Ah, Kesha. We all remember her as the crazy, drunk, party girl from the early 2010's who would brush her teeth with a bottle of Jack and throw glitter everywhere. She's also known for hit singles, such as "Tik Tok", "Blow", and "Timber". She dominated the music world, and she did it her own way. Something that many people don't know is that she's also a talented songwriter, who has written songs for not only herself, but Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus, Taio Cruz, and even Miranda Cosgrove. Sadly, what Kesha is most known for is her legal battle with Sony producer Dr. Luke.

If you haven't heard or read about the battle, here's what happened. Kesha filed a civil suit against her producer, Dr. Luke, for gender-based hate crimes, emotional distress, and employment discrimination in October 2014. This was on top of a California lawsuit that stated that Kesha claimed Dr. Luke was guilty of sexual assault and battery, sexual harassment, gender violence, civil harassment, violation of California's unfair business laws, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress, and negligent retention and supervision. Of course, Dr. Luke denied everything. This court battle, overseen in the New York Supreme Court, lasted until mid 2017. Around this time, Sony broke ties with Dr. Luke, cutting him from RCA Records.^ It was also around this time that Kesha wrote her single "Praying".

"Praying" is her first song released from her upcoming album, Rainbow, and the first song released after her legal battle. At first listen, you can hear how far she has come and the pain in her voice, but once you watch the music video alongside of it, you see the true message behind it. The entire song is about Dr. Luke. The first verse in itself is evident enough. Match it with her creativity, and you will see who this was meant for.

She starts the video lying in a coffin surrounded by two pigs and on a raft, asking if she's dead, why everyone abandoned her, and if there was a god. It then cuts to her at a piano, and the interesting part is most of the first verse is in black and white, with monochromatic blues. As soon as she hits the chorus, the colors start to flood in, making the world seem normal again. You then see her throwing colors in the air, almost like she is celebrating Holi, a celebration at the beginning of every March in India and Nepal, also called "Festival of Color" and "Festival of Love", which works with the theme of this music video. We also see a giant monument with the words "God Is Love" painted on the front, and her climbing to the top to pray. This is her finding her faith and accepting it back into her life. At the very end, the words "The Beginning" are shown across the screen, before fading to black. It's truly a journey of the self and what one's self can accomplish by taking their life into their own hands, which is exactly what Kesha has done.

Possibly one of the most symbolic scenes in the entire video is when she is lying on her raft in a black and white shot, and a rainbow bird flies up next to her. The bird is used to symbolize liberation, finding your voice, and strength and honor (Maori tradition). ^^The rainbow aspect is in reference to her upcoming album entitled Rainbow. From this point on, she is seen being as free as possible throughout the video, running with a flag, throwing the colors, and smashing derogatory phrases painted on assorted televisions sets.

The song itself can be helpful for anyone. Those who have been a victim of rape, rape culture, or any form of an abusive relationship or situation can find power in this song. You can find one lyric, and you'll have a vivid memory to match it. Her breaking from the tangled net in the video is symbolic of her getting out of her situation with Dr. Luke. This is the new power anthem for anyone who wants someone to know that they are so much more powerful without that destructive person in their life. Much like Kelly Clarkson's "What Doesn't Kill You", this has the same energy and fierceness that society has been missing for years.

Kesha, once a party girl, now rules the world with such grace and dignity, and for that, she deserves so much respect.

^Information found on Kesha v. Dr. Luke: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kesha_v._Dr._Luke

^^Bird facts: https://whatismyspiritanimal.com/spirit-totem-powe...