Kesha is more glittery than ever in the trailer for her new studio album, “High Road.” The eclectic clip, released Monday, heralds the coming of Kesha’s first album since 2017’s “Rainbow.”
Amidst vintage clips of the American landscape and snippets of new songs, Kesha explains what to expect during a sit-down interview.
“I’ve seen the light: life is like driving across the country in a pretty small Astrovan, with your whole family in it, for 90 years,” she says. “Because I think life is a vacation from where we go when we die.”
The trailer features clips that hint at upcoming music videos. In one scene, a brunette Kesha rocks a pink silk nightie and dances through a supermarket aisle of “Magic Cereal.” In another, she’s sporting a Dolly Parton-esque wig and parading as a Christian minister. Paying homage to “The Shining,” two identical twins dance menacingly at Kesha in a different scene.
“When I made ‘Rainbow,’ I was in a very different headspace,” the Grammy-nominated star says. “I had to address some very serious things. But now, on my new record, I revisit my roots of pure and utter debaucherous joy. Kesha got her balls back, and they’re bigger than ever. So have a good time while you’re on this road trip from hell.”
Those serious things are, of course, her ongoing legal battle with her former producer Dr. Luke.
In October 2014, Kesha sued Dr. Luke to void all of their contracts due to how, the suit claimed, Dr. Luke “sexually, physically, verbally, and emotionally abused [Kesha] to the point where [she] nearly lost her life.” After Dr. Luke countersued, a New York judge denied Kesha an injunction that would’ve allowed her to record music apart from Sony and Dr. Luke. While she no longer works directly with Dr. Luke, Kesha is still signed to his label, Kemosabe.
The “High Road” trailer ends with a Kesha-shaped candle burning in reverse, rebuilding itself.
Kesha’s latest release was a June single entitled “Rich, White, Straight Men,” which she “leaked” to YouTube before her label released it to digital services. It hasn’t been revealed whether the song will be included in the forthcoming album.