Praying

Kesha's first solo release in almost four years, the long delay was caused by the singer's high-profile legal battle with producer Dr. Luke, during which she was barred from releasing new music. (Apart from being the featured vocalist on a 2016 revised version of Zedd's cut "True Colors").

The powerful gospel-like ballad finds Kesha reflecting on how she overcame her despair and found peace during this difficult period. She explained in an essay on the Lenny blog, which was posted on the same day as the song's release. "'Praying,' my first single in almost four years, comes out today. I have channeled my feelings of severe hopelessness and depression, I've overcome obstacles, and I have found strength in myself even when it felt out of reach," Kesha wrote. "I've found what I had thought was an unobtainable place of peace. This song is about coming to feel empathy for someone else even if they hurt you or scare you." "It's a song about learning to be proud of the person you are even during low moments when you feel alone," she continued. "It's also about hoping everyone, even someone who hurt you, can heal."

Kesha wrote the song with producer Ryan Lewis, who is best known for being Macklemore's regular collaborator. Lewis first started working on the gospel-tinged ballad in the first half of 2016 when he was on tour. He told Billboard magazine: "I had the foundational verse piano, drums, the song's escalation, it felt like a huge female ballad waiting to happen. My wife Jackie is the one who thought it would be perfect for Kesha."