Kesha is in her reinvention era, and it looks good on her.

The pop icon, known for early 2010s anthems like “Tik Tok” and her latest track “Joy Ride,” is back with more than just glitter. She’s launching a new tour, dropping a fiercely independent album, and—plot twist—starting her own music-centered tech platform.

New Era, New App: Meet Smash

Kesha, now a fully independent artist following a tumultuous split from her former label and producer, has made it clear she’s not just here to sing. She’s here to disrupt.

Her latest venture? An artist-first social media platform called Smash, announced on Instagram and currently in development. Kesha describes it as a hybrid between LinkedIn and Fiverr—but for music creators. The vision? A space where musicians can collaborate, connect, and retain full rights to their creations.

“I think we realize what systems are f—ing broken and we smash them,” Kesha said in an interview with Wired.

Smash aims to give artists direct access to one another without the middlemen. Users will be able to find collaborators, offer services, and build community—all without sacrificing intellectual property.

“I want a place where artists and music makers of any kind can have community, collaborate, and retain all the rights to everything they create,” she said.

The platform is still in early stages, with a website collecting emails for updates and a seed funding round just opened. Kesha’s CTO is Apple alum Alan Cannistraro, and she’s actively consulting fellow artists on the platform’s design.

Free Woman, Full Voice

Kesha’s upcoming U.S. tour, launching in late May, is her first as an independent artist. For the first time since she was 18, she holds the legal rights to her own voice.

“This is my first U.S. tour where I get to fully embody that freedom,” she said. “I can feel the difference.”

The setlist might surprise longtime fans—Kesha teased that she’s revisiting songs she once abandoned due to painful associations. “I’m healing my relationships with those songs,” she said. “So potentially on tour you might be hearing some healing in real time.”

Asked for a preview? “People are going to f—ing s— themselves,” she laughed. “That’s what I want. I want everyone shitting themselves in unison at Madison Square Garden.”

Her Most Explosive Tour Yet

Kesha is planning what she calls her “most tech-forward show ever,” featuring laser visuals, AI integrations, and even interactive gloves that control lights and sound.

“I used to be just a hippie in the woods,” she said. “Now I’m a hippie in the woods with lasers.”

Far from being wary of tech, Kesha is embracing it as a tool for connection. “Tech connects us all. It’s our evolution,” she said. “I want to use it with humanity in mind.”

And yes, she acknowledges the tension between AI and artists. “We’ve opened Pandora’s box. Now we need to work with it in a way that protects creators.”

Her New Album: “.”

Kesha’s sixth studio album, symbolically titled “.”, drops on July 4, 2025, one year to the day after her triumphant return single “Joy Ride.” The album marks her first release under her own label, making Independence Day an on-the-nose release date in the best way.

Album cover artwork for '.'
Album cover artwork for ‘.’ Photo: Kesha Records

The record is expected to echo the high-energy, escapist pop Kesha’s known for—what fans have dubbed “recession pop,” a genre that thrives when the world feels heavy.

“I’m a punk. I thrive in poverty and chaos,” she said. “When the world’s a dumpster fire, people need release. That’s where my music lives.”

A Tech-Psychedelic Origin Story

The name Smash wasn’t born in a boardroom. It came to Kesha during a psychedelic mushroom journey—a moment she describes as divine clarity.

“It made my whole life make sense,” she said. “After what I’ve been through, it was like, ‘Oh, this is what I’m meant to do.’”

In that vision, Smash was a space that fixed the broken systems she’s long been subjected to. “There are gatekeepers in this industry. Rich, white, straight men who control everything. And that’s just not it anymore.”

Kesha wants Smash to serve as an alternative—one where artists don’t have to sign exploitative deals or beg for access. “If you want to f— some s— up culturally, if you think the music business is broken, come to Smash,” she said. “This is for you.”

 

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Reclaiming Power, One Beat at a Time

Kesha reflected on a moment at the height of her fame when she was playing arenas but feeling far from herself. She was starving, in clothes she didn’t want to wear, and disillusioned.

“I looked in the mirror and thought, this is not who I am,” she said.

So she quit. She started a punk band called Yeast Infection and returned to dive bars.

“That’s who I am. When things are just not it, I call it out,” she said. “Now I want to protect artists. I want to pay artists. If you like music, if you want your artists to be well and healthy—Smash is for you.”

What’s Next?

Smash is still being built, but the mission is loud and clear: Kesha is reclaiming the pop star narrative on her own terms—and bringing other creators with her.

And if her track record of throwing glitter in the face of adversity is any indication, this ride is going to be one hell of a joy ride.