CINCINNATI -- Kesha could hardly finish singing her deeply personal hit “Praying” at a concert Wednesday night.
“This song is for anybody out there who needs it,” she said as she took the mic.
But by the end of the song, Kesha cried and clutched her chest as fans waved hearts bearing the words “thank you."
Kesha released the song “Praying” last year after a civil lawsuit with producer Dr. Luke. The 2014 suit alleged Dr. Luke “drugged, emotionally abused and sexually assaulted” Kesha, CNN reported.
Dr. Luke denied the claims, but Kesha and her legal team sought to break her contract with Kemosabe Records and Sony Music Entertainment so she could continue her career with a different label. The New York Supreme Court in 2016 denied an injunction related to the case, which sparked outrage among Kesha fans and activists alike.
She released her third studio album, “Rainbow,” in August 2017, with “Praying” as her lead single. It was the artist’s first hit in four years.
Kesha performed “Praying” at the 2018 Grammy Awards alongside Cyndi Lauper, Camila Cabello, Andra Day, Julia Michaels, Bebe Rexha and the Resistance Revival Chorus as the #MeToo movement was gaining momentum.
“after everything you've done I can thank you for how strong I have become”
thank you to the @RecordingAcad, the women on stage with me tonight, and everyone who has supported me through this whole journey. pic.twitter.com/43gOsofL0S— kesha (@KeshaRose) January 29, 2018
The Adventures of Kesha and Macklemore tour began in Phoenix on June 6 and is scheduled to end in Tampa on August 5.