Meaning of “Praying” by Kesha

Praying is a song by American singer Kesha (Ke$ha). The lyrics of Praying are about how Kesha overcame very depressing and difficult moments of her life. In a post on the blog LennyLetter published on July 6, 2017, Kesha said the song was inspired by the lowest moments of both her professional and personal lives during which she had suicidal thoughts. According to her, she channeled all her feelings of utter depression and hopelessness into the song. She said the song is about learning how to be proud of who you are even during the worst moments of your life. She added that the song is also about having empathy for everyone (including someone who hurt you) and praying that they can someday heal.

Many strongly believe that Kesha wrote the song about famed American music producer and songwriter Dr. Luke, whom in 2014 she filed a series of lawsuits against accusing him of sexually assaulting and abusing her for the 10 years she worked with him. Despite the fact that Dr. Luke’s name isn’t mentioned in the lyrics of the song, it is strongly believed the song is about him.

Facts about “Praying”

• Kesha wrote Praying with three other songwriters, including Ryan Lewis of Macklemore & Ryan Lewis fame. The other songwriters include Australian folk singer and songwriter Ben Abraham and Hungarian born American composer Andrew Joslyn.
• The song was produced by Ryan Lewis.
• Praying was released on July 6, 2017 as the first single from Kesha’s third studio album titled Rainbow.
• On the US Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart, the song peaked at numbers 22 and 26 respectively.
• The song was nominated for a Grammy for the Best Pop Solo Performance at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards in 2018, but lost to Ed Sheeran’s hit single Shape of You.
• At the 2018 Grammy Awards ceremony, Kesha gave a very emotional live performance of the song along with a host of famous female singers, including Cyndi Lauper, Julia Michaels, and Camila Cabello. The performance was widely considered one of the most powerful performances of the awards show.