Kesha Performs ‘Praying’ at Grammys, Inspired by Battle with Dr. Luke

Kesha provided the 60th Grammy Awards with its own “#MeToo” moment by giving a powerful performance of her hit “Praying,” joined by an all-star ensemble, including the likes of Cyndi Lauper, Camilla Cabello and Bebe Rexha.

The song, which was inspired by her ongoing legal battle with producer Dr. Luke, stirred social media with audiences at home getting very emotional.

Kesha tweeted ahead of the Grammys, sharing with fans that when she wrote the track with Ben Abraham and Ryan Lewis, it was as if she “had gotten a huge weight off” her shoulders.

“It felt like an emotional raw victory for myself, one step closer to healing. I never could have known what would’ve happened these past few years,” she wrote.

She continued, “I just want to say that I needed this song in a very real way. I’m so proud and nervous and overwhelmed to be performing it at the Grammys on Sunday, and if you need it I hope this song finds you.”

Kesha was supported by the Resistance Rival Chorus, which was formed after the 2017 Women’s March, reports Refinery29.

Executive producer Ken Ehrlich also told The Los Angeles Times that Cyndi Lauper, Camila Cabello, Bebe Rexha, Julia Michaels and Andra Day joined Kesha‘s chorus.

“It would be an amazingly strong performance under any circumstance, but when you factor in what’s happening it becomes much more relevant, in a way,” Ehrlich told the Times ahead of the show. “It’s what I love most about this show. Obviously there’s a lot of people wondering about Time’s Up and #MeToo and what’s so gratifying to me as a child of the ’60s is seeing this fervent commitment to change by a new generation.”

The 30-year-old Kesha is up for two Grammy Awards. “Praying” was nominated for Best Pop Solo Performance, while Rainbow is up for Best Pop Vocal Album.

“This record has quite literally saved my life,” Kesha told Good Morning America in August. “I think color symbolizes hope … I’ve always just found the hope in the bright colors and I wanted to bring that more into my everyday life.”

Rainbow was Kesha’s first album of new material since 2012’s Warrior. She has been in a legal dispute with Dr. Luke since 2013, accusing him of physical, sexual and emotional abuse, while Dr. Luke has accused her of breach of contract. He has denied her abuse allegations.