Since bursting onto the scene with her infectious pop hit “TiK ToK” in 2010, Kesha has raised an entire generation on perfect party tracks, from “Take It Off” and “We R Who We R” to “Timber.” Yet the artist behind those raucous music videos and the grungy-glam persona has been fighting for years to reclaim her own voice.
For nearly a decade, the star has been engaged in a series of legal battles with Dr. Luke, the music producer who signed her at 18 years old. (In a 2014 civil suit, Kesha accused the producer of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse and claimed she should be released from her recording contract with him. The suit was settled in 2023 before trial, and no criminal charges were ever filed in the case.) As they moved slowly toward a resolution, Kesha remained under the creative control of his label, Kemosabe Records. But all that changed in March of last year, when Kesha was finally freed up to produce art on her own terms—and even on her own label.
Kesha’s latest album, Period—out this Independence Day—reflects her new freedom. “I’m in this interesting part of my life where I’m healing from something that I went through in front of the whole world,” Kesha tells Vogue. “This is the first time I’ve owned the words to my voice as an adult. I really am looking at this as my first record, and I have the same passion and excitement that I did when I was 20 years old. I feel like I’m getting a second chance.” Also, she’s just ready to dance again.
The album’s array of earwormy hits makes for the best body of work Kesha has put out to date—and an unapologetic celebration of living your best life. “I wanted it to be the ultimate fuck-you album of all time,” says Kesha. On her lead single, “Joy Ride,” she sings: “Rev my engine till you make it purr” over a deranged, circus-like accordion beat. Fun. On “Boy Crazy,” her latest hit, she sings about her ravenous appetite for boy toys. Fun! But there are powerful and poignant moments too. Her opening track, “Freedom,” is a disco track about, well, finally feeling free; her concluding song, “Cathedral,” centers around self-love and treating her own body like a temple.
Below, Kesha talks about creating the new album, finding her voice again, why she is enjoying being her own sugar daddy—and her plans to pull off one hell of a summer tour.
Vogue: Let’s go back to when you first started crafting this album. What kicked things off?
Kesha: In December [2023], I got a call that I was going to be free of my previous deal [with Kemosabe Records] in March [2024]. The second I got out of that deal, I was writing three songs a day, like a madwoman. I’ve never written so many songs in my life. I’ve never felt so alive, inspired, happy, and excited about the future. Because it’s my first album where I’m in control of every word. Every song, every sound, the cover, the singles—everything. I’ve gotten really comfortable in trusting my own intuition and following my inner compass.
As the album began taking shape, what did you want to say with it?
I wanted it to be the ultimate fuck-you album of all time. I listen to my new record when I need that strength to be my own watchdog. I’m really protective of my time, space, and energy now. Anything that has kept me from feeling free, I’m very cutthroat about that. Anything that is keeping me from being in my fullest potential, it’s gone. Even if it’s an internalized voice that’s keeping me from my true freedom, it’s got to go. I really wanted to make a triumphant soundtrack for those moments. I hope people put it on and love themselves a little more, protect themselves a little stronger, and have their backs a little harder.
Is it safe to say the songs just began pouring out of you as you began writing?
Yes! With “Joy Ride,” I wrote and recorded it in two hours.
How did you come up with that song? It was a genius lead single—but also pretty unexpected!
With what I’ve been through, I’ve had to do a lot of grounding and healing work. So in January, before I was actually free, I traveled to Big Sur, and I was an artist in residence at this place called Esalen, an institute for the human potential. There, I made some friends, and one of them had an accordion. That accordion that he let me play with in the woods ended up being the inspiration for “Joy Ride.” I was like, Okay, I know what pop music needs. It needs a twisted, fucked-up accordion over a dance beat—and on a song that immortalizes my ho phase. That’s what the world needs!
Do you think pop artists need to take more risks like that these days?
When I look around to the other girls dominating pop right now, I think we’re doing a pretty goddamn good job. I love that people are so mad about Sabrina [Carpenter] being hot. I’m like, Keep being hot, girl! You’re doing it right! And Charli [XCX] just fully embodying her truest self. I think we’re doing pretty good. I just want to add my flavor. Music is not a competition. In the pop scene and culture that I was raised in, these major labels would try to pit us against each other, and that is complete bullshit. When we come together, that’s where the power is.
Do you think it’s easier to be a pop star nowadays, or is it even more challenging?
As women in culture, it’s not ever going to be easy. We’re up against trying to be pretty but not too pretty. Trying to be funny but not going over the line. Be sexy, but don’t be a slut. Trying to fit into societal standards is a losing game, especially as a woman in pop. So everyone should keep being themselves, and fuck what anybody says.
What was one of the first songs you wrote after “Joy Ride”?
After I came back from Big Sur, I started writing the song “Cathedral.” It’s about coming to myself as a woman, having this fully embodied sexual liberation, and treating my time and body like a cathedral. That’s the song that ends the record, and it’s a really special song for me.
I also love your opening song, “Freedom,” which was an intentional way to begin the record.
Thank you! It’s a hippie spooky disco [track] that I made in the woods with my friend Jonathan Wilson. We were just having the time of our lives, and I wanted it to feel like the transition out of my previous album, Eat the Acid. That was a really introspective, vulnerable, and emotional record, so I wanted the first song on this album to bridge that gap from where I left everyone and bring them into where I’m at now.
I love this line in it: “I only drink when I’m happy, and I’m drunk right now.”
It’s funny because I’ve been the “brush my teeth with a bottle of Jack” girlie for so long, and the reality is I only drink when I’m celebrating.
Did you make a lot of this album in the woods?
Yeah! When I’m in nature and my feet are planted on the ground, my spirit is calm and I really feel my power. I really do split my life. It’s like half pop star, half hippie in the woods trying to reach my highest potential and spiritual power.
In your song “Red Flag,” you talk about your attraction to red flags. What are a few of them?
I’ve worked on myself, and I try not to be attracted to red flags. But I have found myself attracted to lots of red flags. The guy with the motorcycle who does not have a place to live? Hot. The guy who goes to the gym three times a day but doesn’t have a job? Hot. You name it, it’s probably hot. But instead of punishing myself for it, this song is a celebration of the fact that I really do have the best dating history—and have a lot of really funny stories.
In “Delusional,” you sing about someone deluding themselves into thinking they can move on and find someone better. But do you think a little delusion in life can be a good thing?
Oh, 100%. Sometimes believing in yourself is completely delusional. When you have big creative ideas as an artist, you feel absolutely out of your mind until they happen. If I had told you a couple of years ago, “I’m going to play Madison Square Garden, and it’s going to be a blend of my spiritual practices and a bunch of pop songs,” you’d be like, “It sounds delusional.” But that’s exactly what the fuck I’m about to do [on my tour]. And it’s very cunt.
Shifting gears to your song “Boy Crazy”: Being obsessed with boys is usually associated with one’s teenage years. But do you think that’s a phase that ever truly goes away?
I forget what age I am, but I’m still boy crazy. What’s the point of life if you’re not? I genuinely think it gives me the lust for life that I need. If I don’t have a crush, I feel like I’m dying. We have to be a little boy crazy. It’s good for our mental health.
On “Glow,” I love that you sing about having a glow-up after a breakup. Usually, you think of someone being at their worst after heartbreak.
If someone’s not honoring your worth, then they don’t deserve your energy. When I was recently—I can’t even believe I’m saying this—broken up with, I decided to start being my own sugar daddy. I’d be like, Okay, baby girl, what do you want to do today? I’d be like, I want to go shopping and I want to go to the Beverly Hills Hotel. I would take myself on these luxurious dates, and it was quite amazing. It really made me fall in love with myself even more.
On “The One,” you sing: “I’m the one I’ve been looking for.” What did you mean by that?
We are programmed to be looking for our missing piece—the one that completes us—our whole life, and that’s really fucked-up messaging to be giving to people, actually. In the aftermath of everything I’ve gone through, I’ve had this realization that I have to have my own back. What I’ve been trying to do for the past year and a half, since I gained my freedom, is to collect all of the power I’ve given away and give it back to myself.
This Pride Month, I heard your new singles playing at all of the gay bars. How does it feel to be a gay icon?
The queer community is my community too. That’s where I feel safe and comfortable. That’s where I feel at home. In high school, there was one person who was out at my high school, and that’s who I went to prom with. I remember in high school making a promise that if I ever got to tour the world, I had to make sure that every person felt accepted, especially in a time like now. I want every single person—no matter where you come from, what color your skin is, or what your sexual orientation is—to just feel nothing but love.
Your album comes at an interesting time, given that recession pop is having a moment. Why do you think pop music thrives in challenging times?
Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve wanted to inspire joy in people. When we’re collectively having a hard time, it makes sense that we need a little help to get through. Music is a form of self-care. It reminds me of when I was in year eight of litigation [with Dr. Luke]. I listened to the Vengaboys on repeat: It was my main source of joy. I would wake up and feel really sad and lost, but when I put on the Vengaboys, I could carry on through my day. I hate that it’s a recession, but I am happy that people are making music that is helping us get through it collectively.
This will be your first album under your own label, Kesha Records. What are your plans for the label as it continues to grow?
Growing up in the time I did, and seeing the things I’ve seen, I ve a pretty good grasp of what works and what doesn’t in the music business. I know what’s important to foster a healthy artist, and I know what fosters an unhealthy environment for the arts. I’m committed to helping people reach their fullest potential. I believe in the power of art and in treating artists with care.
Your summer tour kicks off soon. What can you tell us about the show?
I am so excited about this tour. I cannot even tell you. Not to say it’s not brutal to tour—it’s definitely brutal to live on a bus. But I’m fucking ready. I want it to feel like a place people can come together and find community and a safe place to play. It’s not going to be necessarily what people expect, but I’ve pushed myself to do something I believe is pretty original.
Can you give us a sneak peek at what the stage fashions will entail?
I have been working with [stylist] Marta Del Rio and Orly Anan, out of Mexico City, who makes these beautiful geometric sculptures. It’s all very divine. We’re calling it “Freedom Cunt.”
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
