At Monica Lewinsky’s Podcast, the musician talks about the mental and emotional pain she has faced over a decade – and with which she continues to deal today
During your long judicial battle against Dr. Luke, Kesha He lived in two separate realities, pretending to be just one. In one of them, she was stuck in a dispute with the producer, born Lukasz Gottwaldwho sued her for defamation after her action – alleging sexual, physical and emotional abuse – was rejected largely because she was considered too old. In the other reality, she still delivered music to his seal, the KEMOSABE RECORDSand introduced herself singing songs with her own voice – a voice on which she had no legal rights – for audiences full of fans and supporters.
During your participation in the podcast Claimfrom Monica Lewinskywhich airs in full today, the artist speaks frankly about the mental and emotional pain that this dichotomy caused inside her.
In an exclusive stretch of the episode, Kesha He says, “In my head, it seemed the greatest mental confusion of all time.” At the time, the KEMOSABE RECORDS controlled the promotion, budgets, releases and other aspects related to your catalog, which included their first five studio albums, Animal (2010) until Gag Order (2023). “The recordings of my voice did not legally belong to me in the universe, for all eternity,” she says. “The only way to get out of this contract was to deliver the song, so everything was very strange.”
Kesha It admits that the experience is still difficult to process. “Like, I’m doing what I love to do. I’m one of the best in the world in this. I have all these amazing fans, they want me to win. I’m making it happen,” she says on the stretch, “But it was such a big mental confusion … It still makes me puzzled, because it kind of makes no sense as the legal system can just watch it and say, ‘Ah, okay’.” She says she knew her fans cared, but sometimes it was hard to believe someone else cared.
“It seemed inhuman. And then, in the middle of all this, it’s like: go on stage, smile and sing ‘tiktok’,” adds Kesha.
And I did that, because I want my fans to have a beautiful place to connect with each other. But I was dying. I was really dying inside. And it seemed – and I know it’s not true – but at the time it seemed that no one cared. And it was hard, and it lasted a long time, which was all intentional, I understand that. My heart will probably continue to open in pieces for a long time. It will be in micro tears until I could be who I was again.
The singer is moving on with a new phase, even if her healing process is still underway. Last week, she launched Periodstylized as the punctuation sign (.), your first album as an independent artist. For the first time since he was 18, his voice belongs only to herself.
“The taste of Kesha POP experimentation is in full flowering in Period. – Your indie debut well timed for the expected mainstream burst of the genonist genus, neon colors and everything together known as Hyperpop, ”wrote the Rolling Stone in a review of the album. “Framed for thoughtful moments, Period. It’s a vibrant pop disk that has fun throwing things on the wall to see what glues-and also enjoying any mess that may arise from a less successful throw. ”
This article was originally published by Rolling Stone USA by Larisha Paul on July 8, 2025, and can be checked here.
+++ Read more: “I believe in you,” says Kesha to Cassie Ventura after Diddy’s trial
+++ Read more: Kesha says she found the song ‘Tik Tok’ ‘too dumb to be released
+++ Read more: Kesha promises to reformulate the music industry in 10 years: ‘No one else will go through what I went through’
Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
