The five years since her sophomore album Animal have been an incredibly difficult time for Kesha. The Nashville-born, multi-platinum-selling pop icon has battled substance abuse, an eating disorder and depression, all while engaged in a legal fight against contractual obligations that put her in the horrific position of having to work with producer Lukasz Gottwald, aka Dr. Luke, who she alleges raped her as part of a pattern of abuse. The upshot of the conflict is that, while she has toured a little (and even popped up to play a time or two in Music City), she hasn't been able to release any new music.
Until today. Above, check out the psychedelic, Jodorowsky-esque video for "Praying," a new single that begins with a spoken segment about the deepest, blackest depths of self-doubt, building into a triumphant gospel roar about finding inner peace and the strength to carry on. Kesha doesn't mention Dr. Luke by name, but she does address the situation directly in the song, co-written with Ben Abraham and Macklemore cohort Ryan Lewis: "When I'm finished / They won't even know your name / You brought the flames and you put me through hell / I had to learn how to fight for myself / There ain't no other truth I can tell / I'll just say this is to wish you farewell / I hope you're somewhere praying," she sings in a stunningly strong voice.
It's a complex spiritual and emotional sentiment, which she expands on in her essay for The Lenny Letter, where the video premiered. "Finding the strength to come forward about these things is not easy, but I want to help others who are going through tough times," she writes.
And there's more where that came from. The song opens a six-track record called Rainbow, which is slated for an Aug. 11 release. Katie Baillie at Metro has a breakdown, indicating that the record showcases Kesha's range — from dance-pop to gospel to country — as well as her engagement with topics from her personal struggles to broader political issues, like the Trump administration, which have become personal. You can preorder the album through Kesha's website.