Kesha Channeled Her 'Angry Woman' Energy To Mark a Turning Point in Her Career

It took almost a decade for Kesha to settle her legal claim against music producer Dr. Luke. The suits and countersuits went back and forth for years after she accused him of drugging and sexually assaulting her while he contended that she was lying and defamed him. After settling the case in June 2023, Kesha was finally free.

While 2009 was her big breakout year with her party anthem, “TiK ToK,” the now-37-year-old singer marks 2017 as the beginning of her evolution. She channeled her emotions into music in ways she never had before. In front of a packed audience at the A Day of Unreasonable Conversation event in Los Angeles on Monday, Kesha revealed how her defining moment came through songwriting. “And who wants to listen to an angry woman?” she asked. “Turns out a lot of f**king people do.” The audience cheered and applauded at the strength she showed — and it was all because of her hit single, “Praying.”

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The song turned out to be a game-changer in her career as it brought her accolades, but it also brought her healing. “I was nominated for that song for the first time at the Grammys twice,” Kesha revealed. “It was the first time I played the Grammys. I’ve had many people surviving trauma, surviving illnesses, going through a divorce, having all sorts of different turmoil and struggle in their lives tell me that this song spoke to their experience.”

Kesha realized that the courage to use her voice was something she also could tap into — it just took some time to discover that superpower. “The reason I wrote this song was not about the same thing that they were connecting to it through,” she shared. “But again, expressing my truth helped others connect to their truth.” That’s why the singer wants everyone to tap into their inner strength because it pulled her through her darkest times.

“It’s funny how in America you can legally lose the rights to your own voice,  but you can never lose the rights to your own truth,” Kesha advised. ” So through it all, I just kept writing.  Songwriting has been my lover, it has been my best friend, it has been my therapist, it has been my drinking buddy, and it has been my higher power. But I can just say that music has saved my life over and over and over again.  And I just want to remind all of you that you are free, and you are entitled to your truth.”

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