Kesha Not ‘Free’ To Release Music, But Working On It

Kesha has been working on new music after releasing her fifth album last year. Last month, the "Die Young" singer, 36, held up a sign in a parking lot reading: "New music coming soon!" In a new interview with V Magazine, the singer-songwriter revealed what she has planned next.

She parted ways with Dr. Luke's record labels Kemosabe and RCA Records two months ago. Last year, she also reportedly "amicably" stopped working with Vector Management, and Kesha then signed with Crush Management earlier this month. Revealing that she has her eye on one date in particular when it comes to being able to release new material, Kesha told the publication, "There is a day marked on my calendar when I am free to release music." Without disclosing the date, she assured her "animals" she'd been "out here in the woods writing and singing till four in the morning, ferociously."

The Los Angeles native told the outlet that she has written "somewhere between seven and 10 songs" while teaching an Esalen Institute songwriting course. Now that she has been freed from her contractual obligations with Dr. Luke, Kesha says she has never felt happier or more at peace in her entire life. In her Gag Order album, Kesha used it as an outlet to get rid of the anxiety she felt about being put under a microscope for so long. On top of that, to create a new image of herself that she wants people to acknowledge.

As we previously reported, Dr. Luke's defamation lawsuit with Kesha was resolved last June. The Grammy winner sued Dr. Luke nearly a decade before, accusing him of sexual, emotional, and physical abuse. Both parties released a joint public statement via Instagram following the settlement. The post has since been deleted. Kesha claimed she "cannot recount" the details of the alleged sexual abuse she faced at the hands of Dr. Luke as he wished her "well" and continues to deny the accusation.

Kesha has had a music career that has spanned a decade. The singer-songwriter, whose full name is Kesha Rose Sebert, was signed when she was just 18 years old. Her first major success in mainstream music came in 2009 after she was featured on rapper Flo Rida's number-one single "Right Round." With her party-girl persona and her name stylized as Ke$ha at the time, the artist then found success with her 2010 album, Animal. This featured hits, including "Tik Tok," "Blah Blah Blah," "Your Love Is My Drug," and the collaboration with 3Oh!3, "We R Who We R."

As we previously reported, Kesha opened up about feeling pressured to play up her "wild-child" persona at the beginning of her music career. In an interview with Self, the musician said her “fans came to me for joy, and I didn’t want to disappoint them." At the time, she encouraged her fans to be free to get “hot and dangerous.” She wanted to create a safe space at her shows for people to be “exactly who they want to be” which is something she stands by as an artist.

On her recently released fifth studio album, Gag Order, Kesha is excited for people to see her art and the different phases of her life. She used this new album as an outlet to get rid of the anxiety she felt about being put under a microscope for so long. On top of that, to create a new image of herself that she wants people to acknowledge. "It was the first time I shed real light on subjects that, previously, I was too nervous to," she said of Gag Order. "I had to shed light on the darker sides of what happens in my mind."

See below our five picks of Kesha's best songs:

With the Black Eyed Peas' will.i.am, this is one of Kesha's older dance-pop songs that gives us a feel-good feeling. The music video is wild, with Kesha wearing corn rows and grills, while will.i.am is a hologram in a golden spacesuit.

The concept of this song is Kesha accepting hate if it lets others feel better about themselves about their own miserable lives. She reflects on how she overcame caring about opinions about her and letting it all go. Her isolated vocals towards the end of the song with the droning sounds adds a layer of complexity to her experimental sound.

With the music video's intro, Kesha asks existential questions about life, death and god. Using imagery to reflect this (laying down in a crucifixion pose and bleeding tears), Kesha plays the piano as her voice shines through. When Kesha first sings, "I hope you're somewhere praying, I hope your soul is changing," it gives us goosebumps.

Here's another song where Kesha's voice is highlighted. She really shines when the arrangements are spare. In "Rainbow," Kesha's message is one of hopeful and healing. This song is one that can touch your soul and make you cry.

In 2023's Gag Order, Kesha's voice sounds much more mature and developed. As the last track of the album that celebrates the freeing from her contract, she rips off the plastic face of herself that suffocated and trapped her for years. The simple visualizer and song is one of her best works to date.