Kesha declares her independence on “Rainbow”

Megan Mosquera/Contributing Writer

If ever there was an album dedicated to self improvement, Kesha’s latest album, “Rainbow,” would be it. Not only is it painfully emotional but it’s also bold, without holding back or hiding behind any boundaries. This album reveals Kesha, who was previously known as Ke$ha but now has reinvented herself, real feelings like she has been unable to before, capturing not only her anger and trauma but also her growth.

Her newfound voice and strength is unleashed, and she makes it evident like the “motherf—— woman” she is.  She successfully captures a variety of songs from her passionate lyrical depth to her instrumental/vocal range.

While as a pop artist her songs have never been too emotionally explorative, this album has a personal reasoning behind almost every word. With catchy hooks and beats, “Rainbow” has a captivating essence that only the woman who wrote “Tick Tock” can replicate.

There is such a direct link between her fears, goals, accomplishments and personality in this album that it can be heartbreaking to hear, considering the abuse she has experienced in the past several years. Her legal battle against her producer and alleged rapist Dr. Luke, began in 2014 after she found courage in rehab. Her lawsuit was for sexual assault and battery, sexual harassment, gender violence, emotional abuse and violation of California business practices.

She wanted to be freed from her contract with Dr. Luke and Sony Entertainment. Tragically, although typical for the industry, the court never ruled in her favor and she dropped charges in 2016 because it was causing too much emotional exhaustion. She is still not free from her contract with Sony Entertainment, however, they severed ties with Dr. Luke and this is what granted her the creative license to write “Rainbow.”

Her ability to withstand so much and still be as triumphant as she is in this album is astonishing. She shows so much power, control and expertise over her own sound that even though the individual songs are seemingly incompatible with each other, they flow as seamlessly as water. From “Praying” to “Godzilla,” each song carries a definition and truth about who Kesha really is. Now that she has a platform to say what she really means, it’s raw. It’s such an unmistakably honest album and what makes it all the more impressive is that even after everything she’s been through, her feelings are bright and full of love.

In her raunchy tone, she is able to be herself and give her music more credibility than before. The combination of ridiculous and silly songs with hard-hitting melodies and tear-stained lyrics is so poignant and fitting that one is left in awe of how expansive it is. Every single song just adds to the well-rounded album. It is so saturated with her personality, it spills over. In the several samples of her in conversation within songs such as “Boots” and “Praying,” she shares her thoughts and guides us towards understanding on who she has struggled so much to become.

The first song released from this album was “Praying” and to this day, it still stuns me. Hoping that the person who hurt you is no longer causing you harm, but also reflecting on their behaviour and bettering themselves is very strong, selfless and mature concept. The song shows anger and bitterness but also forgiveness and self-assurance. Kesha shows a new vocal range most people never expected, as well as a beautiful ballad which is so different from her other glitter glam.

“Rainbow” and “Learn to Let Go” follow suit and enunciate Kesha’s overcoming. Many other songs such as “Old flames,” “Hunt You Down” and “Boots” have a more country feel which is a return to her roots and original aspirations because she is moving on to succeed in what she loves. This newfound freedom is documented in every silly song such as “Boogie Feet” and “Godzilla.” Their carefree tone shows she has nothing more important to do than to be herself and have fun doing so.

Kesha is an inspiration to people who have suffered similar body dysmorphia or abuse like she has. Her energy is moving and a lot of people will find solace in knowing that if she can let go and find her self-acceptance, so can they. Her constant reminders throughout the album about being stardust show us that even with our flaws we are perfect, and nobody can take that away. Some of her own stardust is on each of these tracks. With explosive ballads and interchangeable sweet and simple songs, there is something beautiful for everyone. “Rainbow”  is one of the most beautifully crafted albums about recovery I have ever heard.

Photo retrieved by Flickr.