Kesha’s new song is back and gives a glimpse into her 2000s personality; watch here

In her first song since settling her lawsuit with Dr. Luke, the pop star revives her party girl persona from 2009. “Joyride,” released on Independence Day on Kesha Records, begins with her skipping a boring party to have some fun.

In the lively chorus, Take It Off singer Kesha delivers classic lines reminiscent of her early work and references Mean Girls with a line about going for a spin. Later in the track, she emphasizes her role as a dominant figure.

Kesha releases Joyride as the first single from the upcoming album

“Joyride” is the first single from Kesha’s upcoming sixth album, which she teased on social media with the caption, “Freedom, I’ve been waiting for you.”

Kesha left Kemosabe Records in December 2023 after releasing her final must-have album, Gag Order, in May. Gag Order was not commercially successful, barely making it into the Billboard 200, a stark contrast to her successful 2010 debut album, Animal, which reached No. 1.

The public feud between Kesha and Luke began in October 2014, when she sued him, accusing him of drugging and raping her, which led to her eating disorder. Luke, whose real name is Lukasz Sebastian Gottwald, denied the allegations and sued Kesha for defamation.

Kesha’s abuse allegations dismissed; proceedings in LA discontinued

In April 2016, a New York judge dismissed Kesha’s abuse allegations due to the statute of limitations. She then dropped a separate lawsuit against Luke in Los Angeles. The legal battle dragged on for years until they reached a confidential settlement in June 2023, avoiding a trial.

MTV award winner Kesha said only God knows what happened that night and wished peace for everyone involved. Luke maintained his innocence and said he fought vigorously for nearly a decade to clear his name and was now ready to move on. He sent his best wishes to Kesha. Luke has since worked with top artists such as Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj and has focused more on his career.