We all remember summer 2010. Hair flowing in the summer breeze, living it up with all our friends, probably bumping the song "Tik Tok" by new, up and coming artist Kesha. Since then, pop artist Kesha has released two albums with the hit single "Tik Tok" selling more than 15 million units worldwide. Needless to say, Kesha is a pretty big deal. However, dedicated fans will notice that she hasn't released any new music in a few years.
Since mid-2013 Kesha has been making an effort to leave her producer Dr. Luke. In some letters to fans, Kesha wrote: "Someone I work with has literally driven me into this disease, tortured me and f***ed with me and my family." In January of 2014, Kesha checked into rehab for an eating disorder. This eating disorder developed after Dr. Luke repeatedly said incredibly demeaning things to Kesha such as, "you look like a refrigerator" and, "Thank God you finally got rid of the weight! We've all been talking about it!" It's no wonder that the singer developed such a detrimental mental disorder after being under constant scrutiny from someone she is supposed to trust. As if things aren't already bad enough, there are several claims that Dr. Luke has physically and sexually abused Kesha, both under the influence and while sober. Kesha's lawyer stated that, "This lawsuit is a wholehearted effort by Kesha to regain control of her music career and her personal freedom after suffering for ten years as a victim of mental manipulation, emotional abuse and an instance of sexual assault at the hands of Dr. Luke." Her lawyer said that in October 2014. Recently, Kesha had her day in court.
Unfortunately, the judge ruled that Kesha is bound by her contract to continue to make albums with Sony. The company stated that she may work with a different producer, but if you take into account all of the emotional and physical damage that Kesha has had to undergo, the idea of going back into the studio is just a flashback waiting to happen. Kesha's lawyers stated that they are not done fighting, and her fans are just as dedicated as ever. There have been several petitions with hundreds of thousands of signatures from fans to #freekesha. In fact, there are several celebrities that have rallied with support for Kesha: Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, Kelly Clarkson, Lorde and many more.
If this is the only opportunity I'll get, I want to take a chance to talk about the way we as a society treat abuse victims. In her lawsuit, Kesha's testimonies of her abuse were practically dismissed because there were no specific dates. No one should ever have to undergo abuse. Mental, physical, sexual or verbal abuse is a real issue, and it has real consequences. Constantly asking a victim of such abuse to repeat his or her experience and give substantial details can be triggering. It does not promote a sense of security or healing, both of which are necessary when helping an abuse victim. Some people are under the false pretense that some victims will fake abuse in order to get some sort of gain, whether it be monetary or otherwise. The reality is that very few women actually fake stories of abuse, meaning that every victim's testimony should be taken seriously.
Kesha's fight is far from over, and I hope that she will soon have some relief of her pain. #FreeKesha
