By Danielle Silvia
Social Media Editor
Kesha released her third studio album, “Rainbow,” on Aug. 11. The album is inspired by Kesha’s “true” musical inspirations, like Iggy Pop, T. Rex, Dolly Parton, The Beach Boys and The Beatles, to name only a few. Kesha, similar to the themes of her previous albums, uses a multitude of distinct artistic outlets to express her deepest feelings about love, loss and life.
“Rainbow,” colorful in spirit and soul, keeps listeners engaged by offering a wide range of emotions in its songs.
The album opens with the song “Bastards,” a country-inspired song that’s upbeat from the get-go. The line from the first verse, “I could fight forever, oh, but life’s too short,” shines a light on Kesha’s intolerance toward bullying. “Rainbow” is also about pride, perhaps an allusion to the symbol for LGTBQ pride.
In “Woman,” Kesha connects with her female listeners.
She expresses her struggle with women’s rights and how she demands equal treatment.
She sings about the definition of womanhood derived from her personal experiences. As a woman, Kesha stresses her need for independence. The lyrics “I don’t need a man to be holding me too tight I’m a woman, baby, that’s right, I’m just having fun with my ladies here tonight” capture her message without sacrificing musical appeal.
Kesha released her third studio album, “Rainbow,” (envato elements).
Spaceship” delves into a whole new world of Kesha’s creative character –– her determination. The pre-chorus pours into the hearts of her fans with the words, “I’m waiting for my spaceship to come back to me, it’s coming back for me, And I don’t really care if you believe it’s coming back for me, yeah, been livin’ in a lonesome galaxy, but in my dreams I’ll see ‘em come and rescue me.” The song emphasizes the importance of leaving a situation that makes him or her feel unhappy or unsafe. Kesha proclaims that she is destined for bigger and better things and seeks to be surrounded by love rather than danger. By describing her spaceship as her escape into a new reality, she uses stars, the sky and alien life to describe her metaphorical life journey.
“Praying” slows things down and depicts two sides of Kesha’s personal story. Kesha expresses that she has become stronger from the pain an enemy inflicted on her. She focuses on how she found strength both during and after the relationship. On the flip side, Kesha exclaims that she does not want revenge or tension, but she does hope that her enemy has found peace. “Praying” is one of the album’s most personal songs, and a declaration of strength.
The main takeaway from the song is that with strength and faith, one can conquer anything in his or her life. Kesha and Dr. Luke, her former producer, had a rocky relationship that sadly ended in a lawsuit over defamation and a breach of contract. Kesha alleges Dr. Luke physically and sexually assaulted her.
Much of “Rainbow” is Kesha’s outpouring of emotion and creativity after the court injunction prevented her from recording new music during the lawsuit. Although Kesha has always had a rather edgy and eccentric air, she has earned a new pair of wings in her newest album.
This album will hopefully inspire Kesha’s fans to be strong and be proud of their past and future. Most of all, Kesha is proud of where she stands now and looks forward to who she strives to become, according an interview with Billboard.
“Writing songs is the only way I know how to process things,” Kesha said.
“The whole album idea and tour and everything, came from me crying and singing and playing and dreaming until my hour was up and they took the keyboard away again.”
