She’s officially free and she is back tenfold, Kesha exudes confidence in her absolutely incredible debut independent release, titled “JOYRIDE”. We’re totally hopping in for the joyride of our lives and Kesha is really only getting started, be prepared for her to unleash the throttle! It’s going to be a Kesha summer this year! This is her first single of 2024, acting as the follow-up to her “Gag Order (Live Acoustic EP From Space)”.
Written by Kesha, Madison Love, and Zhone, with the latter also acting as producer, this catchy new single is an explosion pop track that sets a new popular genre president, merging various styles together including electro, EDM, and hyper pop, with sprinkles of nostalgia and modern music that showcases how out-of-this-world talented this female artist truly is. Not to mention the fact that her fast-talking rap is back—something we’ve been missing from her, but we all know why—spun in a contemporary and fresh way.
It’s been a rough few years, to say the least, for this incredible woman and her fans—known as animals, but her strength and perseverance have led right up to this moment. This is what we’ve all been waiting for, Kesha included, and gosh she saved her best music for her independence and we are beyond grateful for her forthcoming era.
2024 will mark the return of Kesha to the mainstream world and her domination is set to be unleashed, globally. She is ready to prove to the universe exactly why she deserved this moment sooner and how much the past years have impacted her career because her icon and legacy are bound to soar and we’re ready to experience the joyride of a lifetime.
Showcasing her exceptional musical talent, Kesha completely shines on this track, vocally and lyrically. Not to mention the flawless production from Zhone that has a throwback style reminiscent of her first two albums, mixed with modern hyperpop and mainstream, carving a whole new genre for Kesha, alone, which is set to become a path many others will follow. The flow of the backing track sees chords from accordions, heavy synths, and percussion instruments revolving into an addictive rhythm that you can’t help but adore..
Her vocals hit home throughout, bringing a passion-fuelled fire that we all feel inside—a fire we can totally understand after all she’s been through to get to this moment. Lyrically, we see this flawless singer-songwriter return to her tongue-in-cheek metaphors as she crafts a narrative of being at a party that she’s just about to leave so that she can go and sleep with a guy, only she’s using the song’s title as a metaphor for sex. She impresses with associated lyrics to driving cars metaphorically spun around self-love and self-empowerment, giving off that free sensation.
This new single is packed with suggestive lyrics including a clever play on labels, referring to both record labels and branded clothing, with her declaration of being “bored of wearing clothes” symbolising her liberation from past constraints and adding a sexual undertone—much like the rest of the song. She also mentions how her fanbase refers to her as “Mother”—a title she is more than worthy of—reflecting their deep bond and connection. The standout line, “Get in loser, for the joyride,” references the iconic Mean Girls quote, “Get in loser, we’re going shopping.” This leaves us eagerly anticipating a possible Mean Girls-inspired music video.
Catchy, unforgettable, and flawless, Kesha’s latest release reminds us of what we’ve been missing over the past decade. Previously tied up in legal battles and contractual obligations, Kesha finally settled her lawsuits out of court last year and fulfilled her album requirements, allowing her to leave her record label. Despite the hardships of the past decade, Kesha has emerged stronger than ever and is poised for one of the biggest career comebacks we’ve seen in years—one she wholeheartedly deserves.
“JOYRIDE”, by Kesha, was officially released on Independence Day—July 4, 2024—and what a way to kick off the celebrations! The track is available to download and stream, right now, across all platforms, via Kesha Records. This marks her official debut single as an independent artist, making its release on Independence Day especially fitting.