Kesha Dishes on Working with Rick Rubin on ‘Post-Pop’ Album ‘Gag Order’

Kesha has expressed gratitude for her experience working with record producer Rick Rubin on her new album, Gag Order. Gag Order, which was released on May 19, features 13 tracks that the “Tik Tok” singer has described as an “emotional exorcism.” 

Kesha told Apple Music 1 that working with Rubin “has now made me fall in love with music again because I remembered why we all love it and why I loved it.” Kesha’s return to music comes after having some traumatic experiences in the industry in the past.

In 2014, Kesha was sued by record producer Dr. Luke for defamation after she accused him of sexual assault. It has been announced that the actual trial for the case will now begin on July 19 of this year.

[RELATED: Kesha Reveals Songwriting Process Behind Vulnerable New Album, ‘Gag Order’]

While speaking with Zane Lowe about how working with Rubin has made her feel reinvigorated, Kesha said, it “was the first time in my life I sat with someone and they were like, ‘Let’s just make what we both think is cool.’” She added,  ”You are not being a vehicle for something that you will please others with and get paid, admiration, et cetera.”

Kesha revealed that she never truly had the kind of communication while making a record that she did with Rubin. She continued, “The whole process with Rick that blew my mind was being present in how I feel and making it come out into the song in a way that felt like it’s reflective of the feeling, a sound that reflects a feeling.”

Kesha soon stated that she has never made music for herself until now. She said, “And I just had never made art for that purpose before, like subconsciously. I didn’t really know, but in making these songs with Rick, we never once talked about singles, radio, any of it. It was just, ‘We’re making a song about how you feel.’ And that still kind of blows my mind because the entirety of my life, there was this illusion of what it was for.” 

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