When I first heard this song I was driving home from work. I didn't know what it was or who it was by, but I was immediately touched. I wasn't even entirely sure what the song was about because I didn't want to read into it, but I immediately associated the song with sexual assault. Once I got home, I had to look it up because of the impact the song had on me.

I discovered the song I cried to while listening in the car was "Praying" by Kesha. Once I found out it was Kesha's song, I knew it was about sexual assault, but also about a lot more than that. Everyone followed the story of her lawsuit against her producer. She claimed sexual assault and she wasn't able to leave her recording contract with SONY. She couldn't find a way to get away from Dr. Luke, but millions stood behind her. But this article isn't about Kesha's trial or lawsuit. This is about the woman who wrote the song "Praying" and what this says for all women in 2017.

The ballad that Kesha released in the first week of July sings a song, not only to the person who is at the head of her pain, but to all. She shows a side of her that no one has seen or heard before. Kesha questions her life within the song, but she also reclaims her strength. The song is a fight song for anyone who has been broken by someone else. While the song itself is heartbreaking, the overall message is one of powerful hope.

The reason this song is so important is that of the day and age we live in, so many women and men struggle with abuse. Whether emotional, physical, or sexual there are many people who have a story similar to that of Kesha. More people are coming forward with their stories of sexual assault, but are still being denied their rights and their strength. Victim blaming is a problem that has been around and isn't going away. While the victims are struggling to carry on with their lives, the abusers are winning cases and moving on as though nothing ever happened.

Kesha's song speaks out to all abusers. We live in an age where there are too many victims, and these victims are forced to be silent. Kesha sings to abusers about the impact they have on victims' lives and the pain they create. She sings about hoping they realize what they have done, but more importantly, she sings that she feels sorry for them. She knows that she will always be above anyone who has abused her, even if the rest of the world doesn't see it like that.

While the song reaches about to abusers, it most importantly reaches out to victims. Kesha sings for herself, but also for those who cannot share their own story of power. Kesha tells a story of moving on and becoming a new person after facing a tragedy. Many people tell us that we should forgive and move on. Kesha opposes this view in saying that there are some things only God can forgive.

Any survivor knows the struggle of moving on. This song sheds light on the struggle of moving on and being a survivor. This song is important because it gives survivors a voice. Survivors do not need to forgive anyone. Survivors do not need to give up. They will make the choices they feel necessary when it comes to moving on. Sexual assault victims have already had so much taken from them. Kesha makes sure everyone knows that no one can make choices for them anymore. The strength is in the survivor.