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The Guardian
25-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Kesha review – a triumphant and electric return for pop's comeback kid
'What does freedom feel like?' the singer Kesha asks in voiceover early in her sold-out show at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night. The 38-year-old pop star has just opened her 'Tits Out' show with TiK ToK, the sleazy, insouciant, inescapable party anthem that rocketed her to fame in 2009, cradling a model of her own head from that time – blond, dead-eyed, distinguishable as the artist formerly known as Ke$ha by one single glitter tear. She paraded the head while gamely barreling through that first indelible, now altered, lyric – 'wake up in the morning like FUCK P Diddy' – and the IDGAF brag of brushing her teeth with a bottle of Jack (Daniels). Then she places it on an altar of empty glasses and candles and bows to a prayer of 'freedom from my past', how the 'truth will set you free'. If this all seems like a lot, somehow both cartoonishly blunt and muddled, hedonism strangely crossed with sanctity – well, that's Kesha, a millennial-beloved artist always on the bleeding edge of culture, for better and for worse. Once the 22-year-old from Nashville who rolled in on her gold Trans-Am and glittered-bombed the early 2010s with a ridiculous string of feral, slangy hits, then a cautionary tale stalled by a nearly decade-long legal dispute with her former producer, the artist born Kesha Rose Sebert has finally stepped into her role as a generational symbol on her own terms, much to the delight of a loyal crowd at the Garden, who hollered at every mention of the word freedom – and there were many – like it was a revelation. And it was – for years, Kesha represented not only the bombast, disillusionment and debauchery of youth fucked over by the 2008 financial crash, with attitude so fierce and undeniable it could make diabolical lyrics such as 'don't be a little bitch with your chit chat / just show me where your dick's at' winsome, but also the dark side of the predacious music industry. In 2014, she sued to be released from her contract with producer Łukasz 'Dr Luke' Gottwald, who convinced her to move to Los Angeles at 17, for alleged drugging, sexual assault and emotional manipulation; a protracted legal battle forced her to continue working for him, her music still released under his imprint if not with his input, until last year. . (pronounced Period), her album released this month, is her first output truly independent of Dr Luke. So you can't begrudge Kesha some pointed and grandiose words on liberation, nor for remixing the production of some of her most recognizable hits – Blow, Die Young, Timber – into something a little smoother, more mature, more her. 'I've had these songs taken from me and I want you to help me take them back tonight,' she proclaims during Act I of four murkily defined sections, before she laps the floor to a medley of tracks from Animal and Warrior in a shocking reminder of just how deep her cuts go. The choreography may be pop standard (sharp and suggestive but cold-blooded), the backing track sustaining the more vigorous dance numbers, the more conceptual moments (a straitjacket, dancers in kitty-cat mascot suits) a little too belabored, but it doesn't matter. As a statement of legacy – her auto-tuned recklessness a clear antecedent of today's Brat-green pop landscape – and as an act of reclamation, the Tits Out tour is a triumph. It's also extremely fun, Kesha's grip on the pulse of a hot banger as tight as her stage banter is loose and breezy. As with her recession pop peer Lady Gaga's Mayhem Ball, the new dance tracks flow seamlessly with the old. Red Flag, a punchy ode to being magnetized for all the wrong reasons, bends smoothly into the cheerleader taunt of Dinosaur. ('D-I-N-O-S-A, U-R a dinosaur!' remains one of Kesha's most deranged and stupidly catchy lyrics). Period's Delusional morphs so easily into the girl-on-girl punches of Backstabber that I thought it was one song. New track Attention! finds Kesha in the pocket of the mode she pioneered – taunting, headstrong, teetering on obnoxious – straight into a sick repetition of 'I'm a bitch!' with a 2010s bass so sticky it basically spells out LMFAO. No one could be still. Except, briefly, Kesha herself, when she paused on multiple occasions to celebrate her freedom with kiss-offs ('hey, look how much money you made off of me!') that would feel overdone if they weren't so hard-earned. At one point, when she mentioned being in 'year eight of litigation' ahead of the self-love track The One., I gasped – her onstage persona is so buoyant, it's easy to forget the slog. She drove the point into the stratosphere with a victorious encore; a note-perfect performance of Praying, her typically on-the-nose #MeToo ballad fantasizing a perpetrator's recognition, her voice honeyed and soaring, led to a five-plus-minute standing ovation. She let her tears flow; I shed a tear too, for a moment more raw than anything I've seen at a pop show in recent memory. 'This love is not only for me, it's for anyone who survived something they never should've had to survive,' she said. And then it's back to business, with early tracks Your Love Is My Drug and We R Who We R, and one final, perfect, very Kesha farewell: 'Have a good night!' she said with that cheeky giggle. 'And I hope … you all … get laid.'
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
With her app Smash, Kesha can be whoever she wants – even a tech CEO
Kesha – yes, brush my teeth with a bottle of Jack Kesha – is now a startup founder. But if you think her journey from raunchy pop star to CEO is unexpected, then you haven't been paying attention. Kesha has always embraced contradictions. She exploded onto the pop scene in 2010 with irreverent ear candy like 'Blah Blah Blah' and 'TiK ToK,' stylizing her name with a dollar sign despite throwing shade at the egregious wealth of Hollywood. She didn't let people dismiss her as a one-dimensional, glitter-clad party girl. As beleaguered high schoolers studied for exams amid Kesha's rise to fame, they whispered in frustration about how the world's most famous party girl got a near-perfect score on the SAT, but turned down a full-ride to Barnard College to sing about peeing in champagne bottles. The biggest contradiction of Kesha's story is that despite living the dream of a pop star on the surface, her years in the spotlight were nightmarish behind the scenes. Now, drawing from her own experience suffering at the hands of predatory record contracts, Kesha is building an app called Smash, which is a way for musicians to find one another, make music together, and establish clear, artist-friendly contracts among collaborators. Smash aims to set itself apart by using a built-in system to generate contracts between artists. The terms of the contracts depend on what each artist decides — for example, a musician may decide to license a beat for set fee, or request a percentage of royalties over time. Smash would fund itself by taking a small cut of payments made through the app. 'One of the pieces of leverage, especially over younger music creators, is you need a way into the club,' Kesha's brother and Smash co-founder Lagan Sebert told TechCrunch. 'With Smash, we want to give music creators the keys to get into this club of professionals and other creators without them feeling like they have to sign anything away, or make any large decisions about the rest of their lives.' After establishing herself as a powerhouse pop star, Kesha sued her producer Dr. Luke in 2014 for alleged sexual, physical, and emotional abuse. He immediately countersued her for defamation, sparking a high-profile legal battle and reckoning with the dark side of pop music. Though Kesha sought to get out of her recording contract with Dr. Luke, the court ruled against her, forcing her to release three more albums with him. It was only this month — on July 4, a date chosen very intentionally — that Kesha released an album without Dr. Luke for the first time. But regaining her own artistic agency isn't enough. Now that she is a fully independent artist, she wants to help ensure that other young musicians don't fall victim to exploitative record deals like she did. 'One of the things that really motivated her was when she went through this long legal battle to regain the rights to her voice, regain rights to her music,' Sebert said. 'I think the motivation behind Smash more than anything was to try to give music creators access to the community they need to create music independently.' Building the Band If Kesha and her brother were going to build an app, they were going to need some technological expertise. Years ago, Kesha attended an ACTAI Ventures event and met Lars Rasmussen, who co-founded Google Maps and was one of the first investors in design unicorn Canva. The two stayed in touch, and when it came time to build Smash, Rasmussen introduced her to Alan Cannistraro, who would become the app's CTO. Cannistraro spent over 12 years at Apple, where he worked on products for creatives like Final Cut; he also managed a team of engineers to build the first ever apps for iOS, like Remote, iBooks, iTunes, and Podcasts. He went on to start Rheo, a social video startup, but he has always had an interest in music. 'In the late '90s, when my friends were all using Napster, I was saying to them, 'What the hell, you like this music, why are you screwing the artist?'' Cannistraro told TechCrunch. 'It's always just been in my value system that artists need to be supported.' When Kesha, her brother Lagan, and Cannistraro started working together, Rasmussen became one of their first investors. Kesha even announced the app as part of Rasmussen's Panathēnea festival in Greece. 'Smash is a community platform for music creators. It's a place where you can go to connect, to create, and to hire, all while retaining the rights to what you create,' Kesha said at the festival. 'The goal is to shift the power back to the hands of the creators.' 'The contracting is safe — it's all transparent, and then you get to choose, and you get consent over where your art and where your voice goes, and how it goes into the world, all while retaining the rights to what you have just created,' she added. The Smash app remains a work in progress, intending to open to some artists later this year. But to test some of the tech tools that the company has created thus far, Smash hosted a contest where artists could submit remixes of Kesha's song 'Boy Crazy' — the five winners of the contest will have their remixes released on Kesha's record label for what Sebert calls an 'industry standard remix fee.' 'I regained the rights to my voice back for the first time in my adult life about one year ago, as a 37-year-old woman,' Kesha said at Panathēnea. 'Predatory deals like that are normal.' 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Euronews
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
Celebrity reactions to split Diddy verdict: ‘I'm gonna vomit'
Sean 'Diddy' Combs was convicted yesterday of a prostitution-related offense but acquitted of more serious counts that could have put him behind bars for life. Combs, 55, could still face a maximum of 10 years in prison. He was denied bail after being convicted, as prosecutors said Combs remains a flight risk. A hearing has been set by the judge for 8 July to discuss the sentencing process. The verdict has drawn divided reactions by his fellow celebrities. 'Oh, this makes me physically ill,' said singer Aubrey O'Day, formerly of the music group Danity Kane, on her Instagram story as she watched the verdicts come in. "Cassie probably feels so horrible. I'm gonna vomit.' Danity Kane formed on Combs' MTV reality television program 'Making the Band' and signed to his Bad Boy Records. O'Day posted a separate statement: 'The cultural weight of this decision is immeasurable. It is heartbreaking to witness how many lives have been impacted by their experiences with Sean Combs - only for those stories to fall short in the eyes of a jury." She added: "I can only hope these jurors never have to watch someone they love endure what so many survivors have described.' Une publication partagée par Rosie O'Donnell (@rosie) 'I guess a jury just never wants to believe that a woman stays because of power and coercion, wow,' wrote actress Rosie O'Donnell on Instagram. 'This decision got me angry.' Grammy-nominated singer Kesha posted the following in solitary with Cassie Ventura, Combs ex-girlfriend who testified as a witness: 'Cassie, I believe you. I love you. Your strength is a beacon for every survivor.' Kesha had previously announced that she was changing the lyric in her 2010 hit 'TiK ToK' to 'fuck P. Diddy' from the original 'feeling like P. Diddy' after the multiple allegations of sexual misconduct were leveled against Combs. Elsewhere, rapper 50 Cent, who has been a vocal critic of Combs and previously said that he would reach out to Donald Trump to prevent a Diddy pardon, posted: "Diddy beat the (RICO charge), that boy a bad man !" alongside an artificial intelligence-generated photo of himself. He also mocked Diddy and compared him to mobster John Gotti. Une publication partagée par 50 Cent (@50cent) Conversely, rapper Boosie BadAzz said in an Instagram video captioned 'GREAT DAY N HIP HOP" that the courts had spoken. 'I'm tired of seeing us Black moguls get took down like that," he said. He added that he was "tired of seeing us Black people go against us Black moguls like that.' Also on Diddy's side where some crowds outside the courthouse. Some of Combs' fans expressed enthusiasm by covering themselves in baby oil, a controversial item referenced throughout the sex-crimes case. Thousands of bottles of baby oil and lubricant were among the paraphernalia discovered during the federal raids of Combs' homes in March 2024. In one crass celebration, a woman danced around while a man poured baby oil on her – a tasteless homage to an activity at Combs' so-called 'freak-offs' and 'hotel nights.' However, the general consensus online is one of dismay. "The verdict for Diddy is a message to all women that they are not believed. Sorry to the women out there," wrote an X user. "The victims especially, they deserved better."
The Irish Sun
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Are these the most X-rated pop moments of all time? From Sabrina's filthy BRITs performance to Prince baring all
OLIVIA Rodrigo, the 1975, Lola Young, Rod Stewart, RAYE - Glastonbury is back for the 55th year, with revellers enjoying five days of show-stopping performances and heaps of booze. Indeed, 18 American singer Kesha recently sparked outrage following her ''vulgar'' performance Credit: Eroteme 18 The songstress was sporting a red latex catsuit and knee high boots as she seemingly mimicked oral sex Credit: Eroteme American singer While singing new track Boy Crazy the TiK ToK hitmaker, 38, took to her hands and knees and suggestively chomped on a banana which a male dancer held between his legs. The songstress was sporting a red latex catsuit and knee high boots as she seemingly mimicked oral sex for the fans. A clip of the read more on celebrities ''That's vulgar'', one fumed. ''Ohh she's desperate for attention,'' another slammed the artist. ''Music is support to be art not porn!! What the heck!!'' a third shamed the singer. As thousands of festival-goers are eagerly awaiting their favourite musicians and bands to take over the Worthy Farm, here are the most racy stage moments of all time - from steamy smooches to stimulating masturbation. Most read in Celebrity Making out with three dancers 18 She shocked fans when she shared a steamy smooch with a female dancer Credit: Getty Hosting the American Music Awards in Las Vegas, The surprise snogs happened as the mother-of-two, 55, writhed on stage to 18 The songstress also locked lips with a male dancer, sending social media into a meltdown Credit: Splash Country Star HARDY Cancels European Tour for Family and Crew Some branded Another viewer wrote: "Just looked up from my phone and JENNIFER LOPEZ IS KISSING A GIRL?!?!" Others then suggested the Maid In Manhattan actress had staged the routine intentionally to make ex husband Ben Affleck jealous, after their divorce was finalised. The Ain't Your Mama star stripped to a semi-sheer catsuit adorned with silver panels and jewel detail for her performance, cutting a glam figure as she styled her hair poker-straight. Foam fingers and twerking 18 Miley set hearts racing as she was seen twerking on Robin Thicke in 2013 Credit: Getty - Contributor When To achieve this, the Tennessee-born singer leaned a lot on an image change that involved a fair amount of Her new love of expression was on full display in her 2013 performance with fellow star Robin Thicke at the MTV Video Music Awards, where they sang We Can't Stop and Blurred Lines. 18 The Wrecking Ball millionaire was met with huge backlash following the vulgar performance Credit: AP:Associated Press The jaw-dropping acts featured teddy bears and many sexual innuendos involving foam fingers that made this performance controversial and shocking. Miley, who officially The Wrecking Ball millionaire was met with huge backlash, including from the Stripping to lingerie 18 The pint-sized bombshell took to the stage in a daring red sparkly lingerie Credit: Getty BRITs viewers threatened to call Ofcom as the latest pop sensation Sabrina Carpenter stripped to sexy lingerie for a very steamy performance. The 25-year-old 18 In total, the awards ceremony prompted a whopping 825 complaints to media watchdog Ofcom Credit: Alamy The Espresso star was also seen having a close encounter with a dancer dressed as a soldier wearing a bearskin hat during the show, broadcast live on ITV. Performing in revealing lace lingerie, including thigh harnesses, Sabrina - who was sat provocatively on a heart-shaped bed - embraced the innuendo-filled nature of her music. However, not everyone was impressed, with some expressing their disapproval on social media, claiming the performance was too risqué for a primetime audience. In total, the awards ceremony prompted a whopping 825 complaints to media watchdog Ofcom, with the majority involving Sabrina's pre-watershed opening performance, 'I truly hope no children were watching' 18 Grammys host Trevor Noah prepared the audience ahead of the raunchy act Credit: Getty It's the hit that got everyone talking five years ago - so it comes as no surprise that Grammys host Trevor Noah prepared the audience ahead of the raunchy act, advising: "If you have small children in the room, just tell them it's a song about giving a cat a bath." Donning a neon purple two-piece, Megan Thee Stallion, 30, then hit the stage for her verse in a tight purple one-piece. The two later appeared on a massive bed, crawling and intertwining their legs as they danced together, 18 Some social media users expressed concern for kids who may have been watching the awards show Credit: Getty But while the risqué performance earned praise from fans online, plenty of critics argued it was inappropriate. "I'm a pretty laid back person, but having WAP featured on the #GRAMMYs is absolutely disgusting and ridiculous," wrote one X - formerly known as Twitter - user. Some social media users expressed concern for kids who may have been watching the awards show. "i truly hope no children were watching the WAP performance.." said another. "WAP!! At the #GRAMMYs," chimed in someone else. ''Really where is the reserved decency and honour for our children! There's a time and place for everything ppl! This was neither for this song. No class #GRAMMYs." Three-way smooch 18 The provocative display sparked headlines worldwide and became one of the most talked-about moments in awards show history Credit: Getty Images - Getty 18 The zoom-in of Justin meant viewers at home then missed the second kiss between the Hung Up hitmaker and Christina Credit: AFP The 2003 MTV VMAs delivered a truly unforgettable opener when Madonna shared passionate snogs with Britney Spears and After the pop queen locked lips with Britney, then 22, the cameras panned to The zoom-in of Justin meant viewers at home then missed the second kiss between the Hung Up hitmaker and Christina. The provocative display, with Britney and Christina both clad in white lace corsets in a nod to Madonna's legendary 1984 VMA performance, sparked headlines worldwide and became one of the most talked-about moments in awards show history. 18 The cameras caught the reaction of Britney's ex, Justin Timberlake, during the moment Credit: Wenn Baring it all 18 Prince performed at the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards Held in Los Angeles Credit: Getty The late Purple Rain singer pushed boundaries at the 1991 MTV VMAs. During his performance of Gett Off, Prince left the audience open-mouthed with his bizarre outfit. The yellow lace costume featured dozens of cheeky cutouts revealing his bare buttocks. The daring ensemble, by Prince's costume designer Stacia Lang, used illusion fabrics to suggest nudity, creating a buzz that overshadowed even the pyrotechnics on stage. It was a shock for everyone watching — both at home and in the studio. 18 According to Stacia Lang, the controversial outfit actually offered less exposure than it appeared to Credit: MTV 'The camera seemed embarrassed,' But according to Stacia Lang, the controversial outfit actually offered less exposure than it appeared to. In the latest episode of 'The Prince Mixtape,' the master behind the ensemble explained that she used a thin, net-like fabric called marquisette to suggest exposed buttocks. 'There was a beautiful, white, pure, really heavy French lace that we took right away to the dyers and had that dyed bright citron yellow,' she said. 'And also (the dyer) had to dye up several fabrics that would create the illusion that his rear end was showing.' Festival Essentials FESTIVAL season is upon us - and if you're a camping first-timer, here's the five items you mustn't forget. Tent Sleeping bag Roll mat or air bed Camping chair Torch Work, work, work 18 Some of the moves included the ''dutty whine'' that left many in the audience hot under the collar Credit: Getty - Contributor Bronchitis may have stopped Rihanna from performing at the Grammys in 2016 but she was back on full form for a raunchy live show at the Brit Awards just ten days later. The Umbrella star and mum-of-two brought out Canadian rapper The Fenty Beauty face kicked off the steamy performance dressed in white tasseled trousers and sunnies as red and blue lights crisscrossed over her. The 37-year-old was soon joined by a troupe of black-clad, twerking backing dancers before the Hotline Bling millionaire came out for his verse. Cue plenty of X-rated moves, including the ''dutty whine'', that left many in the audience hot under the collar. The duo released the seven-minute, two-part music video for 'Work' in February 2016. The first half sees RiRi and Drake hit the dance floor in a Caribbean restaurant before getting more intimate in the club's VIP area during the second half. A leash and a dancer's face near the groin 18 The performance featured the star pulling a back-up dancer wearing a leash across the stage Credit: Getty The former contestant performed his single For Your Entertainment, which critics thought to be too frisky for an award show. The performance's production featured the Whataya Want From Me star pulling a back-up dancer wearing a leash across the stage, bringing another dancer's face near his groin, and kissing his male keyboard player. 18 Adam's raunchy performance saw over 1,500 people complain to ABC Credit: Getty Like Sabrina, Adam, 43, had more than 1,500 members of the Parents Television Council calling ABC to complain about his freedom of expression. Adam then defended the performance, 'Female performers have been doing this for years — pushing the envelope about sexuality — and the minute a man does it, everybody freaks out,' the openly gay singer said backstage at the awards show. 'My goal was not to p**s people off; it was to promote freedom of expression and artistic freedom.'
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kesha's Banana Controversy During Mighty Hoopla Explained
became the center of attention recently after her banana incident at the Mighty Hoopla Festival. The event took place in London on Sunday, June 1, 2025. Apart from Kesha, many other singers like Ciara, Loreen, Erika Jayne, and many more headlined the festival. Following her performance, many fans took to social media to call her out. So, here's everything to know about what happened with Kesha and how fans have reacted to the same. The 'TiK ToK' singer's fans recently took over social media to take a jibe at her for her recent performance at the Mighty Hoopla Pop Music Festival. As she headlined the show and took to the stage, she began performing her song, 'Boy Crazy.' It was recently released on May 16, 2025. However, what caught the attention of fans and sparked outrage was a banana moment during the performance. During the performance, Kesha chewed on a banana that was held by one of her male backup dancers. The singer crawled on her four limbs to reach the fruit and carry out the act. This caused an uproar on the internet, as even the 'Blah Blah Blah' singer's fans called her out for doing such a stunt in front of a massive crowd. Additionally, the clip of the R-rated use of the fruit immediately went viral across the internet. A fan conveyed their disappointment and wrote on X (formerly Twitter), 'I'm so disappointed in my fave why would she do this.' Another user stated, 'I literally threw up seeing this.' Meanwhile, a third user named @xcxsuspended3 commented, 'She is so gross.' Moreover, another user named @SamEdwa27753563 wrote, 'This was the only song I liked among the songs she released recently, and after watching this performance, I hate the song now. Wtf was she doing? A DULL performer.' Despite all the criticism of her performance at the Mighty Hoopla festival, Kesha has not yet made any statement on the same. The post Kesha's Banana Controversy During Mighty Hoopla Explained appeared first on - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.
