Kesha is ready to have fun again.
In her first song since settling her years-long legal battle with producer Dr. Luke, the pop star revives the carefree, party-girl persona that catapulted her to fame in 2009.
“Joyride” — notably released on Independence Day via her newly launched label, Kesha Records — begins with the Grammy nominee, 37, ditching a boring bash with her friends in search of “a good time.”
During the raucous chorus, she delivers just about every line you’d expect from a classic Kesha tune (from “Rev my engine ’til you make it purr” to “Fell from heaven / No, it didn’t hurt”) before paraphrasing “Mean Girls” villain Regina George: “Get in, loser, for the joyride.”
Elsewhere in the dance track, the “Tik Tok” singer declares, “I am mother!”
“Joyride” is the first single from Kesha’s forthcoming sixth studio album, which she has been teasing on social media for months with posts captioned, “Freedom, I’ve been waiting for you.”
The chart-topper left Luke’s label, Kemosabe Records, in December 2023 after releasing her last contractually obligated album, “Gag Order,” that May.
The experimental project was a commercial flop that barely made the Billboard 200, a stunning fall for an artist whose electric 2010 debut, “Animal,” skyrocketed to No. 1.
Kesha and Luke’s highly publicized war began in October 2014 when she sued him for allegedly drugging and raping her, which she said caused her to develop an eating disorder.
The award-winning hitmaker, whose legal name is Lukasz Sebastian Gottwald, vehemently denied any wrongdoing and promptly countersued the “Cannibal” singer for defamation.
Kesha suffered a major blow in April 2016 when a New York judge dismissed all of her abuse claims, saying they had fallen outside of the statute of limitations. She subsequently dropped a separate case against Luke in Los Angeles.
The former collaborators continued to fight in court for years before reaching a confidential settlement in June 2023 that allowed them to avoid going to trial.
“Only God knows what happened that night,” Kesha said in a statement at the time, adding that she wished “nothing but peace to all parties involved.”
Luke, for his part, reiterated that he was “absolutely certain” he was innocent, adding, “I have vigorously fought to clear my name for nearly 10 years. It is time for me to put this difficult matter behind me and move on with my life. I wish Kesha well.”
The songwriter has since gone on to work with Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj, among other top acts.
