Culture

Watch Kesha perform a feminist anthem in a drag bar in her new video

Jul 13 2017
Written by Josh Jackman

Illustrated rainbow pride flag on a white background.

Kesha kicks it with drag queens in the video for her new blockbuster of a song, Woman.

The superstar, who came out as bisexual in 2013, dropped the track today.

It represents the follow-up track to the powerful, emotional, rainbow-filled Praying, which she dropped a week ago today.

That song addressed her producer Dr Luke, who she alleged raped her, and talked about dealing with depression during the court battle.

Woman is a feminist anthem, channeling Destiny’s Child’s Independent Women and Bills, Bills, Bills with the lyrics “I buy my own things / I pay my own bills / These diamond rings / my automobiles.”

And it sees the Tik Tok star letting it all hang out in Oddity Bar, a bar in Delaware which holds drag shows, and which Kesha told Rolling Stone was “appropriately named” for her.

Andrea McCauley, one of the owners of Oddity Bar, told PinkNews that her bar holds “a drag show on the last Sunday of every month called, Oddity’s Night of Divas.

She added that the institution’s bartender, Ron Killen aka Veronica Kitten, “organises and hosts the shows, and that’s her behind the bar in the video.”

At one point, Veronica throws some excellent shade in Kesha’s direction.

McCauley said that hosting the shoot was “really amazing, and took us completely by surprise!

“Her brother, who directed the video, reached out to us about a week before, so it all came together really quickly.

“He said they had been considering several bars as the location for the video and Oddity fit what they were looking for.

“Today is the first time I’ve heard the new song in full, and I’m even more excited since the theme of the song is really in line with our attitude,” she continued.

The owner explained that she had always wanted to form “a place where everyone feels comfortable to be themselves and to create a community for like-minded people to come together…all while partying down and having fun!”

Staff member Christopher Devitt, known as ‘Devo’ at the bar, told PinkNews that after meeting the star and spending multiple hours on set with her, “Kesha had little pretension and was genuinely kind and congenial to be around.

“The hunger and drive of a great performer was/is evident in watching this video and watching it filmed.

“The song is a battle cry of empowerment laced with great hooks and sensibility,” he added.

“She deserves the best and everything that goes with it. A great artist and inspiring human being.”

Rainbow light sparks across the screen throughout the video, which features Kesha finally having some much-earned fun.

She sings: “I’m a motherf***ing woman, baby, alright / I don’t need a man to be holding me too tight.”

Writing in Rolling Stone, she explained: “To me, the thing I’m most proud of is that the song and video never lost the pure joy from the day it was birthed.

“I really hope people enjoy this song because I had the best time making it.

“I hope that energy passes through people and the fun is infectious,” she added.

“It’s important for me that people know that there are a lot of emotions on my new album Rainbow – but the wild fun energy that first inspired me to perform has not, and will never, go away.

“I’m still a motherf***errr.”