NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Entertainment

Kesha's new single is brutal and beautiful

BANG! Showbiz
6 Jul, 2017 09:00 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Kesha appears in her new single for Praying. Photo/YouTube
Kesha appears in her new single for Praying. Photo/YouTube

Kesha appears in her new single for Praying. Photo/YouTube

Kesha's first single in five years tackles some big issues - and it's so powerful it's making fans cry.

The singer says Praying, her new comeback single released overnight, tackles her battle with "severe hopelessness and depression" stemming from her court case with producer Dr Luke..

The 30-year-old singer recently dropped her lawsuit against the record producer - who she claimed sexually assaulted her - after she fulfilled her contractual obligations to the producer's label Kemosabe by submitting more than 20 new songs.

Now, Kesha has turned her "low moments" into a positive with the release of her brand new single Praying which she says is about feeling "empathy" for those who "hurt or scare you".

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

It includes lyrics like: "You put me through hell / I had to learn how to fight for myself," and, "You said I was done / But you were wrong / And now the best is yet to come."

She also sings: "When I'm finished they won't even know your name."

Many fans said the song, a piano-led power ballad, moved them to tears.

the new kesha song 😭

— jacob whitesides (@JacobWhitesides) July 6, 2017

everyone needs to stop what they are doing and listen to and watch praying by kesha, please you will thank me later

— Colleen Noelle (@CNSpurlock) July 6, 2017

Praying is so raw and it's so heartbreaking hearing Kesha's pain come through in that song

— Elena Stidham | アレイナ • スティダム (@elenastidham) July 6, 2017

She said of her track: "Praying, my first single in almost four years, comes out today. I have channeled my feelings of severe hopelessness and depression, I've overcome obstacles, and I have found strength in myself even when it felt out of reach. I've found what I had thought was an unobtainable place of peace.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"This song is about coming to feel empathy for someone else even if they hurt you or scare you. It's a song about learning to be proud of the person you are even during low moments when you feel alone. It's also about hoping everyone, even someone who hurt you, can heal."

And Kesha - who hasn't released solo material since the court battle began in 2013, but did appear in a 2016 collaborative song with Zedd entitled True Colours - hopes her single will resonate with people who are "in the midst of struggles", as she urged them to never "give up".

She continued: "It's from our darkest moments that we gain the most strength. There were so many days, months even, when I didn't want to get out of bed. I spent all day wanting to go to sleep, and then when I did fall asleep, I had horrible night terrors where I would physically cry and scream through the dark. I was never at peace, night or day.

"But I dragged myself out of bed and took my emotions to the studio and made art out of them. And I have never been happier with a body of work as I am with this record."I hope this song reaches people who are in the midst of struggles, to let them know that no matter how bad it seems now, you can get through it. If you have love and truth on your side, you will never be defeated. Don't give up on yourself."

Discover more

Entertainment

Seinfeld's hug rejection is brutal

06 Jun 10:30 PM
Entertainment

Brutal: Seinfeld explains why he snubbed Kesha

09 Jun 12:00 AM

The blonde beauty has also revealed she will be releasing her third studio album Rainbow - her first since 2012 - in August.

Writing in an essay for Lena Dunham's Lenny Letter, Kesha said: "This is just the beginning. I am so happy and grateful to begin sharing all the music I have been writing with the world. I've written a record that reveals my vulnerabilities, and I have found strength in that.

"In the past, I've always felt like I was trying to prove something, trying to be someone I thought people wanted me to be, but on this record, I'm just telling the truth about my life. This album is me. The most raw and real art I have ever created, and now it's my gift to you. I hope you love it. Thank you for not giving up on me. We made it. I love you all so much."

Dr Luke, whose real name is Lukasz Gottwald, has denied Kesha's allegations.

Rainbow is due out August 11 and features appearances by Dolly Parton, Eagles of Death Metal and the Dap-Kings.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Entertainment

Lifestyle

Auckland's top chef, best new eatery crowned

02 Jun 04:38 AM
Entertainment

King's Birthday Honours: NZME Radio announcer Brian Kelly

Royals

'Thought it was a scam': Suzy Cato’s hilarious reaction to King’s Birthday honour

01 Jun 10:00 PM

Sponsored: Cosy up to colour all year

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Recommended for you
One person with critical injuries after Hamilton crash involving car and pedestrian
New Zealand

One person with critical injuries after Hamilton crash involving car and pedestrian

02 Jun 07:59 AM
'Regime of corruption': Divisive election to choose judges by vote
World

'Regime of corruption': Divisive election to choose judges by vote

02 Jun 07:13 AM
Injury blow: Warriors' Barnett sidelined for rest of NRL season
Warriors

Injury blow: Warriors' Barnett sidelined for rest of NRL season

02 Jun 07:02 AM
'We were all feeling it': Emotional tribute to slain teen at league tournament
Rotorua Daily Post

'We were all feeling it': Emotional tribute to slain teen at league tournament

02 Jun 06:59 AM
'Greatest show on earth': Dazzling aurora display may return tonight
New Zealand

'Greatest show on earth': Dazzling aurora display may return tonight

02 Jun 06:56 AM

Latest from Entertainment

Auckland's top chef, best new eatery crowned

Auckland's top chef, best new eatery crowned

02 Jun 04:38 AM

Resilience and innovation were celebrated at the annual Auckland hospitality awards.

King's Birthday Honours: NZME Radio announcer Brian Kelly

King's Birthday Honours: NZME Radio announcer Brian Kelly

'Thought it was a scam': Suzy Cato’s hilarious reaction to King’s Birthday honour

'Thought it was a scam': Suzy Cato’s hilarious reaction to King’s Birthday honour

01 Jun 10:00 PM
Dai Henwood honoured with ONZM as he prepares for surgery

Dai Henwood honoured with ONZM as he prepares for surgery

01 Jun 07:00 PM
Sponsored: Into the woods - the new biophilic design
sponsored

Sponsored: Into the woods - the new biophilic design

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search