- 2023-05-21
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MUSIC
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Kesha Releases New Album “Gag Order”
American singer-songwriter Kesha released her fifth studio album “Gag Order” on May 19, 2023 via Kemosabe Records/RCA Records.
It is her first album in three years since the 2020 album “High Road”.
The album comprises 13-track, in which she worked with producer Rick Rubin, as well as others including Stuart Crichton, Jason Lader, Hudson Mohawke, Jussifer, Drew Pearson, and Stint.
The 11th track “Only Love Reprise” features guest appearances from her mother Pebe Sebert and her eight-year-old niece Luna.
The cover art for the album was designed by Brian Roettinger, who also worked on the album artworks for “Rainbow” and “High Road”.
Her previous album “High Road” was released right before the pandemic hit in 2020.
At that time, she worried that no one would listen to the new album. But she felt the light when all feels lost.
Kesha wrote about the album by herself on Nylon, “After my last album was released right before the pandemic hit, I went into quarantine feeling very lost. There was no tour, so the album that I had just made kind of felt like it hit a wall as soon as it entered the world. If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound? If an artist creates a piece that no one knows exists, are they still an artist? One night while laying in bed, I was unable to sleep. Then it happened. I felt a wave of golden light pass through my body. A sense of peace. I began to hear what I think of as my true self, my consciousness and soul speak to me.”- 4iz1_ps7ePs
She continued, “I wanted to make an album that sounds the way my head feels. Dipping in and out of depression, gratitude, rage, and hope. Always moving. Without the darkness, there is no light. So I let my darkness have the light. I can't fight the truth. Life is difficult and painful. It is for everyone. An artist doesn't exist to make others happy. I believe an artist gives voice, motion, color to the emotions we all have. The good emotions, and the unmanageably f*cking miserable ones.”
She added, “Working with Rick Rubin was a divine gift. Following the creation of the first song, he allowed me to explore emotions that were too intense to explore on my own. I felt anger. I felt sad. I felt broken, and he helped me put my pieces back together. I have given voice to the pain. I finally acknowledged it and let it dissolve into being a piece of me instead of my enemy. Every day is its own journey. I'm not fixed and I may never be. Or maybe there is nothing to fix. But I want people to know they aren't alone in their head. This album has been handcrafted with so much transparency and care, and I hope it connects with those who need it.”-
Kesha said of the song, “Only Love Can Save Us Now”
“I have had an overwhelming dichotomy of emotions, oscillating between pain and love. Chaos and love. Fear and love. I wanted my song 'Only Love Can Save Us Now' to sonically, lyrically, and emotionally reflect the severity of my mental pendulum swings. The world is so overwhelming sometimes. It requires a moment of surrender. The ludicrosity of life can make you crazy. If anything, IF ANYTHING, can save us, I believe only love can. This song is a desperate and angry prayer. A call to the light when all feels lost.”
Photo by Vincent Haycock - source : Apple Music
