Kesha Rose (the artist previously known as Ke$ha) covers the July issue of Teen Vogue. She’s changed her stage name to a less ironic one (the $ came from being dirt poor as a struggling musician). The kinder, gentler name arrives as Kesha remodels herself after completing rehab for an eating disorder. I’ve been worried about Kesha’s state of mind since she took a voluntary time out from the music industry. Hopefully she won’t be working with fat-shamer Dr. Luke or any of the rest of the team that nearly killed her with their demands on her physicality. Here are some excerpts from Kesha’s comeback interview:
Her rehab visit: “Let’s just get the elephant out of the room. My eating disorder is something I’ve been struggling with for a while. People will make up stories, but I went to rehab for an eating disorder–nothing more and nothing less.”
She was miserable: “Making my last record, Warrior, was a pretty miserable process, and it wore my spirit down. I was fighting like hell to keep my whole irreverent essence and everything raw and visceral that I stand for in it, but in the end I was promoting something that wasn’t the animal I wanted it to be. I decided to face my problem head-on.”
She’s not fake: “My whole message is to love who you are and accept all your beautiful imperfections. When I felt I was slipping into unloving territory with myself, I knew I had to listen to my own advice and correct it. I have a public persona where I need to be fun all the time, and I refuse to be a hypocrite. I felt I needed to get help, not only for myself but also for my fans. My worst fear in life is to be fake.”
Why she spiraled downhill: “To have a breakthrough you have to have a breakdown, and I definitely went through both of those–in hindsight, it saved my life. Things got worse because I’m in an industry where people photograph your body and zoom in and blow it up and put it on the cover of magazines, and other people make terrible comments. It really messed with my head, and I realized I couldn’t do it by myself. The decision to take control of it is the scariest thing I’ve ever done, and this is coming from someone who dives with sharks and jumps out of airplanes for fun. The whole process has made me so much stronger and ready to take my life by the horns and make a record that I’m going to be proud of and not care what anybody else thinks!”
Her new image: “I decided that maybe I do want to try to be pretty. I want to just try.”
[From Teen Vogue]
I’m interpreting Kesha’s use of the word of “pretty” as less of a physical attribute than an attitude shift. She’s not going to go out of her way to be raunchy — like when she drank her own pee and flashed her booty on Instagram. That would be excellent! I want Kesha to be about her catchy music instead of stunt-queen antics. Kesha says she wrote 14 songs with a toy Casio keyboard during her two-month rehab stint, and that sounds like a great new beginning. I wish her much luck.
Photos courtesy of Teen Vogue
I root for her. She looks great in these photos as well.
I loooove her freckles. I only ever had really faint freckles on my nose, a few on my cheeks, and on my shoulders. I always thought freckles looked so pretty.
So do I, she seems to have a fun sweet honest spirit..and fun music!
I never liked her or her attitude but I must say that she looks beautiful in these pictures. Maybe being pretty suits her.
Wow, she looks like Bridget Fonda, and I like it. She is another one, besides Britney, that I find myself rooting for. Most of the time, I’m a cynical beeeetch, but I hope she does well.
Initially, I didn’t care for her. She was posing and the poor mans lady gaga. Her whole thing seemed so gimmicky. Now, it’s obvious she was being pushed in ways that wasn’t natural for her. I applaud her for drawing a line and finding her voice and strength. When ppl are allowed to be their true artistic, authentic selves, it resonates more. I look forward to hearing her music and wish her the best.
Love the freckles. Was she always hiding them? I have never noticed them before. She is so beautiful without all that make up on her face. I’m glad she got help. I hope she is healthy and stays that way.
She looks super cool au naturale, like a sassy 70’s babe. I hope she continues this look, and I believe she could have some staying power.
She always struck me as refreshingly unpretentious and like she’d be a nice person in real life. She also always had a very nice body so I was sad to hear of the pressure on her to be thinner. Of course, I think every woman feels this, living in America. I’ve lost 25 lbs just in the last two months (and I’m 28 not a teenager) from comments made to me by my boyfriend. Worse, he’s a doctor.
Of course now he says I ‘look good’ and he ‘didn’t mean it like that’, but I wish he’d realize what comments like that can do to people. I just think it’s something men (and some women) just do not get AT ALL.
There’s really no escape from it. 🙁
Unfortunately, some people just don’t get it. I really need to lose weight. And I know that. Thankfully mine hasn’t ever said anything to upset me … but even a completely benign comment has the power to, unfortunately. There’s just so much pressure on women to look a certain way, and half the celebs are cheating to look good. Which makes the expectations ridiculous.
Good job at losing weight though! But only do it for you, and your health. My goal right now is to just get stronger/more fit. I’m trying to force myself not to think about weight as much as health. Which is horrible when shopping for wedding dresses. My street size and my gown size are QUITE different, and there was a lot of number shock at first.
Girl any time I know someone getting married I give them the dress size warning. It’s INSANE the difference. Even from one brand to the next. I was a bridesmaid recently and wore a dress that was a size bigger than my wedding dress even though I’m 20 lbs lighter than when I got married.
It’s crazy – isn’t it? I’ve gone up like 3 sizes for the gown.
And the gown I ordered in march, I just found out can’t be shipped to me. YESTERDAY. So I’m having a meltdown on that front, and need to go shopping while I wait UP TO 30 DAYS for a refund. I’m getting married in August, so I legit have to buy something that’s in stock, and live Nova Scotia without a lot of choice in bridal salons lol. I’m like one step away from curling up into the fetal position and calling it a day with the wedding lol.
Erinn: I’m just next door in NB, and I’d say: check out online shops. Save the money for a great tailor, who can modify the dress to suit you (with a shorter turn around time). I did it, my sister did it, and my friend marrying in August also did it.
And F that shop who promised a dress for next month but backed out. You’ll figure it out, and whatever you choose will be lovely.
Hey Erinn, I’m seconding Natalie – check on stores online! It’s actually overwhelming how much there is online. I’m sure you’ll find something, have it shipped to you before the wedding, and have it tailored to fit you perfectly :).
Website suggestions? i’m getting married too.
That’s a pretty short amount of time to lose so much weight–generally, 1 to 2 pounds per week is considered a healthy rate of weight loss.
Your boyfriend is a doctor and if the best he can come up with is “I didn’t mean it like that” then maybe he’s the one with the problem…a problem you shouldn’t take on and one for which you might not wish to sacrifice your health and mental well-being.
Obviously, I don’t know your situation and it really isn’t my business anyway … but 25 pounds is a lot for eight weeks and it’s sad that a doctor would precipitate such extremity with his criticism and then support it afterward with mealy-mouthed clarifications.
**On edit: I do not mean to sound like I’m criticizing you in any way. I think it’s rotten of your boyfriend to pester you so much that you end up dropping weight like a rock rather than him being supportive, using his medical knowledge to help you be healthier, and finding that the weight (as a result) comes off you slowly and steadily. So…
Yeah, I totally like her too for not fitting the pretty Barbie mold but somehow managing to make it in mainstream entertainment. She seemed like whatever she did, whatever mistakes she made, she did it for herself and not to look good for a man or whatever. I’m sorry to hear about you and your man. You really should consult a *real* doctor and work out a plan to lose weight at a healthy pace. Don’t do things because nasty people make you feel bad about not doing them.
Screw that Nona. Don’t let him make you feel a certain way, it’s a slippery slope. Nip it in the bud before it is too late.
@Nona-um, I hope you don’t take this the wrong way, but tell him to go to hell. If you lost the weight for you and you are happy and healthy, that is great. This dude sounds like a mean bastard. You sound awesome. Just sayin.
Totally feeling you there, my ex-boyfriend gave me an EO with his “no-harm-intended” comments. It’s horrendous how much power they’ve got. And I was still a teenager, which is worse.
Wishing you all the best! x
Thanks guys. I’m kind of taking my time feeling out how I think of him. I am starting to come to the conclusion that maybe he’s not a very nice person a lot of the time, which was a shock because I’d known him as a friend for 5 years. :/
Those magazines really don’t like it when young women close their mouths for photographs.
+1
She looks great, I’m getting a bit of a Patti Hansen vibe. Although I’ve never been a fan I like what she had to say and am glad she’s healthier…I’m rooting for Kesha Rose.
Yes, that’s it! Patti Hanson! I couldn’t remember her name, but that’s the face that came to my mind.
Also, in the last one, a little bit of Carly Simon, don’t you think?
🙂
Yes I can see that. The old school rocker vibe works for her.
Can people on this really say anything about body shaming? Wasn’t everyone saying how bad emma stone looks and she needs to eat?
People think that it’s fine to throw out comments about skinny people because those people fit in with society’s standards for thin so they apparently don’t have it as hard as someone who’s bigger. While that may be true to an extent, it’s still rude and unnecessary as hell.
Basically hypocrites.
It is rude and unnecessary, but I don’t think it0s the same. Not even close.
The problem with Emma, is that she was not always that slender. I personally don’t think she looks as gaunt as some people were making her out to be but the weight loss is noticeable. I don’t think it’s body shaming when people comment on a physical change.
Go Kesha! We’re rooting for you!
Here, Here!
I really dislike her as an artist, but I’m very glad she is getting healthier. She is brave to speak out and I hope she has fired every s#*% member of her team.
I find her music irritating but I wish her luck. I know how hard it is to go through it. I was body-shamed because I lost a lot of weight after my mum died. I tried to explain how I wasn’t consiously trying to lose weight but nobody believed me.
Her freckles are adorable. As someone who is covered with freckles, I love seeing other people covered with freckles.
Anyone else get a little Carly Simon vibe with this one?
I know she tried to make a better record and evolve, not recycle, but the label just basically quashed it all and it ended up her putting out the same ol same ol. nd she lost a lot of her audience as far as album sales. She can write songs but her label tried to put her in a box of writing party songs since it worked before. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it was their motto, I guess. But she ended up just sounding the same and bored people. I think that crushed her, too, as she didn’t want to make that kind of album, and then added with body issues because of the industry just sent her over the edge, I guess.
I like her music , mostly because I like to dance and her music has a dance vibe.
She looks very pretty , quite fresh and young. Good for her.
I think she’s much more talented than the music she puts out, but I do see glimpses of a deeper talent in some of her songs. Good luck to her. I like her honesty.
She looks really fresh and pretty and healthy on the cover – good for her! I love her freckles (did she used to cover them before? I don’t remember seeing them). I wish her health and good luck in her music career.
I like her and I’m glad she’s back in a positive place. It will probably be a lifetime battle and maybe someday in the distant future we can win the war against body shaming.
I like the cover and I love the black and white pic. Adore freckles on a person. A lot of people think they’re an unsightly imperfection, (I’ve actually read and heard people say it makes you look dirty) but if so they’re an imperfection I love.
I love freckles, too. I used to get them on my nose and cheeks (and knees!) in the summer and my grandmother would be so upset and constantly urging me to try all these home remedies to help me get rid of them. She could not understand why I would like them, I guess she came from the school of thought that only a perfectly porcelain complexion was beautiful.
For whatever reason, I don’t get freckles anymore, bums me out.
I’m not a fan, but I hope she is doing better now. It takes a lot of strength to even recognize you need help. I hope she has some better people around her now and none of the ones who will sabotage her recovery.
I’m happy that her time in rehab seems to have been helpful to her and a good thing overall. I do tend to get tired of rich people/celebs complaining about hard their lives are, regardless of the subject matter. But that’s just me. Still happy for her.
Being rich and/or famous hardly makes you immune to many of the problems/issues the rest of face. In fact the pressure most of us won’t ever have to deal with clearly makes some of them even more susceptible to crippling illnesses like the eating disorder Kesha is struggling with.
I see the only difference is that she likely has more financial resources to deal with it. And hopefully her speaking out honestly about this can help those less famous know they’re not alone.
I like that she didn’t hide it and let it destroy her. Look at many music stars who just listened to yes men or no one around them or never took time to straighten themselves out. She has put priorities in the right place, her Health, Mind and Spirit good for her.
i cant help but like her; she seems like one of the few genuine pop stars.
She looks lovely and healthy. Rooting for her as well!!!
The first time I think she looks nice; her freckles are lovely. I want to believe she’s got talent, because up until now she only showed auto-tune and garbage-dancing music.
More and more I think that if I was famous, I’d be considered a whale.
I like her and I’m on her side. She’s finding her way like we all are doing now, or will have to or had to do at one time or another.
love the freckles, looks so natural-very cute