Long regarded as pop music’s resident party animal, Kesha is now dead-set on slowing down and speaking up. Since debuting on the hook of Flo-Rida’s mega smash “Right Round” in 2009, and basically inventing TikTok, Kesha has released five albums—two of which debuted at number one.
LISTEN NOW: Broken Record — Kesha
Until very recently, she was involved in a decade-long court case with her former producer and label head. Somehow despite the bitter legal battle and a public struggle with an eating disorder, Kesha has remained steadfast in sharing her art with her fans, who she affectionately refers to as her “animals.”
On the latest episode of Broken Record, Kesha talks with Justin Richmond about how working with Rick Rubin on her new album Gag Order provided the safe space she has longed for when making music, as well as how she channels Dolly Parton, Iggy Pop and Beyoncé when she’s in promotion mode, and more.
Revealing she has a “holy trinity of people I pray to when I get an interview question,” Kesha shared her thought process goes — “how do I answer this really sincerely, and kind, and genuine and speak from the heart,” she channels Dolly Parton. “If I’m like now’s the time to be a little c***,” she channels Iggy Pop. “And then when you’re just like above it all, and you’re just like the most powerful b**** in the world, then I’m Beyoncé.”
Recalling a time in Catholic school as a young girl, when she got her hand slapped for wearing the boys' uniform instead of the girls, Kesha expressed that she still hasn’t received an answer for the question that bewildered her back then — “if the boys can do it, why can’t I do it?”
Agreeing with Justin that their in fact is no good answer, despite going down “all the rabbit holes” to try and find one, Kesha shared that it was actually advice from Rick Rubin that helped her recognize she doesn’t have to “find a boundary and push.”
“If it doesn’t make sense to me, I just don’t understand the concept of just shutting the f*** up — and like it is what it is. Which is something Rick Rubin, who I did this record with, he said that to me a couple of times and it like blew my mind… It’s just like what are you gonna argue with that, it is what it is.”
She continued, “I would be freaking out about something, and he could just laugh and say ‘it is what it is,’ and I’m still trying to reach that level of acceptance in life of just — it is what it is.”
Also recalling how nervous she was at the beginning stages of working on the project with Rick, Kesha admitted to obsessively asking the famed producer if he’s prone to quitting projects and if he was going to quit hers. “I was just so nervous I wasn’t gonna be able to deliver the goods,” Kesha said, noting in return Rick, “was so patient and so kind.”
For all that and more including fun tidbits like how early in her career Kesha lived in a castle with roommate Devendra Banhart, listen to the entire episode above.
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