After four years of musical silence, Kesha released a new song called “Praying” on Thursday. It’s the first single off of her upcoming album, Rainbow, which is set to release August 11. However, none of this could happen without Dr. Luke, producer and former CEO of Kemosabe Records, signing off, HelloGiggles reports.
Kesha and Dr. Luke have been in a legal battle for quite some time now. Kesha has claimed that the label has been preventing her from releasing new music; she’s also accused Dr. Luke of rape and emotional abuse. While their legal fight is still ongoing, Kesha’s creating new music (she has two more albums in her contract with Kemosabe), but following the release of “Praying,” Dr. Luke made a point to publicize the fact that Kesha is still under his thumb.
A spokesperson for Dr. Luke told Billboard, “There was no change in Kesha’s contractual recording obligations—she has not succeeded on any legal claim or motion to avoid them. Instead, she was always free to record and refused to. Now, as legally required all along, the album was released with Dr. Luke’s approval by Kemosabe which is a joint venture label of Dr. Luke and Sony.”
This must be a really emotional time for Kesha; I’m just hoping for the best for her and her music.