Kesha is back and better than ever.
Despite her ongoing legal battles with music producer Dr. Luke, Kesha is back with "Praying," her first single in four years. In a Twitter video Wednesday, Kesha told her fans, "Your support and love and kindness has gotten me through hands-down the hardest time of my entire life."
"Praying" is her Kesha's solo effort since her 2013 Deconstructed EP, and her first single since "True Colors," her 2016 collaboration with Zedd. In an essay for Lena Dunham's Lenny Letter published Thursday, Kesha wrote about her comeback and the many setbacks she's faced over the years. With "Praying," she wrote, "I have channeled my feelings of severe hopelessness and depression, I've overcome obstacles, and I have found strength in myself even when it felt out of reach. I've found what I had thought was an unobtainable place of peace. This song is about coming to feel empathy for someone else even if they hurt you or scare you. It's a song about learning to be proud of the person you are even during low moments when you feel alone."
Kesha added, "It's also about hoping everyone, even someone who hurt you, can heal."
As she awaits her day in court, Kesha admitted she felt "really, truly depressed," like she had "nothing" to live for—until she turned to prayer, that is. "This song is about me finding peace in the fact that I can't control everything—because trying to control everyone was killing me," she said. "It's about learning to let go and realize that the universe is in control of my fate, not me."
"It's from our darkest moments that we gain the most strength. There were so many days, months even, when I didn't want to get out of bed. I spent all day wanting to go to sleep, and then when I did fall asleep, I had horrible night terrors where I would physically cry and scream through the dark. I was never at peace, night or day. But I dragged myself out of bed and took my emotions to the studio and made art out of them," said Kesha, who will release Rainbow Aug. 11. "And I have never been happier with a body of work as I am with this record."
"I hope this song reaches people who are in the midst of struggles, to let them know that no matter how bad it seems now, you can get through it. If you have love and truth on your side, you will never be defeated," the 30-year-old singer-songwriter said. "Don't give up on yourself."
Kesha thanked songwriters Ben Abraham and Ryan Lewis, as well as music video director Jonas Åkerlund. "In the past couple of years, I have grown into a strong, independent woman. I have realized through this long journey of ups and downs that if I'm lucky enough to have a voice that people listen to, then I should use it for good and for truth. I've battled intense anxiety and depression, a relentless eating disorder, and all the other basic bulls--t that comes with being human. I know I'm not alone in that battle," she wrote. "Finding the strength to come forward about these things is not easy, but I want to help others who are going through tough times."
With the release of "Praying," Kesha promised, "This is just the beginning."
"I am so happy and grateful to begin sharing all the music I have been writing with the world. I've written a record that reveals my vulnerabilities, and I have found strength in that. In the past, I've always felt like I was trying to prove something, trying to be someone I thought people wanted me to be, but on this record, I'm just telling the truth about my life," the "Tik Tik" singer wrote in conclusion. "This album is me. The most raw and real art I have ever created, and now it's my gift to you. I hope you love it. Thank you for not giving up on me."