Trigger Warning: This article includes discussion of alleged sexual assault, with details.
Kesha reflected on her career struggles and explained how her 2023 album Gag Order helped her break away from her recording contract with Dr. Luke. The 39-year-old pop singer said, “That album performed on the charts so poorly that it led to my freedom.”
How Kesha turned a career setback into a new beginning
On the July 15 episode of Las Culturistas, titled The Gospel of the Goose, the TikTok singer discussed her fifth studio album, Gag Order. She spoke with co-hosts Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers. The album was released on May 19, 2023. According to The Blast, she said the album performed poorly on the charts. However, that outcome ultimately gave her “freedom.”
She said, “Like, at the time I was like, ‘That’s so interesting.’ Like every album I’d put out before that had been like a top 10 or something, and then this came out, and I was like, ‘Oh, damn.’” Kesha said she did not expect the album to match the success of hits like Tik Tok. Still, its performance surprised her. She added that she loved the music and the creative process. Kesha also said anyone who did not connect with Gag Order “wasn’t that cool.” She believed the album was “so good.”
However, that was not the case. After signing with Dr. Luke’s Kemosabe Records in 2005, Kesha’s relationship with the producer became the subject of legal disputes. In October 2014, she accused him of sexual assault, battery, and emotional abuse. In a lawsuit, she also claimed that he drugged and sexually assaulted her.
Despite the allegations, Kesha remained bound to the contract and released several albums through the label. Gag Order became her final album obligation before parting ways with the company in December 2023. That same year, her representative confirmed to Variety that she had parted ways with longtime manager Jack Rovner. The statement said, “Jack Rovner confirms, after 16 years, Kesha and Vector Management have agreed amicably to part ways, with much love and respect.”
Kesha has released more than 70 recorded songs. She is currently touring North America with her Freedom Tour. The tour began on May 23 and will end on August 30 in Noblesville, Indiana.
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