Kesha Has Earned the Right to Be Crazy

For the first time in Kesha’s career, the only person she’s answering to is her own damn self. This summer, following a lengthy legal battle against her former producer Dr. Luke — whom she accused of sexual assault in 2013 — the singer-songwriter dropped “Joy Ride,” her first single as an independent artistIn 2013, Kesha accused Dr. Luke of sexual assault. The duo reached a settlement in June 2023. Though the terms of it were not made public, it likely means Kesha can only speak about her history and trial with Dr. Luke in nonspecific terms. under her newly established label, Kesha Records. (The 37-year-old star had been contractually obligated to release five studio albums under Luke’s record company, which she fulfilled with her last project, 2023’s Gag Order.) “It’s crazy that it’s taken this long to get to this point in my life, but I feel like this is my first single,” she says. “I’m so happy people have stuck around for the whole messy ride.”