It is that time of year again. A time to celebrate the heroes and icons in the world of music: the 60th Annual Grammy Awards. It was an event full of fashion, award speeches and memorable musical performances. One of the strongest and most inspirational performances came from Kesha while singing her hit song “Praying.”
Most people may remember Kesha from her earlier electronic pop hits like “Your Love is My Drug” and “Tik Tok.”After sexual abuse from her producer Dr. Luke, she went on a four-year hiatus from the world of music and the party scene. In 2017, Kesha returned to the spotlight with her comeback song “Praying,” a soulful ballad inspired by the abuse she endured.
At his year’s Grammys, the renewed singer took the stage after a powerful introduction from Jangle Monae about the #MeToo movement. Kesha was followed to the stage by an all-star line-up of female singers dressed in white apparel. This included Camila Cabello, Cyndi Lauper, Bebe Rexha, Julia Michaels and several members of the Resistance Revival Chorus. The performance began with an a cappella intro from the chorus, and Kesha visually poured her heart and soul into the lyrics. The song ended with the singer crying and hugging her fellow women who sang at her side. Kesha received her first Grammy nominations this year including Best Pop Vocal Album.
Kesha’s performance was filled with a fiery passion that had been boiling over the last year. After her 2014 sexual assault lawsuit was dismissed and she fell out of the industry, all of her turmoil had lead up to this moment. “Praying” has changed from a slam against her abuser into an anthem about finding peace and accepting who you are. Her album “Rainbow” contained therapy and comfort during a year when we needed it most. The song was held as a torch to a Grammys protest honoring the Time’s Up initiative to create awareness of sexual harassment and assault. This performance opened the eyes to the public about a growing issue that we are facing within our nation. With everything Kesha has been through, she deserved the spotlight and didn’t waste a minute of it.
This article first appeared in the Friday, February 2, 2018, Edition of The Echo.