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Kesha's Performed 'Praying' at the 2018 Grammys, and People Are Calling It the Best of All Time


Kesha‘s “Praying” brought the world to its knees on Sunday night. After the Rainbow singer took the Grammys stage to perform her power ballad, which was nominated for “Best Pop Solo Performance” (and lost to Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You,” to the disappointment of many) at the ceremony, there wasn’t a dry eye to be found in either the TV audience or among the viewers at home.

The performance was made even more special since it marked Kesha’s first performance outside of her tour since she took a brief break from music in 2014. Camila Cabello, Cyndi Lauper, Julia Michaels, Bebe Rexha, and Andra Day, all dressed in head-to-toe white, joined Kesha, who wore a white suit embroidered with rainbow-colored flowers, on stage for the song. Along with a team of talented backup singers, also clad in white getups, the group belted out the emotional ballad together before gathering together around Kesha in a tearful group hug.

The tear-jerking performance was clearly linked to the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements. “Praying” is believed to be about Kesha’s as a survivor of abuse at the hands of producer Dr. Luke (né Lukasz Gottwald), who allegedly emotionally, sexually, and physically abused the singer in 2014. Though a judge dismissed most of Kesha’s complaints in an April 2016 trial, leaving her contractually obligated to remain under Dr. Luke’s Kemosabe label, she still created 2017’s Rainbow on her own terms and with the inclusion of songs like “Praying,” a triumphant ballad in which she encourages her tormentor to seek redemption.

Fans shared their love for Kesha on Twitter. “MS KESHA DID WHAT SHE HAD TO DO,” one wrote. “KESHA IS SO PRECIOUS SHE FOUGHT TO GET HERE I CANT AKDLDOSP #GRAMMYS,” another added.

The “Praying” performance wasn’t Sunday night’s only tribute to Time’s Up. Ahead of the 2018 Grammys, dozens of artists pledged to wear white roses to the ceremony in support of the movement against sexual abuse and misconduct in the entertainment industry and beyond. “We choose the white rose because historically it stands for hope, peace, sympathy and resistance,” the newly formed Voices in Entertainment organization wrote in an open letter. Kesha joined fellow musicians Kelly Clarkson, Halsey, Rita Ora, and many others in wearing white roses on Sunday’s red carpet.





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Kesha's Performance at the 2018 Grammys Will Reportedly Reflect the #MeToo Movement


Kesha made a triumphant return to music last August when she released Rainbow, her first album in five years. The record is significant and powerful for several reasons: Chiefly, it’s her first effort without production credits from Dr. Luke, the hit-maker whom she sued for emotional and physical abuse in 2014. This lawsuit put Kesha’s music career in limbo for years; she was still contractually bound to Dr. Luke’s label, Kemosabe, but didn’t want to work with him. And while Rainbow was released under Kemosabe—and a judge dismissed several of Kesha’s claims against Dr. Luke in April 2016—it’s still inspiring that Kesha made this record on her terms and her way for the first time ever. She persevered.

Her story feels especially poignant right now, given the shift happening in our culture. Last fall, millions of women used the #MeToo hashtag to share their stories of sexual misconduct; in early January, a group of women in Hollywood launched the Time’s Up movement to end harassment and gender inequality at work. Kesha came forward roughly three years before these movements began. She was standing on her own, but now she has an army rallying behind her.

And her performance at the 2018 Grammy Awards on Sunday (January 28) will reportedly reflect this: Ken Ehrlich, a producer for the Grammys, told Yahoo! that Kesha is performing her ballad “Praying” at this year’s ceremony, and she’s making a big statement with it.

“I can tell you, obviously, that Kesha’s performance is definitely going to reflect what has happened to her in the past couple of years,” Ehrlich said. “‘Praying,’ that is what that song is all about, and that’s what she’s going to perform on the show. We are going to do something a little bit different with it. I think people will come away with the sense that we are supporting or allowing the artist to make a statement.”

If true, Kesha’s performance will no-doubt be one of many statements about #MeToo and Time’s Up made throughout the evening. Awards season this year has been less about glitz and more about raising sexual harassment awareness, which is incredible. The Screen Actors Guild Awards, Golden Globes, and Critics’ Choice Awards were all filled with impactful speeches, and the Grammys should be no exception.

We’ve reached out to Kesha’s team for comment on this story and will update when they respond.

Related Stories:

With Rainbow, I Feel Like I’m Hearing Kesha for the First Time

Kesha Just Got the Most Powerful Message Tattooed on Her Fingers

Kesha on Her Friendship With Taylor Swift: She Is a “F-cking Sweetheart”



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