 1977.[35] As of 2019, "Tik Tok" has sold about 14 million copies worldwide,[36] becomingthe best-selling single in digital history and the best-selling digital single in history by a female solo artist.[37][38] Subsequent singles from the album ("Blah Blah Blah", "Your Love Is My Drug" and "Take It Off") achieved similar commercial success, each reaching the top ten in Australia,[39][40][41] Canada,[42] and the United States.[43] Kesha was also featured on two top ten singles by musicianTaio Cruz and electropop duo3OH!3.[44]
Kesha performing live during theGet Sleazy Tour, her first headlining tour, 2011
Kesha's deliberately unpolished aesthetic and juvenile stage persona,[21][45] which she described as her own personality "times ten", quickly made her a deeply polarizing figure.[21][45] Some of her critics found her output to be unsophisticated,[21] while others felt that she was manufactured and lacked credibility.[46][47][48] In May 2010, Kesha's former managers from DAS Communications Inc. filed a lawsuit against her, seeking $14 million from her for commissions on her RCA Records deal, alleging that she had extended the deadline for them to get her a major record label contract and squeezed them out of her career.[26]
Kesha launched her own lawsuit in October, citing the California-exclusive Talent Agencies Act and asking the California Labor Commissioner to declare her contract with DAS void because it had acted as an unlicensed talent agent while procuring work for her in California, where only licensed agents can do so.[49] The case was settled in 2012 before the release of her second album.[50] Kesha held a benefit concert on June 16, 2010, where all proceeds went to aid victims of the2010 Tennessee floods in her hometown Nashville.[51] She raised close to $70,000 from the event.[13] She was a supporting act on the summer North American leg ofRihanna'sLast Girl on Earth and was awardedBest New Act at the 2010MTV Europe Music Awards.[52][53]
Kesha in 2011
In November 2010,Animal was re-released with a companion extended play,Cannibal.[54] The lead single taken fromCannibal, "We R Who We R", debuted at the top of theBillboard Hot 100 chart in the United States.[55] With two number ones and four top ten hits (among them her featured spot on 3OH!3's "My First Kiss") Kesha was named Hot 100 Artist of 2010 byBillboard magazine, with "Tik Tok" ranked as the best-performing song of the year in the US.[56] The follow-up single fromCannibal, "Blow", also charted in the top ten on the Hot 100.[43] By June 2011, Kesha had sold almost 21 million digital single downloads in the United States alone.[57]
In February 2011, Kesha embarked on her first headlining world tour, theGet Sleazy Tour.[58] The tour was expanded with a summer leg due to the first leg selling out and spanned three continents.[59] Kesha co-wrote the song "Till the World Ends" for American popstar Britney Spears and was featured on the remix of the song along with rapperNicki Minaj.[60] After meeting Kesha at the 2010 Grammy Awards and guesting at a number of her concerts, rock singerAlice Cooper asked her to write lyrics for and vocally perform as a devil character on their duet track, "What Baby Wants", on Cooper's albumWelcome 2 My Nightmare (2011).[61]
Kesha was named rights groupHumane Society of the United States's first global ambassador foranimal rights, for which she is expected to bring attention to such practices ascosmetics testing on animals andshark finning.[62] Kesha received the Wyler Award presented by The Humane Society as a celebrity or public figure who increases awareness of animal issues via the media. She received the award March 23, 2013, at The 2013 Genesis Awards Benefit Gala.[63] She appeared alongside rock singerIggy Pop in a campaign forPETA, protesting the clubbing of baby seals in Canada and later wrote on behalf of the organization toMcDonald's over the conditions of their slaughterhouses.[64][65]
2012–2013:Warrior and other projects
Kesha performing on the American television programToday in 2012
Kesha's second studio album,Warrior, was released on November 30, 2012.[66] She began writing for the album while on her own headlining tour in 2011.[67] The album featured productions from Max Martin,[68] as well as a song byWayne Coyne, the lead singer of the alternative bandThe Flaming Lips.[69] Coyne had reached out to Kesha for a collaboration after hearing that she was a fan of the band.[70] Besides working on Kesha's album, they recorded the song "2012 (You Must Be Upgraded)" for the band's album,The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends (2012). To coincide with the release of the album, Kesha released the illustratedautobiographyMy Crazy Beautiful Life throughTouchstone Books in November 2012. The first single taken fromWarrior was "Die Young".[71] The song debuted at number thirteen on theBillboard Hot 100 and eventually peaked at number 2.[72][73] The song also charted across Europe and the English-speaking world and reached the top ten in Australia, Canada, and Belgium.[74]
Kesha during her Warrior Tour
"C'Mon", the album's second single,[75] underperformed commercially, only peaking at number 27 on theBillboard Hot 100 and ending her string of top ten hits on the chart. Despite this, "C'Mon" continued Kesha's streak of top ten hits (with nine) on theMainstream Top 40 Pop Songs chart, also graphed byBillboard.[76][77] In July 2013, Kesha started theWarrior Tour, which would support the album. The North American leg was co-headlined with American rapperPitbull.[78] Kesha's third single fromWarrior, "Crazy Kids", was released in April 2013 and also under-performed, peaking at number 40 on the Hot 100, number 19 on the Mainstream Top 40, yet did achieve massive success in South Korea and Belgium, peaking at numbers 2 and 5 in those countries, respectively. A TV documentary,Kesha: My Crazy Beautiful Life, began airing onMTV also in April 2013.[79]
In July 2013, The Flaming Lips stated their intention of releasing a full-length collaborative album with Kesha, calledLipsha. However, the project eventually cancelled in the winter of the same year.[80] Kesha sent a message to a fan expressing how it was out of her control and that she wanted to release the material, even for free, saying that she did not care about the money.[81] On October 7, 2013, Kesha and Pitbull released a collaboration, "Timber", which became an international commercial success and Kesha's third number-one and tenth top-ten single on theBillboard Hot 100.[82]
In January 2014, Kesha checked into a rehabilitation center forbulimia nervosa and began to work on her third studio album. After rehab, she switched to using her birth name, Kesha, rather than her previous moniker, Ke$ha.[83] In her 2014Teen Vogue cover interview, Kesha revealed she recorded 14 new songs while in rehab.[84] In June 2014, Kesha claimed a seat as an expert in the American television singing competitionRising Star, alongsideBrad Paisley andLudacris.[85] In October 2014, Kesha sued producer Dr. Luke for sexual assault and battery, sexual harassment, gender violence, emotional abuse, and violation of California business practices which had occurred over 10 years working together. The lawsuit went on for nearly a year before Kesha sought a preliminary injunction to release her from Kemosabe Records. On February 19, 2016, New York Supreme Court Justice Shirley Kornreich ruled against this request.[86] On April 6, 2016, Kornreich dismissed the case, saying that even if the allegations of sexual assault were accepted as true, the five-yearstatute of limitations had run out on the two most specific rape allegations; one occurring in 2005 and the other in 2008.[87]
Kesha arrives at Supreme Court in 2016
On August 4, 2015, Kesha signed with Americanperformance rights organizationSESAC Inc.[88] Kesha guest starred in the second season of the U.S. television seriesJane the Virgin, which aired on October 12, 2015. The singer played Annabelle, the show's protagonist's hostile neighbor.[89] In December 2015, Kesha revealed that she had formed a country music and classic rock-influenced band called Yeast Infection and performed a live show with the band in Nashville on December 23.[90][91]
2016–2018:Rainbow and touring
Kesha appeared duringZedd's slot at the 2016Coachella music festival to perform "True Colors", a track from Zedd's second studio album. The cameo marked her first high-profile public performance since her ongoing legal battle with Dr. Luke.[92] A studio version of the collaboration was released as a single on April 29, 2016.[93] On May 22, 2016, Kesha coveredBob Dylan's song "It Ain't Me Babe" at the2016Billboard Music Awards.[94] On June 11, 2016, Kesha performed at Pride in the Street in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Afterwards, Kesha embarked on her third worldwide concert tour, theKesha and the Creepies: Fuck the World Tour (2016–2017). The tour commenced on July 23, 2016, in Las Vegas and ended on July 21, 2017, in Aurora, Illinois, after various shows in China as well. The tour included various covers of songs and several rock and country reworks of Kesha's own hit singles.[95][96] During this time, it was revealed that Kesha had recorded 22 songs on her own and had given them to her label, and was in the process of recording a third studio album.[97][98][99][100]
On July 6, 2017, Kesha released a single, titled "Praying".[101][102][103][104] The single charted successfully at number 6 on the music charts of Australia, selling over 140,000 copies and being certified 2× Platinum in the country.[105][106] The single charted at number 22[107] and number 11[108] in the United States and Canada respectively, and subsequently was certified Platinum in both territories.[109] "Praying" was released as the lead single from Kesha's third studio album,Rainbow, which was released on August 11, 2017.[102][103][104]Rainbow debuted at number one on theBillboard 200 chart in the United States, becoming her second number-one album in the country,[110] and was the subject of universal acclaim from music critics, with several complimenting the album's feminist angle and uniqueness as well as Kesha's vocal performance and ability to interweave different music genres.[111] Three tracks from Rainbow were released as promotional singles ahead of the album's release; "Woman",[112] "Learn to Let Go",[113] and "Hymn",[114] all of which were released have accompanying music videos.[112][113][115] "Woman" was later released as the second single from the album in January 2018, charting in the lower regions of the record charts in the United States, Canada and Australia, and became the second platinum-certified single from the album in the US.[116] The album received nominations forBest Pop Vocal Album andBest Pop Solo Performance (for "Praying") at the60th Annual Grammy Awards, marking Kesha's firstGrammy nominations.[117]
To promoteRainbow, Kesha embarked on theRainbow Tour (2017–2019),[118] which began on September 26, 2017, in Birmingham, Alabama, and visited North America, Europe, Oceania, and Asia. She furthered promotion by joining a co-headlining concert tour with American rapperMacklemore namedThe Adventures of Kesha and Macklemore (2018).[119] This tour took place in North America between June 6, 2018, and August 5, 2018.[119] Kesha's documentary film,Rainbow: The Film, was released onApple Music on August 10, 2018.[120] The documentary chronicles her stint in rehab for her eating disorder and the creation ofRainbow.[121] In the same month, Kesha collaborated with British rock bandThe Struts on the remix of their song "Body Talks", released as a single from their albumYoung & Dangerous (2018).[122] On September 19, 2018, Kesha released her song "Here Comes the Change", which served as a single to promoteOn the Basis of Sex (2018), a biographical film aboutRuth Bader Ginsburg.[123] In October 2018, Kesha collaborated, wrote, and performed on the song "Safe" with her younger brother Sage Sebert and rapper Chika, as an homage for theParkland high school shooting.[124][125]
2019–2022:High Road
In February 2019, Kesha hosted a 4-day-long cruise called Kesha's Weird and Wonderful Rainbow Ride. Sailing on theNorwegian Pearl, the cruise set off in Tampa, Florida, and ended in Nassau, Bahamas. Special guests includedWrabel,Jonathan Van Ness,Betty Who,Detox, andSuperfruit, among others.[126][127] On June 2, Kesha released a digital single titled "Rich, White, Straight Men".[128][129] On July 25, Kesha released the promo single "Best Day" for the filmThe Angry Birds Movie 2.[130] On November 7, Kesha officially announced her own cosmetics line in partnership with indie makeup brand Hipdot, Kesha Rose Beauty, which was released December 3. The line features an eyeshadow palette with each color named after her songs, two double-ended waterproof eyeliners, a red lipstick, and a lipgloss.[131]
High Road, Kesha's fourth studio album, was released January 31, 2020.[132] The album performed moderately commercially and received positive reviews. Originally slated for December 2019,[133] Kesha released a trailer on October 21, 2019, to confirm the album's title asHigh Road.[134] Prior to its release, the album saw the release of four singles: "Raising Hell" featuringBig Freedia,[135][136] "My Own Dance",[137] "Resentment" featuringBrian Wilson,Sturgill Simpson andWrabel,[138] and "Tonight".[139] She was to embark on her fifth headlining tour, the High Road Tour in 2020, but it was ultimately cancelled due to thecoronavirus pandemic.[140]
In February 2020, Kesha's 2010 promotional single "Cannibal" gained viral status following a dance trend using it on the video sharing platformTikTok. Following this, the song became a top 40 single in Canada and a new lyric video for the song was released.[141][142][143] While self-isolating in her home due to thecoronavirus pandemic, Kesha created a song titled "Home Alone".[144] On April 18, 2020, she performed at theOne World: Together at Home benefit event.[145]
Kesha announced the creation of her own podcast,Kesha and the Creepies, with an announcement video on November 13, 2020.[146][147] The podcast explores supernatural subjects and alternative lifestyles with pop culture guests and supernatural experts such asAlice Cooper,[146]Demi Lovato,[148]Tyler Henry,[146]Ben Folds and more.[149] The series launched on November 20, 2020, with new episodes premiering almost every Friday.[146][147] The first season ran for 30 episodes, with the final episode airing on June 10, 2021.[150]
Following the cancellation of the High Road Tour due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Kesha embarked on her fifth headlining tour, Kesha Live (2021) withBetty Who serving as the opening act. The tour began on August 13, 2021, in Billings, Montana, and was originally to have 11 shows in the U.S., but got extended to 22, ending on September 12, 2021.[156] Seven more tour dates were announced for late March 2022, which was to be followed by Kesha's second cruise tour, scheduled to set sail on April 1, 2022.[157] However, the cruise and the spring tour dates were cancelled due to undisclosed reasons.[158]
In late August 2021, Kesha served as executive producer and starred in the scripted podcast,Electric Easy, a musical neo-noir science fiction show set in a futuristic Los Angeles in which humans struggle to co-exist with robots, known as "electrics". The podcast also starred actorMason Gooding and singerChloe Bailey and featured original music from Kesha.[159][160] The show was created by Vanya Asher and executively produced by Kesha.[161] The podcast premiered on August 30, 2021.[161]
Kesha provided vocals for the song, "Taste So Good", which also featuredHayley Kiyoko,Vincint, andMNEK.[162] The song was released on June 1, 2022, and was used to promote the cannabis infused drink, Cann.[162] She starred in and produced the show,Conjuring Kesha, which premiered on July 8, 2022, onDiscovery+. In the show, Kesha and her guests explore paranormal hotspots.[163][164]
2023–2024:Gag Order and lawsuit settlement
On an Instagram Livestream in February 2023, Kesha previewed a 30-second snippet of a new song.[165] On her 36th birthday, the singer wiped her Instagram feed, and updated her profile picture to her new logo. In a second livestream, she revealed four new song titles: "Living in My Head", "Fine Line", "The Drama", and "Eat the Acid", and shared snippets of the latter two.[166]
The singer announced the album's title to beGag Order, along with unveiling its artwork on April 25, 2023.[167][168][169] The album was released on May 19, 2023, and three singles, "Eat the Acid", "Fine Line", both were released as a dual single,[167][168] and "Only Love Can Save Us Now".[169] Produced byRick Rubin, the project sees Kesha at her most vulnerable and digs into her "uglier" emotions.[168] The album focused on overcoming trauma and depression from the lawsuit with her former producer, Dr. Luke.[170][171] To promote the album, Kesha would embark on her sixth headlining tour, the Gag Order Tour, which would later be renamed theOnly Love Tour, following the settlement of her lawsuit.[172]Through a joint statement, Kesha and Dr. Luke announced on June 22, 2023, that their case was officially settled, a month before the case was to go to trial. In her statement, Kesha says while she doesn't recall everything that happened the night of the alleged assault, she is looking forward to moving on with her life and wishes peace to all parties involved. Dr. Luke continued to deny Kesha's original claims in his statement. Details of the settlement were not revealed immediately.[173] This came after The Court of Appeals in New York ruled that Dr. Luke is a limited public figure. Dr. Luke would have needed to prove that Kesha acted in malice when she filed her lawsuit, and she would've been able to recover fees for the litigation beginning in 2020.[174]
Following the settlement, Kesha went on her social media and expressed her gratitude to her supporters and said she was excited for the "beautiful things to come".[175] The next day, she announced her third extended play,Gag Order (Live Acoustic EP from Space) and revealed its cover art. The EP contains four live acoustic performances from her album.[176] In June 2023, Kesha was featured in the season 1 finale of the YouTube adult animated series,Helluva Boss, where she voiced Beelzebub "Queen Bee".[177][178]
On December 18, 2023, seven months after the release of her last contractual album,Variety reported Kesha had parted ways with Dr. Luke'sKemosabe Records and distributorRCA as their contract expired. At the same time, Kesha also amicably split with Vector Management. She released a statement thanking her former manager, Jack Rovner.[179]
Kesha taught a two-and-a-half week songwriting course called 'The Alchemy of Pop Music' at theEsalen Institute in early 2024.[15]
2024–present: Upcoming sixth studio album
It was reported in early February 2024 that Kesha signed withCrush Management.[180] In an interview withV Magazine, Kesha shared that she has been writing new music and stated, "There is a day marked on my calendar when I am free to release music."[15]On June 29, 2024, Kesha announced her new single, "Joyride", which was released on July 4 through her self-titled label, Kesha Records. This marks her first release after parting ways with Kemosabe and RCA Records.[181] "Joyride" became her first song to chart on theUK Singles Chart since 2017, while also reaching the top-ten on three component charts in the United States, and has accumulated almost 100 million streams onSpotify.[182] Her sixth studio album is slated for a 2025 release. Kesha's independent record label entered a distribution deal withAlternative Distribution Alliance, owned byWarner Music Group, in September 2024.[183]
"Dinosaur", following averse-chorus formula, mixes dance-pop with rapping and is composed in ajungle-beat-tempo and incorporates a whistle-synth. The lyrics discuss an older gentleman attempting to hit on younger women, addingcarnivory and predatory behavior as motifs to further the metaphor.[190]
Kesha's music has been described aselectropop,[4][191][192]dance-pop,[193][194]synth-pop,[195]pop rock,[196]pop rap,[139]country,[196] andEDM.[139] Kesha wrote or co-wrote every song on her first two albums and considers herself a songwriter primarily,[197] writing for artists includingBritney Spears andMiley Cyrus.[68] Along with amezzo-soprano voice,[198][199] she possesses a "strong, sneeringvibrato",[45] with a distinctyodel-like quality to her voice;[200] she employs actual yodeling on the songs "Tik Tok" and "Cannibal".[201][202] Having previously done country, pop rock, and electro,[196] she had a clear idea of thesynth-pop sound that she wanted for her debut album.[203] The genre was popular at the time with many of her peers releasing similar sounds.[46] Both of those albums are of the genre with catchy hooks and synthesized productions often compared to pop singerDev by music critics, creating misunderstandings among the fans of the two.[45][204][205] "Party at a Rich Dude's House" and "C U Next Tuesday" have 1980s derived backing,[204][206] while "Stephen" begins with "Kansas-style vocal harmonies".[207] "Dinosaur" follows averse-chorus formula, and has a "cheerleader-type tune" reminiscent of "Hollaback Girl" (2005) byGwen Stefani and "Girlfriend" (2007) byAvril Lavigne;[208] the song uses the overt symbolism of dinosaurs,carnivory, and other primitive motifs to tell the story of an older man who preys on younger women.[209] According to Kesha, the song is based on true events.[209] While her vocals onAnimal were heavily processed with auto-tune, often to produce rapid stuttering or over-pitch corrected vocal effects, leading to questions on vocal talent,[210] she also expressed confidence in her abilities.[211]
Kesha's second studio albumWarrior used considerably less auto-tune, although it still showed in a number of songs. The album's piano and guitar-driven ballads such as "Love into the Light", "Wonderland" and "Past Lives" display Kesha's vocal ability. Kesha also uses a trademark talky "white-girl" rapping style with exaggerated discordant phrasing and enunciation.[45][196] Her vocal technique has led her to be credited as a rapper, a topic she disagreed with until fellow rappersAndré 3000,Wiz Khalifa, andSnoop Dogg endorsed her. On the subject, she said: "The first time someone called me a rapper, I started laughing. I was shocked, and thought it was hilarious. It's crazy and funny to me."[212]
The New York Times said Kesha "threatens to become the most influential female rapper of the day, or at least the most popular. Pretending Kesha isn't a rapper is no longer feasible."[213] "Crazy Kids" and "C'Mon" took greater shifts into "party rap".[214] Most of her lyrics chronicle her relationships and partying; the lighthearted subject matter of the latter and her unfiltered language saw many critics criticizing her for releasing frivolous and crass music.[47] Jonah Weiner ofSlate, however, stated that her jarring lyrics allowed her songs to become more memorable.[45]
In "Blah Blah Blah" and "Boots & Boys", she objectifies men to poke fun at how male fronted rock bands and rappers can get away with objectifying women and not vice versa.[7][25] The title track to her debut, "Animal", is more aspirational and is intended to inspire people to embrace their individuality.[215] Much more experimental thanAnimal, her second album,Warrior, containsdubstep elements and explores erotic experiences Kesha encountered with ghosts on the song "Supernatural".[216][217][218] Overall, Kesha said the theme ofWarrior is magic.[219]
Critics praisedWarrior for its rock music influences,[214][220] despite the album being deeply rooted in technopop.[221] Applauding the album's rock sound,Rolling Stone called the album Kesha's rock manifesto.[220] Rock artists such asThe Flaming Lips,Iggy Pop, andAlice Cooper have collaborated with Kesha, endorsing her as a rock singer. Cooper toldBillboard, "I immediately looked at her and went, 'This girl is not a pop diva. She's a rock singer.' She would much rather be the femaleRobert Plant than the next Britney Spears."[222]The A.V. Club said thatWarrior proved Kesha a capable vocalist and songwriter.[221]The Washington Post said that the album is "pure fun", opining that Kesha can write good hooks despite her sometimes vapid lyricism.[220]
Her third album,Rainbow displayed a significant departure from the electro-pop sound from Kesha's previous two albums. While still primarily a pop album, it contained elements ofglam rock,country pop, andpop rock. Its lyrical themes range from letting go of the past, finding forgiveness within oneself for past mistakes, self-worth, and female empowerment.[223]
For her fourth album,High Road, Kesha blended her party-girl image and her more optimistic and sentimental approach on her previous album to show more range.[224]
Gag Order saw her take a much darker approach, in both her music and lyrics. The album primarily drew from theart pop,experimental,psychedelic andelectronic genres, while lyrically she dove deep into her negative emotions due to the lawsuit with Dr. Luke.[225][226][227]
Kesha's musical influences also consist of hip hop, punk rock,crunkcore, glam rock, pop, dance music, and classic country.[230] Her country influences ofDolly Parton andJohnny Cash come from her mother's country songwriting, while her older brother exposed her to hip-hop and punk bands,Fugazi,Dinosaur Jr. and theBeastie Boys.[31][231][232] She credits her straightforward story-based lyrics to her love for the honest storytelling style of country music,[232] while the title track from her debut album was created with music of alternative rock bandsThe Flaming Lips andArcade Fire in mind.[19]
She singled out the Beastie Boys as a major influence, tellingNewsweek that she had always wanted to be like them and aspired to make "youthful, irreverent anthems" as well.[21] She called her debut album,Animal, a homage to the Beastie Boys'Licensed to Ill and credited the creation of the rap driven "Tik Tok" to her love for the Beastie Boys' rap music.[196][233] For her first headlining tour, Kesha wanted to emulate the stage theatrics ofIggy Pop.[234] She listed Pop'sThe Idiot as well asLed Zeppelin andAC/DC as inspirations for her second studio album,Warrior, intended to feature 1970s rock inspired music.[68]Warrior, to this effect, includes a collaboration with Pop himself.[229]
She draws inspiration from films as well. Her stage makeup is characterized by dramatic glitter makeup at her right eye, inspired byA Clockwork Orange.[235] The video for "Your Love Is My Drug" features animated sequences inspired byThe Beatles' film,Yellow Submarine,[236] while the Get Sleazy tour was described as having a "post-apocalypticMad Max vibe".[234]
Personal life
Kesha is a member of theLGBT community. She has previously identified asbisexual.[237] However, in 2022, she clarified that she preferred not to label her sexuality, stating, "I'm not gay. I'm not straight. I don't know what I am. I love people ... I refuse to be anything, really, except for open to it all."[238] She made similar statements in both 2010 and 2013.[239]
In her 2019Attitude article, she goes deeper in discussing her sexuality, saying: "I have always been attracted to the soul behind a person's eyes. It has never occurred to me to care about a specific gender, or how someone is identifying, to make me wonder about whether or not I'm attracted to them."[240] She has performed legal commitment ceremonies for both same-sex and opposite-sex couples.[241][242] She has been involved withLGBT activism as well asanimal rights.[243][244] Kesha stated that she was born with a quarter inchvestigial tail, "I had a tail when I was born...they chopped it off and stole my tail...I'm really sad about that story."[245]
Advocacy
Kesha supportsTime's Up, an advocacy group against sexual harassment. At the 2018 Grammys, she performed "Praying" with other notable women in music in support of the movement.[246]
While performing in November 2023, Kesha altered the lyrics to her song "Tik Tok" from "Wake up in the morning feeling like P. Diddy" to "Wake up in the morning feeling just like me" to remove a reference toSean "P. Diddy" Combs, a response to a lawsuit fromCassie Ventura that accused Combs of perpetuating several forms of abuse against her, includingrape, over a decade-long period.[247] During a guest appearance at singerReneé Rapp'sCoachella set in April 2024, she further altered the lyric to "wake up in the morning, like, 'Fuck P. Diddy'". This occurred after additional lawsuits had been filed against Combs.[248] Kesha has stated that she plans to permanently perform the song with this lyrical change going forward.[249]
Health problems
On January 3, 2014, Kesha checked into Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center inLemont, Illinois, for eating disorder treatment.[250] Kesha's mother confirmed that Kesha was suffering from the eating disorderbulimia nervosa and that she has struggled with it since she was signed. She also alleged that Dr. Luke was partly to blame, saying Luke had told her to lose weight after he signed her, comparing the shape of her body to a refrigerator.[251][252] Kesha completed her treatment on March 6, 2014, after spending two months in rehab.[253]
In herSelf magazine cover, Kesha revealed she was diagnosed withcommon variable immunodeficiency in 2022 which made her feel fatigued everyday. She assumed this was a result of being overworked. Kesha also revealed she almost died in January 2023 after a complication with freezing her eggs, and a few weeks later, she felt weak after a performance and was sent to the hospital for nine days.[254]
Spiritual views
Writing forLenny Letter, Kesha stated that she views God as "nature and space and energy and the universe. My own interpretation of spirituality isn't important, because we all have our own. What matters is that I have something greater than me as an individual that helps bring me peace."[255] According to pop culture magazinePaper, "Homophobia and false piety eventually alienated [her] from Christianity and she's since settled on a non-denominational cocktail of meditation, mindfulness, and astrology." Kesha said she is occasionally anihilist. She is "obsessed with religion".[256]
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