Kesha has been through hell over the past few years, so she might as well start raising it.
The singer has blessed us all with her new single, “Raising Hell,” featuring Big Freedia off her forthcoming fourth studio album, which arrives Jan. 10, 2020.
While Kesha may have dropped the money sign from her name (and hopefully reconsidered her whiskey-infused dental hygiene regimen) since we first met her, she’s still the life of the party, even while she’s fighting for her own.
With a key assist from the Queen of Bounce herself, “Raising Hell” is a rallying cry of resistance steeped in classic Kesha refrains ― “But I don’t wanna go to heaven without raising hell,” she sings in the chorus. The single fuses the party pop sensibilities from her “Animal” days with the deep emotional truths revealed on her most recent album, “Rainbow” to deliver what amounts to both her most radio friendly and authentic effort to date.
“I’m all fucked up in my Sunday best / No one can shame me ‘cause I love this dress,” she sings on the track, which she co-wrote with Wrabel, Sean Douglas and Stint. “Hungover, how’d it go? Holy mess / Doin’ my best, bitch, I’m blessed.”
The Luke Gilford-directed music video filmed with a retro, ’80s aesthetic ― let’s all take a moment to appreciate the hair ― features the singer as a celebrity televangelist with the power of healing hands and a reverent congregation. But behind the scenes, the character lives with a physically abusive husband who turns her heaven into hell.
Ahead of the song’s release, Kesha explained what this new era represents to her as an ever-evolving artist.
“I’m so excited to share my new music with y’all. I feel like this time around I’ve reclaimed my love of life,” she wrote on Instagram. “And I’ve decided to ‘fight for my right to party’ ... on my own terms!!”
Watch Kesha’s “Raising Hell” music video below.